ROSS TWP — Knoch has grown accustomed to watching great performances by a running back.

On Friday night, the Knights had to witness one wearing an opposing uniform.

Christian Wilson carried the ball 30 times for 236 yards and three touchdowns to lead unbeaten Montour (12-0) to a 32-6 victory over Knoch in a WPIAL Class AAAsemifinal football game at Martorelli Stadium.

The 236 yards marked a career high for Wilson, who is headed to the University of Michigan as a linebacker.

"With the season he's having for us, Christian may end up running the ball for them, too," Montour coach Lou Cerro said.

Wilson has rushed for 1,961 yards on the season. Montour reached the WPIALClass AAA title game for the first time in school history and is seeking its first WPIALcrown since winning the Class AAchampionship in 1964.

Montour won one game in 2005 and three games last year.

"This season has gone well beyond my wildest expectations,"Cerro said. "The kids, the school, the community — all of them have had a hand in making it happen."

The Knights played without 1,700-yard rusher Tim McNerney, who was ruled out for the season late in the week with partially torn tendons in a foot.

Without McNerney, the Knights (9-3) rushed for only 83 yards. Quarterback Zach Gross led the team with 23.

"We shuttled a few backs in there trying to get something going, but our offense was never in synch all night,"Knoch coach Mike King said. "Sure, we missed Timmy, but in the playoffs, you have to 'D' it up.

"To beat this team, our offense had to stay on the field and keep Wilson and (quarterback E.J.)Banks off the field. That didn't happen."

To the contrary, Montour received the opening kickoff and drove 78 yards in just five plays. Wilson scored on a 39-yard run.

The Spartans took much longer to score on their second possession, marching 91 yards in 16 plays while using 7:46 off the clock. Banks scored on a 1-yard run with 10:07 left in the first half.

Twice in the drive, Montour converted fourth downs. Wilson ran 5 yards on fourth-and-5 from the Knoch 22. On fourth-and-4 from the 11, he ran for 6 yards.

"It was a shame they didn't have their big running back, but our kids did a good job at the line of scrimmage and in taking away their perimeter passing game,"Cerro said.

Gross threw for 136 yards, but was limited to 86 passing yards before the Knights' final possession, when the score was 32-0.

The Knights had two chances to get back in the game before the score got out of hand.

Late in the first half, they drove 43 yards to the Montour 22-yard line. On fourth-and-3 from there, Gross fumbled and lost possession, though the Spartans defense had him stopped short of the sticks regardless.

On the first possession of the second half, Knoch reached the Montour 30. But on second-and-7, Gross was sacked and fumbled, with Petros Georgilas recovering for the Spartans at their 40-yard line.

Montour responded with a 10-play, 60-yard scoring drive. Knoch's Tyler Krahe stopped Wilson a yard short of the sticks on third-and-3 from the Knights 15.

But for the third time, Wilson converted a fourth down, this time rambling 13 yards for a touchdown and a 19-0 lead.

Wilson added a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and Banks, who threw for 125 yards, tossed a 56-yard touchdown pass to Milton Banks with 2:30 left to play.

Knoch marched 66 yards on eight plays with the game's final possession. Gross threw a 13-yard touchdown pass on a leaping catch in the end zone by Kyle Reiser on the final play of the contest.

"That's the way our kids are. They never quit. They never quit all year,"King said. "This team put Knoch football back on the map."

Montour 32, Knoch 6Knoch 0 0 0 6—6Montour 6 6 7 13—32K M15 First Downs 1932-83 Rushes-Yards 41-279136 Passing Yards 12514-24-1 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 6-10-0219 Total Yards 4042-2 Fumbles/Lost 0-02-10 Penalties-Yards 5-55

First QuarterM — Christian Wilson 39 run (kick blocked), 9:45

Second QuarterM — E.J. Banks 1 run (run failed), 10:07

Third QuarterM — Wilson 13 run (Matt Bellay kick), 4:40

Fourth QuarterM — Wilson 32 run (kick blocked), 7:21M — Milton Banks 39 pass from E.J. Banks (Bellay kick), 2:30K — Kyle Reiser 13 pass from Zach Gross (no PATattempt), :00

Individual Statistics

Passing: Knoch, Zach Gross 14-24-136-1. Montour, E.J. Banks 6-10-125-0.

Rushing: Knoch, Zach Gross 11-23, John Zellhart 5-6, David Govan 3-7, Kevin Brodeur 4-13, Mitchell Shaw 4-12, Lance Christie 5-22. Montour, E.J. Banks 10-42, Christian Wilson 30-236, Milton Banks 1-1.

Receiving: Knoch, Kyle Reiser 3-47, Michael Gallagher 3-30, Rob Briggs 5-45, Mitchell Shaw 1-0, David Govan 2-14. Montour, Milton Banks 4-114, Gianni Ricci 1-4, Dan Durkin 1-7.

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