Call this one The Adversity Bowl.

Plum comes to Knoch for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday without a win through five games and without its biggest threat offensively. Running back Ryan Webb was ejected in last week's 63-0 loss to McKeesport and must sit out this week.

"He's the kid we like to get the ball to," Plum coach Bill Rometo said. "Ryan's our leading rusher and receiver."

Knoch (2-3, 1-2) will be without its leading rusher and receiver as well - probably for the rest of the season.

After late-game heroics that included a 54-yard pass reception on the Knights' final drive and the game-winning PAT with 47 seconds left in a 13-12 win over Highlands last week, sophomore running back Alex Whisler found himself in a lot of pain.

"He was in pain after a hit he took in the first half, but it was mostly stiffness and soreness," Knoch coach Mike King said. "During the bus ride home, it got worse and his parents took him to the hospital as soon as we got back."

Whisler had suffered a lacerated spleen.

"He just got hit in the wrong spot at the wrong time," King said. "It was one of those freakish things."

Whisler is Knoch's leading rusher with 302 yards and five touchdowns. He is the Knights' leading receiver with six catches for 106 yards.

He will likely be replaced in the backfield by either Curtis Howard, Aaron Shaw or Paul Hancheck, or any combination thereof.

Howard and Shaw have only one carry each through five games and Hancheck is just returning from injury.

While the Knights are also getting linemen Mark Yoest and John Zellhardt back from injury, they've learned that linemen Mike Burns and Zack Macurak are out for the season with knee problems.

"We've had so many injuries we've had to change kids around, put them in different positions," King said. "But they've shown the ability to focus on the task at hand regardless.

"Our captains - Bill Elliott, Greg Braden and Jordan Shoop - have been great in leading the kids through all this. They're the type of captain every coach likes to have."

While Plum is winless, the Mustangs have faced some of the WPIAL's best. Besides McKeesport, they've lost to Franklin Regional (21-12), Penn Hills (44-0), Gateway (42-20) and Trinity (21-18).

Webb, who has 19 receptions this year, will be replaced by Steve Jeannette, a senior and starting defensive back.

"It's not like we're throwing an inexperienced sophomore out there," Rometo said. "We'll be OK."

Especially since the coach's son, Gino Rometo, is in his third year as the team's quarterback. The 6-foot-3 Rometo has thrown for nearly 700 yards and is getting some Division I college looks.

"He throws the ball well and if given time, he'll put the ball where he needs to put it," King said of the Plum signal-caller.

Rometo is looking forward to matching his team up with the Knights.

"We're one of the smaller Quad-A schools around and we can't line up and go toe-to-toe with the teams in our conference," Rometo said. "We spread things out and try to be balanced.

"We're through the rough part of our schedule. We're anxious to get things turned around."

Plum's top defensive players are lineman Scott Kachurik, two-year starting middle linebacker Josh Bonetto and two-year starting defensive back Tyler Schmeck.

"Injuries have played a factor in our slow start, too," Rometo said. "Last year, no one got hurt. This year, we're like a M.A.S.H. unit."

King can identify with that.

"We're banged up, but coming back and winning that game on TV like we did … That was a lot of pressure on a bunch of high school kids and they came through. I think we'll benefit from that."