BEAVER FALLS — Blackhawk's football stadium won't be ready until later in the season.

Second-year Blackhawk coach Joe Lamenza is hoping his team is ready right now.

“We're going to have our hands full with Knoch,” Lamenza said.

The teams kick off their Northwest Nine Conference season against each other for the second consecutive season Friday night when the Knights travel to Geneva College to face the Cougars.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Blackhawk's regular home field is under renovation right now. So is the Knoch offense — and that renovation took a major step toward completion last week.

First-year Knoch head coach Frank Whelan has implemented the triple option as his prime offense in 2017.

“We made big strides from our first scrimmage (vs. Kiski Area) to our second (against Butler),” Whalen said. “Everything has to happen fast in this offense. The reads have to be made so quickly and we got much better last week.

“That first scrimmage was the first time these kids ran the triple option live. It was against a very good defense and we learned a lot of things.”

Ivab Stapchuk broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run on the Knights' first play last week against Butler. Whalen said Jake Herrit is ”directing the offense very well” and he's excited about its prospects.

Lamenza dreads those same prospects.

“I think Knoch looks tremendous,” Lamenza said. “They are extremely well-coached. they're running that triple option better than I've ever seen it run before.”

Blackhawk scrimmaged Aliquippa and Seneca Valley the past two weeks. The Cougars return a four-year two-way starter up front in 236-pound senior Chris Deluca.

Whalen is also impressed with junior tailback Kenny Gawley.

“That kid looks very good,” the Knoch coach said.

Blackhawk graduated 27 seniors from last year's 5-4 team that fell a game short of the playoffs. Deluca is the only fulltime starter coming back.

“We had a bunch of guys who may have started here and there last year who are back,” Lamenza said. “We used four-receiver sets at times, two tight end sets, rotated in a bunch of linemen, things like that.

“We have no control over who graduates from year to year. It's a next man up mentality around here.”

The Cougars do have a new quarterback in first-year starter Payton Stewart. He replaces the graduated Mike Savilisky, who ran and threw for nearly 1,000 yards each last season.

“Payton's not going to hurt you with his legs like Mike could,” Lamenza allowed. “Payton is a cerebral quarterback. He knows the game well and knows our offense well.”

Whalen said Knoch's two scrimmages resulted in some shifting of personnel defensively.

Corey Payne has moved from linebacker to defensive end, Jarrett Bricker from nose guard to linebacker. Greg Sico has been filling in for the injured Tanner Grassi at defensive end. Emmett Fry has been seeing action at nose guard and freshman Dalton Reed is earning playing time along the defensive line.

“Our defense played very well in our last scrimmage,” Sico said. “Our offensive line did a nice job, too.

“But we've got a tough challenge right off the bat here, no doubt about that.”

Blackhawk edged Knoch 28-27 a year ago. The Cougars have won four of the five games played in the all-time series.