Losing a four-year starting quarterback is bad enough.

Voluntarily taking away your leading receiver at the same time didn't seem to make much sense to Knoch football followers.

It does now.

"That move was pretty much in the cards from the beginning," Knoch coach Mike King said.

Actually, it was all part of a master plan. With senior quarterback Mark Rupert seeing his favorite target, Jay Berger, graduate in 2003, the Knights needed to find a new go-to guy at wideout.

Enter sophomore Jordan Shoop, who had been a quarterback until that time.

"I didn't mind switching," Shoop said. "It was for the good of the team and it definitely helped the team.

"Besides, I figured I was gonna be the quarterback this year. Everything was pointing that way."

Shoop caught 24 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns last season. Senior Bobby Rummel pulled in 15 passes for 249 yards and three TDs as well.

A third receiver - junior Curtis Compton - had nine catches for 139 yards and three TDs. Compton didn't play football his sophomore year.

That didn't matter to King. He already saw the future.

"Curtis stepped it up for us last year when Bobby was injured late in the year," the coach said. "He made some big catches, some all-conference caliber catches.

I'm an old-fashioned coach. We don't signal plays in or have anybody wrap something around their wrist with a bunch of plays written on it. We rotate plays in by using a three or four-receiver rotation.

"That's how Curtis got on the field last year. If I didn't think he could become our top receiver, I may not have moved Jordan," King said.

The move was made and both players have benefited.

Shoop has thrown for 582 yards and nine touchdowns - as many touchdowns as Rupert threw for all of last year - and has been intercepted only twice.

Compton has 15 catches for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Ziacik is the Knights' second-leading receiver with seven receptions. Ryan Hollihan has three touchdown catches.

"I knew Jordan would have no problem throwing to me," Compton said. "We were quarterback and receiver with the Saxonburg Spartans in seventh and eighth grade.

"He threw four touchdown passes to me back then. We just work well together."

Shoop said he was impressed with Compton's play at receiver last year.

"He runs such precise routes," Shoop said. "I noticed that practicing with the receivers last year. The way he filled in when Bobby got hurt … I knew I had somebody to go to this year.

"It's all rhythm between Curtis and me. I drop back, count 1-2-3, throw, and I know he's gonna be there."

Shoop has spread his nine touchdown passes among six receivers. Ziacik, Hollihan, Greg Braden, David Bergamasco and Joel Berger have all taken passes to the end zone.

"All of those guys are great for my stats because they make something happen after they catch the ball," Shoop said.

Compton is the leader in that area as well, averaging more than 18 yards per catch.

"I like running the end route or the fade," Compton said. "But I know I can get better. My blocking needs to improve. You have to be a good all-around receiver even when you're not catching the ball."

Coach King would smile at such words.

"Every high school coach around here owes some thanks to Hines Ward of the Steelers," King said. "He's brought blocking to the forefront at the wide receiver position and high school players want to emulate him."

"Yeah … I'm a big fan of Hines Ward," Compton admitted.

Shoop and Compton have definite goals for the rest of the year.

"Coming into the year, I just wanted to learn the (quarterback) position," Shoop said. "Now I'm trying to refine my skills and help get us into the playoffs."

"Do my part to keep our offense balanced," Compton said. "If we keep defenses guessing, we'll keep on winning."