August 31, 2024Last Updated: September 07, 2024 04:19 PMSports
Eagle Staff Writer
Steve Cukovich
Knoch's Wyatt Fraser runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic and Knoch shake hands after Knoch's victory during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic and Knoch shake hands after Knoch's victory during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Keaton Oprosky tackles North Catholic during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Cam Lang helps tackle North Catholic during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs on the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz tackles Knoch's Colt Sprankle during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kody Schubert tackles North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen is tackled during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kody Schubert tackles North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen drives around North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle is tackled by North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch and North Catholic line up for a play during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle is tackled by North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kody Schubert tackles North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaden Spencer runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Makai Noah runs on the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle attempt to avoid a tackle from North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Dylan Pinkerton runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Dylan Pinkerton runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle celebrates his touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Zach Szebalskie runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's football team runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs onto the field ahead of the football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle, center, celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates his touchdown with Keaton Oprosky during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz is tackled during a football game against Knoch at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz is tackled by Knoch's Kody Schubert during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
The student section cheers on the Knoch Knights during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
The Knoch Knights watch the game from the sidelines during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka drives around North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Keaton Oprosky runs onto the field ahead of the football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates his second touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Brody Bauman runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Joey Felitsky, center, looks to run the ball down the field during a football game against Knoch at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Ben Martin runs onto the field carrying an American flag during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Ben Martin runs onto the field carrying an American flag during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Wyatt Fraser gets direction from the sidelines during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
The Knoch Knights and North Catholic line up for a play during the second quarter of a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Keaton Oprosky, right, celebrates with Codi Mullen, left, after his touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz runs the ball down the field during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Wyatt Fraser runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic and Knoch shake hands after Knoch's victory during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic and Knoch shake hands after Knoch's victory during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Keaton Oprosky tackles North Catholic during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Cam Lang helps tackle North Catholic during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs on the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz tackles Knoch's Colt Sprankle during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kody Schubert tackles North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen is tackled during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kody Schubert tackles North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen drives around North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle is tackled by North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch and North Catholic line up for a play during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle is tackled by North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kody Schubert tackles North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaden Spencer runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Makai Noah runs on the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle attempt to avoid a tackle from North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Dylan Pinkerton runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Dylan Pinkerton runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle celebrates his touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Zach Szebalskie runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's football team runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Kaeden Myers runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs onto the field ahead of the football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle, center, celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates his touchdown with Keaton Oprosky during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs onto the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz is tackled during a football game against Knoch at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz is tackled by Knoch's Kody Schubert during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
The student section cheers on the Knoch Knights during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
The Knoch Knights watch the game from the sidelines during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka drives around North Catholic during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Keaton Oprosky runs onto the field ahead of the football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates his second touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Brody Bauman runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Sam Skurka runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Codi Mullen runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Joey Felitsky, center, looks to run the ball down the field during a football game against Knoch at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Ben Martin runs onto the field carrying an American flag during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Ben Martin runs onto the field carrying an American flag during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Colt Sprankle runs the ball down the field during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Wyatt Fraser gets direction from the sidelines during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
The Knoch Knights and North Catholic line up for a play during the second quarter of a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
Knoch's Keaton Oprosky, right, celebrates with Codi Mullen, left, after his touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
North Catholic's Will Waskiewicz runs the ball down the field during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, August 30. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/30/2024)
JEFFERSON TWP — The only difference between a Knight and a Trojan is 11 points.
Even after more than an hour lightning delay, Knoch football and North Catholic kept the sparks going well into the evening, and shortly after 10 p.m., the Knights defeated the Trojans 28-17 in nonconference action.
The game “had it all” Knoch head coach Tim Burchett said, with big plays, a lightning delay and injuries.
“It was a battle,” Burchett said. “That’s a good win, and we will take it and move on.”
Early in the third quarter, Trojan Cole Meier went down on a kickoff return for North Catholic (0-2), which required him to be helped off the field on a stretcher and quickly put in an ambulance with what North Catholic head coach Chris Rizzo described as a “lower body injury.”
Knoch's Colt Sprankle celebrates a touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
“We don’t know exactly what he has yet,” Rizzo said. “He’s going to spend the night in the hospital, but he is going to be ok.”
North Catholic took the early lead in the first quarter, off a 65-yard drive that resulted in a Dylan Shantz field goal, but the drive was stalled not because of the Knoch (1-1) defense, but because of four pre-snap penalties.
“We are getting things adjusted a little bit,” Rizzo said. “We have no one to look at but ourselves. You can blame it on youth all you want, but that is stuff we got to get taken care of in practice.”
On the following drive, Knoch was able to march down the field and take the lead off a Colt Sprankle 28-yard touchdown run.
Knoch's Codi Mullen celebrates his second touchdown during a football game against North Catholic at Knoch High School on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
The Knights never gave the lead back, and their first score was followed up with a Codi Mullen 2-yard run for a touchdown in the middle of the second quarter.
Mullen has been transitioning into a wide receiver and running back role after leading the Knights last year at quarterback, and Burchett is pleased with how he has taken on his new responsibilities.
“You put (Mullen) anywhere and he adapts to anything,” Burchett said. “That’s what he does every week, every day. We should expect the unexpected with him.”
Both teams wasted no time scoring after the delay, which started with a Christian Naylor 5-yard touchdown run on the first play after the delay.
Knoch's Kody Schubert tackles a North Catholic ball carrier during a football game at Knoch High School on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
On the first play of the following drive for the Knights, Knoch quarterback Colt Sprankle launched a pass up for Mullen, who took the ball 80 yards for the touchdown.
The Knoch defense came up with two interceptions in the second half, which killed two potentially productive drives by the Trojans.
The running game then followed suit, and Knoch was able to secure its first win of the season.
“Sam Skurka deserves the ball,” Burchett said. “He earned carries and he got them. It’s all about what the defense gives you and what we are willing to take.”
North Catholic 3 7 7 0 – 17
Knoch 7 14 7 0 - 28
First Quarter
NC – Dylan Shantz 23 field goal, 7:27
K – Colt Sprankle 28 run (Kannon Trofimuk kick), 4:18
Second Quarter
K – Codi Mullen 2 run (Trofimuk kick), 5:13
NC – Christian Naylor 5 run (Shantz kick), 1:04
K – Codi Mullen 80 pass from Sprankle (Trofimuk kick), :40
Third Quarter
K – Mullen 4 run (Trofimuk kick), 6:11
NC – Tom Arth 15 pass from Joey Felitsky (Shantz kick), 2:53
Individual Statistics
Rushing: North Catholic, Joey Felitsky, 8-44, Christian Naylor 8-25. Knoch, Colt Sprankle 9-57, Sam Skurka 15-95, Ethan Rouleau 1-5, Codi Mullen 6-35.
Passing: North Catholic, Joey Felitsky 25-42-263-2. Knoch, Colt Sprankle 10-15-178-0.
Receiving: North Catholic, Will Washiewicz 4-26, Jack White 5-87, Joe Safer 2-40, Tom Arth 6-54, Ryker Kennedy 5-30, Christian Naylor 3-26. Knoch, Sam Skurka 3-33, Codi Mullen 3-82, Kaden Spencer 3-48, Brody Bauman 1-15.
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected at 4:30 Sept. 7 to correct the spelling of Sam Skurka’s name.
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