CORAOPOLIS — Knoch coach Mike King and Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle heard the same thing long before the first snap, the first tackle and the first touchdown of the season.

All the talk was about how their football teams were no good, how they had little chance to succeed in the rough-and-tumble world of the WPIAL.

Four months later, King, in his 10th season with the Knights, and Butschle, in his fourth season at the helm of the Raiders, not only are in the WPIAL playoffs, but they enter the postseason as high seeds with first-round home games.

Knoch (7-2) will host New Castle (6-3) inClass AAA and Seneca Valley (6-3) will welcome Bethel Park (6-3) to NexTier Stadium in Quad A.

Both games kick off at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Mars (8-1), no stranger to the Class AA postseason, will host Valley (7-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

But for King and Butschle, Friday night will be extra special.

"The last couple times we were (in the playoffs), we were kind of sneaking in," King said. "I was proud of those teams. They were teams who fought real hard in a tough conference.

"It's a lot better feeling because we have a lot more confidence going into the playoffs this time."

Knoch's last playoff appearance was in 2005. The Knights shared the Greater Allegheny Conference title with Pine-Richland this season.

That came as a bit of a surprise to many, but not to those roaming aroundKnoch High.

"Any satisfaction we as a staff take is really driven by our kids' satisfaction," King said. "Is it satisfying personally? Yes. But the bottom line is, it's all about the kids. To see them set their goals and to see their goals come to fruition, that's what you are in it for, really."

Butschle has endured three long seasons trying to rebuild the Raiders program.

Seneca Valley entered this season with a 25-game section losing streak, then lost to North Allegheny in the Northern Five opener.

But the Raiders rolled off four straight section wins to finish second behind NA.

"I'm more happy for the kids because they earned it," Butschle said. "They earned the right to have a home playoff game, especially the seniors who toiled over the past two or three years to get to this point."

The last time the Raiders were in the WPIAL playoffs was 2002. Since then, Seneca Valley had posted a 7-32 record until this season.

So it was no surprise to Butschle why people were writing his team off long before the season began.

"We hadn't done anything over the past couple of years to warrant people putting us on the top of the list," Butschle said. "The kids, especially the seniors, put in the time over this 12-month process. But I don't want to be satisfied just being here. I want to make some noise."

What has made the Raiders' playoff run even more remarkable has been the distractions surrounding them.

For more than two weeks, the teachers in the Seneca Valley School District — Butschle included — have been on strike.

But Butschle has been determined to make things as normal for his team as possible.

That has meant keeping everything as if the players were in school.

The practice time is the same. The meeting times are the same. Nothing has changed.

"Even this week, we're going to keep things as normal as possible. Hopefully, the kids will taste a little bit of success in the playoffs," Butschle said.

Mars enters the postseason with the WPIAL's leading rusher in Billy Bair.

All Bair has done is break the conference record for rushing yards in a season and is averaging nearly 10 yards per carry.

The Planets made the playoffs last year and beat Kittanning in the first round before falling to Greensburg Central Catholic.

Mars has advanced to the postseason for three straight years.

Notes: Of the 64 teams in the WPIAL playoffs, nine are undefeated. There are 12 teams with losing records. ... Quad-A Plum has the worst record at 2-7. ... There are 14 teams in this year's playoff field that did not make the postseason last year, including Knoch and Seneca Valley.

All games 7:30 p.m. Friday unless otherwise noted<B>Class AAAALeft bracket</B>Plum vs. Central Catholic at Fox Chapel, 7 p.m.Bethel Park at Seneca ValleyNorth Hills at McKeesportNorwin at Woodland Hills<B>Right bracket</B>Hempfield at North AlleghenyCanon-McMillan at PennHillsPenn-Trafford at GatewayShaler at Upper St. Clair<B>Class AAALeft bracket</B>Laurel Highlands at Thomas JeffersonWest Allegheny at Belle VernonKeystone Oaks at Pine-RichlandFranklin Regional at Chartiers Valley<B>Right bracket</B>Ringgold at MontourTrinity at Mount PleasantNew Castle at KnochHighlands at Blackhawk<B>Class AALeft bracket</B>Seton-LaSalle at JeannetteSouth Fayette at Shady Side AcademyBurgettstown at AliquippaValley at Mars<B>Right bracket</B>Laurel at Ford CityBeaver at RiversideEast Allegheny at Steel ValleyGreensburg CentralCatholic at Beaver Falls<B>Class ALeft bracket</B>North Catholic at ClairtonRochester at Fort CherryCalifornia at Western Beaver, Sat. 1:30 p.m.Chartiers-Houston at Springdale<B>Right bracket</B>Riverview at SerraApollo-Ridge at Jefferson-MorganBethlehem Center at MonessenCarmichaels at Monaca