FOX CHAPEL — According to Knoch football coach Tim Burchett, his team hasn’t done anything yet.

It will have to do something this week.

The Knights (5-1, 1-0) travel to Shady Side Academy (4-2, 1-0) for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday night in Allegheny 6 conference play.

“As far as I’m concerned, we've won one game,” Burchett said. “These are the games that count. Each week is like another playoff game from here on out.

“We only have four games left to play this season that are guaranteed. That’s all the football our seniors may have left. And this is going to be a battle.”

Both teams are coming off big wins last week. The Bulldogs held off Freeport, 31-28, on the road while the Knights knocked off Deer Lakes, 41-21, at home.

Shady Side Academy defeated Knoch, 30-12, last season.

“That team isn’t being talked about enough as far as I’m concerned,” Bulldogs coach Chuck DiNardo said of Knoch. “I’m not surprised by what they’re doing this year. The coaching staff has settled in and plays to the kids’ strengths.

“I thought they were pretty good last year. You could see them coming.”

Shady Side Academy isn’t bad in its own right. Quarterback Devin Harris has thrown for 600 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bulldogs have two 6-foot-3 receivers in freshman Carter Bonner and Nathan Mallory. Bonner also has five interceptons defensively and is already being recruited by the University of Pittsburgh.

While top running back Darrin Haynes is out for the year with a broken ankle suffered in Week 1, the Bulldogs have been getting plenty of productivity on the ground from Eddie Debruce and Isaiah Beckham. Aki Durham is a slot receiver who “is a quick route runner,” DiNardo said.

Shady Side Academy is averaging 35 points per game.

Defensive standouts are middle linebacker Grant Dickey and safety Carter Simko. The Bulldogs have five starters back on both sides of the ball.

“We’ve got a good mix of kids,” DiNardo said. “I like our diversity on offense and we’re holding our own defensively.”

Knoch was without starting running back Tony Nicolazzo last week due to injury and his status is questionable for this week. Ethan Alwine filled in and carried 13 times for 111 yards and three touchdowns.

Codi Mullen threw for 197 yards and rushed for 61 against Deer Lakes last week. Brady Pflugh returned a fumble 45 yards for a score as the Knights rebounded from a shutout loss at Elizabeth Forward the week before.

“We got our butts whipped (against EF),” Burchett said. “We’re dealing with 16 and 17-year-old kids here and sometimes you have a bad night. They came back, went out there and got the job done against a very good Deer Lakes team.

“Shady Side is a well-coached team that has a savvy young quarterback and tall receivers. Their linebackers are very good. We’ll have our hands full down there.”

Burchett lauded the play of outside linebacker Pflugh and defensive lineman Bennett Shaw last week.

“Brady had two or three quarterback sacks and Bennett is consistent every week,” the coach said. “He was an all-conference linebacker last year and we asked him to move to the D-line. Now he’s headed for all-conference again.”