Knoch’s Derek Lang provides a size advantage the Knights hope to exploit against Quaker Valley in Thursday’s WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Knoch does not get to this stage often, but it has some advantages despite the inexperience.

The third-seeded Knights (21-4) take on No. 1 Quaker Valley (20-3) in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship game 9 p.m. Thursday night at the University of Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center looking to win their first district title in just their second appearance.

Across from them is a Quakers team that has won the title twice (2022, 1997), is making its sixth appearance but is rather young this season with just one senior starter.

So it’s a game of matchups. The size and defensive chops of Knoch under first-year (but longtime WPIAL veteran) head coach Joe Lafko and the youth and explosiveness of Mike Mastroianni’s Quakers.

Both teams have already clinched PIAA tournament berths (the WPIAL sends five in 4A). The winner will host District 10’s fifth seed in the first round of states March 6 at a site and time to be determined when the brackets are announced Sunday; the loser of this one takes on D10’s third seed.

Here’s what to know about the championship matchup:

Livestream: The game will be livestreamed on NFHS Network. A monthly pass costs $13.99.

Tickets: $10 online and at the gate. Tickets can be purchased in advance on Ticketmaster.com.

Knoch: The Knights have a size advantage, with every starter listed at 6-foot-1 or taller, while the Quakers’ tallest starter is 6-3 guard Sam Chapman. Senior wing Derek Lang (6-7), therefore, could have an outsized impact on the outcome of this game as Knoch looks to control the boards and disrupt what Lafko described as a pick-and-roll-heavy QV offense.

Quaker Valley: The Quakers shoot from deep well, but none more frequently than sophomore Nic Cohen. The 5-10 guard has made 71 3-pointers this season, double anyone else on the roster, and is averaging a second-best 15.6 points. If QV can kick out to an open Cohen off pick-and-rolls and he can knock them down with regularity, the Knights will be in trouble.

“If we rebound and if we are able to make more plays,” Lafko said. “It’s really going to come down to reading the defense.”

Cliche, yes. But the Quakers are young, guard-heavy and undersized compared to his veteran roster. Knoch needs to dominate the glass to prevent Quaker Valley from getting extra shots up from the perimeter, and the defense will need to be sound against an attacking offense. Do that, and the Knights have their first district title.