TJ Wiley’s first season as Knoch’s head coach was, in his own words, “a recipe for disaster from the start.”

The Knights suffered through a 0-10 campaign last fall, just the second winless season for the program in the last 55 years (2020 was the other).

“I was hired late and did not get a lot of work in with the team during the offseason,” Wiley said. “In 2024, Knoch’s junior varsity team played just two or three games because of injuries. We were one of the smallest Class 4A teams in the WPIAL last year and played one of the toughest schedules in Western Pa. It was an uphill battle for us.”

But even in the midst of such a difficult year, Wiley was encouraged by his team’s resolve.

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“We started last year with 44 players, and we ended the year with 44 players,” he said. “Not one kid quit the team, and that just doesn’t happen on an 0-10 team.

“We were 0-10 last year, and that’s how we’re gonna be judged. That’s on us, and I get it. We have our work cut out for us. Our opponents this season are high-fiving because we’re on their schedule. Our kids want to prove people wrong and I’m excited about our potential.”

Bigger, stronger and faster.

That’s what the Knights are this season, and it’s the biggest factor influencing Wiley’s optimism.

“I was planning on giving the team a couple of weeks off after last season before we started work in the weight room,” he said. “The day after our last game, I had players begging me to open it up. We ended up with about 90 to 95% of the players who started lifting immediately.

“Last year, we had two players from the football team reach the 1,000-pound club (which combines weights lifted in bench press, squat and deadlift),” Wiley said. “This year, we have 14.”

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The Knights are banking on improved strength being a catalyst for their 2026 season, beginning with the offensive line. Seniors and returning starters Makai Noah (moving from tackle to guard), James Shatlock (guard) and Austin Adams (moving from center to tackle) are the leaders. Kaeden Myers, who started as a tackle last year, will be lining up at tight end.

The front will be counted on to spark a ground game that needs resurrected after averaging just 3 yards per carry and contributing just five touchdowns all of last year.

Rather than simply lamenting last year’s disappointment, Noah is using it as motivation.

“There’s days I don’t want to get out of bed for early morning practices, and I think about 0-10,” he said. “I don’t want that to happen again, so I get up and go.

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“The question for us is: ‘How can we do better this year?’”

“There’s a different energy in the weight room, just a different feel to it,” Wiley said. “Josh Shoop (Knoch athletic director) even noticed and made a comment to me about it.”

1. Defensive Prowess: A resurgence from Knoch’s defense will take a collective effort, but senior linebacker Carter Beres is the unquestioned leader of the pack.

Playing mostly at outside linebacker, he made 75 tackles last year, 16 of them for a loss, with four sacks and three forced fumbles before being named to the Butler Eagle’s Sweet 16 Defense.

He has received college offers from West Liberty State and Case Western while attracting attention from several PSAC schools, including Slippery Rock University.

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Beres will also be in the mix on offense as an H-back, but leaves no doubt as to his favorite role on the field.

“I love being a linebacker,” he said. “It took a while for me to convince my mom to allow me to play football. I started when I was 11 or 12 and have always been a linebacker. All I want to do is hit people.”

Joining Beres on defense will be, among others, tackles Noah and Shatlock (who combined for 75 tackles in 2025), end Austin Adams (55 tackles) and cornerback Roman DeFelice (three interceptions).

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2. Ready to break out: The Knights return much talent at the skill positions, players hungry to flip the script after last year's struggles.

Dual-threat quarterback Max Wiley, running back/slot back Ethan Rouleau, H-back Beres and receivers DeFelice and Evan Fink are all seniors and returning starters.

TJ Wiley is particularly high on DeFelice, who caught 12 passes last year for 114 yards but has the ability to help make the passing game more of a threat. Knoch tallied just two TDs through the air last year, thrown by Kade Sundie and Fink.

“He's got good size (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) and was one of the best players in our 7-on-7 drills over the summer,” Wiley said of DeFelice. “We need to protect the quarterback and ball, extend drives to take some of the load off our defense. (The offense) is a lot of the same names from last year, but another year in the program is going to benefit them.”

3. A welcome change: Knoch’s enrollment dropped the football team back down to Class 3A. In 2023, the last season the Knights were a 3A program, they won eight games and qualified for the WPIAL playoffs under coach Tim Burchett.

Knoch’s conference opponents now include Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Highlands, North Catholic and Valley.

“There’s some really good teams in 3A,” TJ Wiley said of a field that includes Aliquippa and Avonworth, which won WPIAL Class 4A and 3A titles last year, respectively.

*Section game

2025: 0-10

2024: 3-6

2023: 8-3*

2022: 1-9

2021: 2-8

*Made playoffs