JEFFERSON TWP — Highlands was fighting to clinch a Greater Allegheny Conference title. Knoch was fighting for a playoff spot.

When the two teams clashed Friday night, the Rams came out on top, 35-18.

The intensity of the two teams added to an already heated rivalry.

On Highlands' first possession, it established its running game, marching 76 yards on seven plays.

Senior quarterback Jeff Sinclair ran for 39 yards on three carries on the drive, then helped the Golden Rams with his arm by connecting with junior Tyler Cole, who made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown.

The scoring play was the only passing play of the drive, and Highlands' longest passing play of the night.

After Mitchell Shaw returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards, Knoch moved the ball with a little help from the snap count, drawing the Golden Rams offside twice.

Less than two minutes after the Highlands touchdown, Knoch quarterback Jake McTighe kept the ball on an option play and turned it upfield for a 22-yard touchdown to tie the score at 6.

Highlands seemed poised to mount a scoring drive of its own, but on the fifth play, Knoch defensive back Brandon Flick intercepted a Sinclair pass, giving the Knights the ball on their own 35-yard line.

Knoch tried to use the momentum to get something going, but after nine plays and taking 4:16, the Knights were forced to punt.

On its first possession of the second quarter, Highlands caught a break when Clayton Hamm recovered a punt that touched a Knoch player, giving the Rams the ball on Knoch's 36.

A few minutes later, Sinclair took a quarterback keeper around the left end for a 19-yard touchdown, giving Highlands the lead for good.

Sinclair also ran for the 2-point conversion, making the score 14-6 with 6:42 to play in the half.

Knights running back Tim McNerney, who is now the school's all time leading rusher, rushed for 59 yards in the first half.

Knoch began the third quarter running the ball on almost every play, with most of the carries going to McNerney.

After McNerney churned out positive running play after positive running play, Knoch faced a crucial fourth-and-2 situation on its own 44 yard line.

The Knights gave the ball to McNerney, but he was stopped short of the first down, giving Highlands good field position.

Two plays later, the Golden Rams put six more points on the board when senior Bill Devlin ran for a 26-yard touchdown.

Highlands benefitted from another Knoch miscue on the next possession.

The Knights were moving the ball effectively, but McTighe and McNerney collided in the backfield, causing a fumble that was recovered by Highlands defensive tackle Nate Hargraves.

Knoch had a chance to turn the tide back in its favor when defensive back Dylan Beck intercepted a Sinclair pass, giving the Knights the ball at their 42 with 3:09 to go in the third quarter.

However, Knoch's offense went three-and-out.

Three plays later, Devlin broke through the middle, nearly untouched, for a 74-yard touchdown to give Highlands a 28-6 lead.

Knoch was able to make it interesting in the fourth quarter, though.

McNerney ran for a 1-yard touchdown to cap a 79-yard drive. Then McTighe ran for a 3-yard score to close out a 71-yard march to close the gap to 28-18 with 1:01 left in the game.

Highlands tacked on one last score when Sinclair took a quarterback draw 56 yards into the end zone with 43 seconds left.

McNerney finished the game with 34 carries for 210 yards.

"(Tim's) a great role model for everybody in the Saxonburg area who wants to be a running back," Knoch coach Mike King said. "You ask kids to give it their all, and he does that every game."