IMPERIAL — Too much Mike Caputo and two questionable fumble rulings.

The combination proved lethal to Knoch as the Knights dropped a 31-17 first-round WPIAL Class AAA football playoff game Friday night at West Allegheny.

The Indians (8-2) move on to face New Castle — a 45-38 winner at Greensburg Salem — in the quarterfinals while the Knights (3-7) are left to ponder what might have been.

"My heart goes out to our kids," Knoch coach Mike King said. "A lot of times I'll look up at a final score and say it reflects how the game went.

"I can't say that about this 31-17 score."

Caputo had 25 carries for 229 yards, taking direct snaps out of the Wildcat formation on many occasions, and scored on touchdown runs of 21 and 23 yards.

Caputo has rushed for more than 1,500 yards in 2009.

"I'm not surprised by anything that kid does anymore," West Allegheny coach Bob Palko said. "He just runs hard."

Palko was surprised by some of the plays and formations Knoch used, however.

Trailing 6-3 early in the second quarter, the Knights apparently took the lead when quarterback Kyler Kenyon flipped the ball to Jake McTighe in the right flat. McTighe then lofted a touchdown pass to Adam Seger in the back of the end zone.

The officials ruled Kenyon's lateral was a forward pass, however, nullifying the score. Kevin Wood came on to attempt a 33-yard field goal, but a high snap resulted in a 10-yard loss and a change of possession.

"That was the trick play we were working on in practice," King said. "I'll have to look at the film, but that first pass might have been a tad forward."

Caputo's first TD run capped a 74-yard drive and Jared Buck added a 15-yard scoring pass to Emeka Agubuta to cap a 52-yard march as West Allegheny took a 21-3 lead into halftime.

The Knights marched 69 yards on seven plays with their first possession of the third quarter to pull within 21-10. Kenyon tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to McTighe — Knoch's first touchdown pass all season.

"Knoch figured out what works for them during the year and rode that into the playoffs," Palko said. "That's what the regular season is for."

Caputo runs of 19 and 41 yards put the Indians in position to take command of the game again. But on second and 9 from the Knoch 28, Buck fumbled after a short gain and Jake Hickey recovered for the Knights. The chains were moved the other way as Knoch's offense took the field.

But after the officials huddled, the ball was given back to the Indians.

"The official who called the fumble came over to me and said the other guy blew it down," King said. "I have no idea what that means.

"Their offense was leaving the field, ours was taking the field. I knew it was a fumble. Their coach told me after the game it was a fumble."

On the next play, Caputo scored on a 23-yard run and West Allegheny had an 18-point lead.

On Knoch's ensuing possession, Hickey caught a 6-yard pass for an apparent first down. As two defenders pulled him backward, the ball was knocked out of his hands and recovered by the Indians' Ben Simmen at the Knights 20-yard line.

The turnover allowed Aaron Fleck to drill a 25-yard field goal and to extend the West Allegheny lead to 31-10 with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.

"Jake was thrown backward a good three or four yards before the ball came loose," King said. "Where's the forward progress? Where's the whistle?

"I don't like to harp on officials, but I don't know what those guys were watching."

The second fumble recovery of the night by Knoch's Adam Tuzikow set up a 45-yard scoring drive that ended with Kenyon's second 5-yard scoring toss to McTighe with 2:23 remaining in the game.

West Allegheny recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

"We made too many mistakes with turnovers and penalties tonight," Palko said. "You can't keep winning games if you're doing that. We were fortunate."

Notes: Tuzikow's first fumble recovery occurred in the first quarter and set up a 40-yard Wood field goal. ... Tuzikow led the Knights with 94 rushing yards. ... Palko is 126-47 in 15 years at West Allegheny.