JEFFERSON TWP — Wherever he was needed, Kory Wood was there.

The Knoch junior soccer standout played midfielder, forward and defender. He even handled placekicking duties for the Knights football team.

He also scored the lone goal in Knoch's 1-0 win at Hampton, the Talbots' only loss in a 25-1 season that resulted in a Class AA state championship.

All of that made Wood the Butler Eagle Boys Soccer Player of the Year. He edged out three seniors: Mars midfielder Alex Perri, Karns City midfielder Ethan McGarvey and Seneca Valley defender George DeAugustino.

“Kory could play where we needed him,” said Knoch coach Doug Wood, who also is his father. “It depended on the type of opponent we were facing as to where we would play him.

“If we needed to score, Kory played forward. If we needed to control the middle of the field, he played midfield.

“When we played Hampton, we needed to prevent them from scoring, so we moved him to defense,” the coach added.

Hampton had handed Knoch a 6-0 beating Sept. 14. The Knights claimed the 1-0 win in the Oct. 5 rematch.

“(Coach Wood) liked me so much at defender he kept me there the rest of the year,” Kory said.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Knights allowed only one goal in their four games following the upset of Hampton.

Wood wound up with 11 goals and seven assists, earning an all-WPIAL selection. His team finished 12-5-1, bowing to Burrell in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.

Wood said his goal against Hampton was the highlight of his season.

“It was a free kick from 30 to 35 yards out,” he said. “The ball hit the crossbar and deflected straight down into the net.

“That was probably the best free kick of my life.”

Wood has been playing soccer since age 4. He didn't start kicking a football until he reached high school.

His older brother, Kevin, a soccer teammate now serving as the backup placekicker at St. Francis (Pa.) University, showed him the way.

“Without watching Kevin go through it, I doubt I would have tried it,” Wood said about playing both sports. “He showed it could be done.

“Along with my going to camps, I learned a lot about placekicking from working with him, too,” he added.

Wood played soccer games on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After soccer practice the other days, he ran back to the school, changed into football gear and practiced kicking for another hour.

“After soccer practice on Friday, Kory literally had to run to catch the bus taking the football team to away games,” Coach Wood said. “Doing both sports and maintaining his studies forced him to develop discipline, which I was glad to see.”

Wood is carrying a 3.5 grade point average.

“It gets a little hectic at times,” Wood admitted. “Soccer practice Friday, get on the bus for a road (football) game, get home around midnight, then play a soccer game at 9 a.m. Saturday. ... It gets kinda crazy, actually.

“It's all worth it to me, though. I get a lot of help from the football players in getting my gear ready. I can't wait to do it all again next year.”