WEXFORD — Knoch manager George Bradley made the slow stroll to the mound convinced he was going to take Alex Stobert out of the game.

Stobert and catcher Asa Adams had other plans.

Stobert, who had already thrown 118 pitches and had just walked the Thomas Jefferson leadoff man to start the top of the seventh inning, told Bradley he wanted to remain in the game.

Adams backed up his pitcher.

“When a pitcher says that to me, I really don’t listen a whole lot,” Bradley said. “When a catcher says it, I listen. And Asa is the man out there.”

With Adams’ endorsement, Stobert finished off the game and Knoch finished off Thomas Jefferson in a 5-3 WPIAL Class AAA first-round playoff win at North Allegheny High School Monday night.

Stobert was grateful for the faith Bradley showed in him.

“He said I was coming out,” Stobert said. “Me and my catcher looked at each other and said, ‘No, we’re not coming out.’ (Bradley) agreed and said we’re going to get through this and go home.”

That’s just what Knoch did.

Stobert, a sophomore who began the season far down in the Knoch pitching pecking order, worked his way to the top with a stellar season.

He struck out three, walked three and hit two batters, but was adept at getting out of jams.

Stobert stranded the bases loaded in the third inning and got a key pop -out to end the fifth inning with two runners in scoring position.

What had held Stobert back earlier in the season was his poise. He showed plenty of it Monday.

“He’s growing up,” Bradley said. “We talked a lot. The stuff was there, but he’d get rattled easily. To his credit, everything that we’ve talked about he’s taken to heart. We saw the culmination of that tonight.”

Knoch gave Stobert some breathing room early with a three-run first inning on a RBI double by Jordan Kowalski and a two-run single by Adams.

The Knights (8-8) tacked on two more runs in the second on a two-run double by Chris Law.

The offensive explosion chased TJ starter Jeremy Wasik after only 1 1/2 innings. Jaguars’ reliever Braden Flinn gave up just one hit after the second inning.

The damage was already done and put Stobert at ease.

“Incredible team effort,” Stobert said. “I love that insurance. We were up by five and it was nice to fall back on.”

Stobert kept Thomas Jefferson (11-6) off-balance, which Bradley said was part of the scouting report.

Thomas Jefferson came into the game with six batter hitting .326 or better.

“I had a fastball, curveball, knuckleball working. Everything fell into place today,” Stobert said. “I’ve been throwing (the knuckleball) over the years, worked on it in the backyard and took it into the game. Third pitch, you know.”

The game started just before 9 p.m. because rain delayed the start of the first game by more than an hour.

Knoch spent some time at a nearby fast-food restaurant, which may have played to their favor.

“We had some team-bonding time,” Stobert said. “I got a couple of Big Macs in me.”

Now the Knights will face a familiar foe in the next round of the playoffs Wednesday: Hampton at a site and time to be determined.

For now, Knoch will relish in this playoff win.

“I can’t even put it into words what it means,” Stobert said.

Thomas Jefferson 001 010 1 — 3 6 0

Knoch 320 000 0 — 5 5 3

W: Alex Stobert 7IP (3K, 3BB). L: Jeremy Wasik 1.2IP (2K, 3BB).

Thomas Jefferson (11-6): Jake Benack 2-2B, Joe McHugh 1B RBI, David Stover 1B 2B 2-RBI, Jeremy Wasik 1B

Knoch (8-8) Chris Law 1B 2B 2-RBI, Jordan Kowalski 2B RBI, Asa Adams 1B 2-RBI, Garrett Traggiai 1B

Wednesday: Knoch vs. Hampton, TBD