Knoch football loses heartbreaker on late Fox Chapel field goal after rallying
-
Knoch quarterback Max Wiley (4) passes the ball against Fox Chapel in a football game Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
-
Knoch's Carter Beres (6) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Fox Chapel in a football game Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
-
Knoch quarterback Max Wiley (4) looks up in the air after watching Fox Chapel kick the winning field goal in a football game Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
-
Knoch's Ethan Rouleau (1) runs with the ball after a catch against Fox Chapel in the forth quarter of the football game Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
-
Fox Chapel quarterback Joseph Geller (15) is tackled by Knoch's Ben Allen (25) and James Shatlock (56) in a football game Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
JEFFERSON TWP — About a foot.
That’s how close Knoch’s football team was to earning its first victory of 2025.
The Knights led visiting Fox Chapel by one point late in the fourth quarter Friday, but the Foxes drove deep into Knoch territory before sending out placekicker Harran Zureikat, a University of Georgia commit who has a bazooka for a right leg.
It would seem Zureikat would not have a problem with the 22-yard field goal he was tasked with making, but Knoch’s Kaeden Myers got a hand on the boot and the ball just cleared the crossbar with nine seconds left, the final score in Fox Chapel’s 20-18 win at Knoch Stadium.
“I thought the ball went under (the crossbar) and I threw my arms up,” Knoch coach TJ Wiley said. “Kaeden came to the sideline and said ‘I got a hand on it.’ Ahh, we were so close!”
Fox Chapel coach David Leasure lauded the performance turned in by Knoch (0-3), which won three games last year before hiring Wiley in the offseason.
“He is trying to build something here and they’re close,” he said. “They’re much closer than people realize. Their kids gave such a great effort tonight.”
The closing sequence ended a wild roller coaster that was the fourth quarter.
Knoch held a 10-7 lead entering the period, but the Foxes (2-1) scored 10 straight points — a 34-yard touchdown pass from Joe Geller to H-back Max Melocchi and Zureikat’s 41-yard field goal — to go up 17-10 with 7:09 left in the game.
The Knights responded, beginning with Zach Szebalskie’s deflection of a Foxes punt that set Knoch up at its own 45 with 3:44 left.
Ethan Rouleau turned a short pass from Max Wiley into a 43-yard gain. On 4th-and-8 from the 8-yard line, Roman DeFelice took the ball on a double reverse and reached the 2.
Carter Beres scored on the next play to pull the Knights within 17-16. TJ Wiley had a decision to make, actually one he had already settled on.
“I said with three minutes left that if we score a touchdown, we’re going for two,” he said. “In that situation, I’ll go for two every time.”
The gamble paid off when Max Wiley found Rouleau to give the Knights a one-point lead.
But 1:25 remained and the Foxes began their final drive with great field position at their own 41.
Melocchi, who had scored both of Fox Chapel’s touchdowns in the game on receptions, had one more big play left. His 32-yard catch on first down put the Foxes in range for Zureikat and the team’s ground game took over from there.
Melocchi finished the night with five catches for 165 yards.
“He made some nice plays, their tight ends and H-backs are their strength,” TJ Wiley said. “But we had kids in position to make plays and just weren’t able to.”
The Knights tied the game at 7 with a 51-yard drive in the second quarter, capped with Max Wiley’s 2-yard run.
Austin Friedline kicked a field goal from 42 yards to hand Knoch its first lead of the season, 10-7 late in the third quarter.
The Knights played inspired football following a 69-10 loss to North Catholic last week.
“It would have been very easy for us to fold after that,” TJ Wiley said. “Fox Chapel is closer to being a 6A team than 5A and we are just a few kids from being 3A. We stood toe-to-toe with them. I’m so proud of these kids.
“This is one of the most exciting football games I’ve ever been a part of.”
The Knights host Montour next Friday.
Fox Chapel 7 0 0 13 — 20
Knoch 0 7 3 8 — 18
First quarter
FC — Max Melocchi 30 pass from Joe Geller (Harran Zureikat kick), 4:14
Second quarter
K — Max Wiley 2 run (Austin Friedline kick), 9:05
Third quarter
K — Friedline 42 field goal, 2:23
Fourth quarter
FC — Melocchi 34 pass from Geller (Zureikat kick), 10:00
FC — Zureikat 41 field goal, 7:09
K — Carter Beres 2 run (Ethan Rouleau pass from Wiley), 1:25
FC — Zureikat 22 field goal, :09
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Fox Chapel, Sullivan Slater 9-28, Max Melocchi 3-12, Joe Geller 12-51, Brady Givens 1-4, Nathan Johnson 1-(-1), Owen Wilson 1-3. Knoch, Ethan Rouleau 5-(-18), Carter Beres 15-52, Max Wiley 11-(-19), Roman DeFelice 4-12, Ryan McCurdy 3-5.
Passing: Fox Chapel, Joe Geller 11-20-211-0. Knoch, Max Wiley 8-12-90-0, Roman DeFelice 0-1-0-0.
Receiving: Fox Chapel, Max Melocchi 5-165, Nathan Johnson 3-29, Gianni Fusaro 1-1, Tom Billings 1-8, Brady Givens 1-8. Knoch, Roman DeFelice 2-17, Ethan Rouleau 3-55, Ryan McCurdy 1-5, Carter Beres 1-14, Vinny DeFelice 1-(-1).
