JEFFERSON TWP — Compare numbers all you want. Only two matter to longtime West Allegheny football coach Bob Palko.

“Knoch is 9-0,” Palko said. “We went undefeated only twice in my 17 years of coaching. I don’t care what league you’re in or what level you’re at. That’s a feat.

“They’ve got experience, team speed and they’re hitting on all cylinders right now.”

The Indians (5-4), fourth-place qualifier out of the Parkway Conference, will take on the unbeaten Knights in a first-round WPIAL Class AAA playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Knoch Stadium.

Last year’s fourth-place team out of the Parkway — Central Valley — defeated Knoch in the second round and went on to win the WPIAL title. Central Valley is the No. 1 seed in Triple-A this year.

“All of the teams in that league have strong rosters and a lot of tradition,” Knoch coach Mike King said. “You watch West Allegheny on film, you see plenty of kids along that sideline.”

West Allegheny has defeated Knoch in playoff openers twice in recent years: 31-17 in 2009 and 41-6 in 2004. Both of those games were in Imperial and played on turf.

This meeting will be in Saxonburg and played on grass. The visiting Indians have not played a game on grass all season.

“It could play to our advantage,” King admitted. “Coach Palko asked me if we had turf. I told him we had grass that’s pretty much mud now.”

Palko doesn’t see the playing conditions as a factor.

“We practice on grass every day and we’ve played on grass all our lives,” he said. “I don’t see the field being an issue.”

Knoch running back Andrew Rumburg-Goodlin has rushed for 1,082 yards and 18 touchdowns this year despite getting only two carries in the season finale against Mars. He sprained an ankle in the first quarter.

King lists him as probable for this Friday.

“He could run straight ahead last week. The problem was his cutting on that ankle,” King said. “Andrew probably could have come back in, if needed.”

Both teams feature quarterbacks who can run and throw the football. The Knights’ Ky Kenyon has passed for 759 yards and 14 TDs, rushed for 748 and seven scores.

West Allegheny senior QB Dylan Bongiorni has thrown for 905 yards and seven TDs, rushed for 624 and eight scores.

“Their kid (Kenyon) did some nice things against us as a sophomore,” Palko said. “I can’t imagine what he’s like now.”

Bongiorni is one of only two returning starters offensively for West Allegheny this season.

“Anymore, running and throwing is a prerequisite for the job,” King said of a high school quarterback. “For years, teams didn’t have to account for a quarterback running the ball unless you were facing an option team. Now, it’s commonplace.”

West Allegheny’s leading rusher, Nick Halbedl (323 yards) tore his ACL a month ago and is out for the season. Mike O’Donnell is the Indians’ top receiver with 18 catches for 192 yards.

Tom Forse has booted five field goals for West Allegheny this season, should Friday’s game come down to a kick. Kory Wood is dependable for Knoch as well.

“We mix in a lot of kids running and catching the ball,” Palko said. “We like to have different kids touch the football. We’re the same as most teams, though. When we turn the ball over, we lose.”

West Allegheny enters this game on a two-game skid, including last week’s 31-14 loss to Hopewell when the Indians suffered seven penalties and five turnovers.

West Allegheny shut out South Park and Ambridge this year, and allowed Central Valley only 13 points.

Armand Dellovade is a freshman inside linebacker who has been “outstanding,” Palko said. Linebackers Zach Medved and Tory Delmonico, lineman Dustin Windemaker and defensive back O’Connell have been other standouts.

Knoch’s defense has allowed only two teams — Indiana and Kittanning — to score more than once this season.

“Our secondary of Mac Megahan, Dakota Bruggeman and Alex Strezeski has been outstanding,” King said. “Mike Cunningham had a big game at linebacker last week and Luke Kroneberg’s been consistent at inside linebacker.”

The Knights have intercepted 11 passes this season.