PLUM - Despite trailing Knoch by one point at halftime, Plum put itself in a position to win in the second half.

Again, and again, and again.

The Mustangs scored 22 points in a 7:27 span in the second half by capitalizing on great field position and went on to defeat the Knights 35-7 in a non-conference football game Friday at Mustangs Stadium.

Plum (2-4) scored 19 points in the third quarter by four different means - a scoring pass, a run, a safety and a field goal - as it turned a defensive matchup into a one-sided contest.

"I thought out defense was outstanding," said Knoch coach Mike King, "But we put it in bad positions in the second half.

"We ended up taking gambles. I thought we held tough most of the half," King added.

"High school football is a game of field position," said Plum coach Bill Rometo. "Not too many teams will take it 80 yards every time."

Plum opened the second half with an 11-play drive, capped by a 48-yard field goal by Pat McAfee.

McAfee was most responsible for keeping the Knights' offense at bay as six of his seven kickoffs went for touchbacks, which made Knoch start those drives at its own 20.

On Knoch's ensuing drive, the Knights (2-4) were forced to punt, but the snap went high and rolled out of the end zone for a safety.

"There's almost a point in every high school game, a critical point, where one team gains confidence and one team loses it," said King.

"After that safety, you could tell that took the wind out of our sails," he added.

After the free kick, Plum needed just five plays to go 30 yards as Ryan Webb scored from 1 yard out with 3:26 left in the quarter for an 18-7 lead.

David Bergamasco fumbled on the second play of the Knights' next drive, giving the Mustangs the ball at the Plum 22.

This time, it took just three plays, the final a 21-yard pass to Steve Jeanette from Gino Rometo with 1:34 left in the quarter.

"(Plum) had been in a 3-0 defense and came out in a 4-4, and we'd been blocking a 4-4 all year," said King.

"We just didn't adjust blocking-wise, and it'll have to be better for the section," he added.

McAfee added a 45-yard field goal and Webb added a 20-yard scoring run, his third of the game, to close out the scoring in the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs jumped out to a 6-0 lead on their first possession when they went on an 11-play, 63-yard drive, culminated by a Webb 3-yard scoring run with 3:31 left in the first quarter. McAfee's missed extra point was his only blemish of the evening.

For the rest of the first half, the Knights clamped down on the Mustangs, allowing the team just 10 offensive plays in its other three first-half possessions.

"I tip my hat to Mike," said Rometo. "He does an outstanding job and they took it to us. Their defense played hard. It was a wakeup call to our kids.

"I told them Knoch was a good team. They're equal in size and coming in, you wouldn't know who was Quad A and who was Triple A. I had a few choice words. I told them that Knoch was a team that came to play," he added.

Knoch's only score came on a 70-yard punt return by Joel Berger with 4:57 left before halftime. Berger broke several tackles along the way as he helped the Knights to take that halftime lead.

Knights quarterback Jordan Shoop sat out the game to rest an ailing shoulder as a precaution. His replacement, sophomore Dan Pickard, completed 1 of 10 passes for 10 yards and was intercepted twice.

"That's an awful young kid against a seasoned Quad A team," said King. "The way he handled himself was admirable.

"I thought (Pickard) did a nice job," said Rometo. "He's a good quarterback."

Knoch will now turn its sights to next week's game against Franklin Regional in the Greater Allegheny Conference.

King doesn't want this loss to carry over into conference play.

We have to keep our heads up," said King. "When the going gets tough, that's when you have to suck it up."

Notes:

Plum's Jake Yuhasz led all rushers with 102 yards on 11 carries. Bergamasco led Knoch with 85 yards rushing.