JEFFERSON TWP — Every successful team has them.

Guys who don't throw, catch or carry the football very often, if at all. Guys who stay out of the limelight while keeping their team in it.

Unsung heroes, if you will.

Knoch has a number of them in 2011. Seven Knights are at least part-time starters on both sides of the ball. Nine players have intercepted passes.

Two of those two-way players — tight end-inside linebacker Luke Kroneberg and guard-outside linebacker Sam Montgomery — took the lead of their fathers to get to where they are.

Senior right guard Austin Slupe overcame a serious knee injury to become a first-year starter.

Without the services of all three, the Knights may not be 11-0 and sitting one win away from Heinz Field right now.

“We have a bunch of guys on this team who just love to play football,” Knights coach Mike King said. “These three aren't the only ones, certainly, but they do whatever is asked of them for the good of this team.”

The 6-foot, 230-pound Slupe was playing in a junior varsity game midway through last season when he suffered a major knee injury.

“I tore the ACL and meniscus in my right knee,” Slupe said. “I was looking at six months before I could do anything with football again.

“I saw a little bit of varsity time last year, but only in the final minutes of blowouts.”

Despite the lack of prime varsity time, Slupe couldn't wait to get back on the field. He did rehab sessions in Butler three days a week for three months to get the knee back in shape.

“I couldn't even lift my leg at first,” Slupe said. “But there was no way I was going to miss my senior year.”

Slupe and Montgomery are part of an offensive line that is totally new this season. Every starter up front from last year's WPIAL quarterfinalist team graduated.

“It took us a couple of games to mesh, maybe, but that's all,” Slupe said. “We're all friends. We're a big family. Everyone knows what everyone else is thinking.”

The 6-2, 208-pound Montgomery started at linebacker for the Knights last year and was looked at as a tight end going into this year.

“They tested me at guard because we were a little thin there — and I never left that spot,” Montgomery said.

“Sam's a little small physically to be playing guard at this level, but the kid loves contact,” King said. “He uses his quickness on both sides of the ball.

“Defensively, he's extremely quick. He's like a cat, pouncing on everything. He's always around the ball and provides matchup problems for opposing teams.”

Montgomery returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter last week to seal Knoch's 31-9 quarterfinal win over Thomas Jefferson.

Montgomery said his love for football came through his father.

“Football's always been his No. 1 sport and I just picked up on it,” he said. “I prefer playing defense because I love the hitting.”

So, too, does Kroneberg, a 6-1, 190-pound junior who has three catches for 52 yards from his tight end position.

“Defense is more fun for me,” he said. “You want to make a big hit, make an impact that way. There's a lot of responsibility playing inside.”

Kroneberg's father, Russ, was a teammate of King's on Knoch football teams that reached postseason play.

“He was one of our tri-captains my senior year,” King recalled. “(Junior guard) Sawyer Macurdy's dad was another one of the captains.

“It's a neat thing for me, coaching a second generation of players like that.”

King said Luke Kroneberg has never missed a practice or been hurt to this point in his high school career.

“Luke is just one of those quiet guys who shows up every day and gives everything he has, without fanfare or by calling attention to himself,” King said.

“He's just a football player. You need a bunch of guys like that to win and we've got 'em.”