JEFFERSON TWP — Knoch running back Tim McNerney reached the 1,000-yard plateau Friday night.

The Knights' football program might reach great heights as well.

McNerney rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns as Knoch ran through Franklin Regional, 31-0, to record its fifth straight victory and to gain a WPIALClass AAAplayoff berth.

The win was Knoch's first over the Panthers since 1987 and put the Knights in solid position to win the Greater Allegheny Conference championship.

"No, I didn't expect this,"Knoch coach Mike King said of the runaway win. "But I watch these kids in awe at times, at what they've accomplished. And they're not done. They're still hungry."

Knoch (5-1, 4-0) has Highlands and Indiana remaining on its league schedule. Highlands dropped a 35-0 decision Friday to Pine-Richland, leaving the Knights as the lone unbeaten team in the Greater Allegheny Conference.

"That team smelled blood tonight," Franklin Regional coach Greg Botta. "They took it to us physically and we didn't respond. I have no idea why.

"It seems we either play really good or really bad. Tonight, we were really, really bad."

The Panthers (3-3, 1-2) took 95 yards in penalties — including four personal fouls — and allowed Knoch 22 first downs and 311 yards rushing.

The 31-0 final score could have been worse. Kevin Wood missed a 32-yard field goal attempt on Knoch's first possession and the Knights threw away a scoring chance late in the first half when McNerney's halfback pass was intercepted at the Franklin Regional 10-yard line.

Knoch's Mitchell Shaw scored on a 15-yard run late in the fourth quarter, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty. The Knights ended the game by taking a knee at the Franklin Regional 1-yard line.

"They beat us every way possible,"Botta said. "They looked like they were going for the section title."

Franklin Regional never advanced inside Knoch's 49-yard during the first half. The Panthers appeared to connect for a big gain on a pass down the middle to Chad Bowman, but Knights free safety Michael Gallagher drilled the running back to the turf, forcing a fumble.

"Our defenders, particularly our safeties, are really hitting people hard now,"King said. "We weren't getting those kinds of hits early in the year. It's been a process."

Trailing 21-0 at halftime after McNerney collected 135 yards and three TDs rushing in the first two quarters, Franklin Regional took the second-half kickoff and mounted a drive.

But on fourth-and-2 from the Knights 29, nose tackle Henry Cypher stopped Panthers running back Seve Franceschelli for no gain.

Later in the third quarter, Franklin Regional quarterback Anthony Vendemia found receiver D.J. Capezzuto over the middle for 20 yards. Again, Gallagher delivered a crunching hit and a fumble. Knoch's David Govan returned the loose football 25 yards to the Panthers 25-yard line.

The play set up Knoch's final touchdown of the night — a 2-yard run by David Brodeur with 11:23 left in the game.

"We were a young team last year,"McNerney said. "This year, we all believe in each other, and that's all it takes, ya know?"

McNerney now has 1,039 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. He didn't know he was even approaching 1,000 yards.

"I had no idea until I heard them say it over the loudspeaker,"he said. "I knew I had a lot of yards this year because kids keep telling me in school.

"How many yards I'm getting isn't important. Winning the section title — that's important."

Notes:Knoch quarterback Zach Gross completed six passes for 76 yards and has not thrown an interception this season. ... Knights linebacker Govan was in on both sacks of Vendemia. ... Franklin Regional leads the all-time series between the teams, 11-9-2. ... Knoch hosts Laurel Highlands in a nonsection game next Friday.

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