Knoch bows out
IMPERIAL — Knoch had the fight.
West Allegheny had too much talent.
The host Indians rolled up 406 yards of offense — much of it out of the Wildcat formation — and cruised to a 38-0 WPIAL Class AAA football playoff victory over the Knights Friday night at DeMichela Stadium.
The third-seeded Indians stayed on course in trying to capture their third consecutive WPIAL title.
“They’re just a very good football team,” Knoch coach Mike King said. “Our defense hung tough with them for a while. Offensively, we never got anything going.”
West Allegheny (9-1) went three-and-out on its first possession and Knoch’s Sam Whalen recovered a fumble to end the Indians’ second possession.
But the Knights (4-6) managed only 83 net offensive yards and two first downs all night.
West Allegheny’s third possession resulted in an 11-play, 75-yard drive — all on the ground out of the Wildcat — with Chayse Dillon scoring on a 2-yard run with 25 seconds left in the opening quarter.
“Their defensive formation forced us to go to the Wildcat more than we nornally do,” West Allegheny coach Bob Palko said. “But it’s been a part of our offensive package for years.”
King wasn’t surprised by it at all.
“We knew we’d see it at some point. We just didn’t know when,” he said. “They hurt us with it, but that was only one phase of this game.”
Dillon carried 17 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns, most of his yardage coming from direct snaps in the Wildcat. Terence Joseph added 92 yards rushing, 67 of those coming on a touchdown run off a direct snap to him in the second quarter.
Dillon had been banged up in recent weeks and entered the game with 527 yards rushing on the year.
“It looks like he’s back ... He ran like it. It’s good to have him,” Palko said.
West Allegheny’s first four scoring drives involved no completed passes. Quarterback Andrew Koester played less than half the game, but completed seven of 11 passes for 112 yards, including a 36-yard screen pass to Tyler Scanlon for a touchdown on a third-and-13 play.
Knoch crossed middfield only twice. Tom Ibinson recovered a muffed punt at the Knights 45 late in the second quarter. Quarterback Cole Shinsky ran six yards to the WA 49, but was sacked by Armand Dellovade on third down and the Knights had to punt.
Cody Milsom ran five yards to the Indians’ 48 — Knoch’s deepest penetration — on the final play of the game.
Matt Holmes recovered a fumble and Dellovade intercepted a pass at Knoch’s 30 to set up West Allegheny’s final touchdown.
“That’s a great defense. They play very physical and they shut us down,” King said. “But our seniors led this team to the playoffs after we missed the playoffs last year. They deserve credit for that.”
Knoch suffered three conference losses by four points or fewer — to Gateway, Holidaysburg and Indiana — during the regular season.
“When you talk about would’ve and could’ve, things usually didn’t go your way,” King said. “Yeah, this could have been a different season for us, but you still have to play teams like this eventually.
“It was a season of inches for us this year, that’s for sure.”
