JEFFERSON TWP — Franklin Regional certainly showed Friday it can be proficient in time management.

Against Knoch in the Greater Allegheny Conference opener, the Panthers had scoring drives of 14 and 17 plays, the latter with 7:46 remaining, to key a 13-10 victory over the Knights.

Knoch followed with a 12-play drive of its own to pull to within three, but Franklin Regional was able to run out the final 3:22.

"(Knoch) was giving us the stretch. They were trying to take away our outside zones, so we went inside," said Panthers coach Greg Botta.

The Panthers totaled 59 offensive plays and mixed a running attack spearheaded by Josh Rager with the passing of Anthony Vendemia.

Rager carried the ball 34 times for a workmanlike 126 yards and two touchdowns, while Vendemia had all 11 of his completions go for first downs.

"You have to give (Franklin Regional) credit," said Knoch coach Mike King. "They were very methodical in their game plan and chewed up large amounts of time."

The Panthers (4-1, 1-0) opened the game with an 11-play drive that stalled, but they followed with a 14-play, 91-yard drive. Rager rushed on 10 of those plays, including the final five, capped by a 4-yard run with 6:56 before halftime.

Knoch blocked Nathaniel Ondeck's extra-point attempt to keep the game at 6-0.

Knoch's Tim McNerney took the kickoff 49 yards to set the Knights up at the FR 40, but they turned the ball over on downs four plays later.

The Panthers were looking to add to their lead when they drove 50 yards in four plays — highlighted by a 32-yard pickup from Vendemia to D.J. Capezzuto — but the Knights defense stiffened and the Panthers turned the ball over on downs.

With 1:41 remaining before halftime, the Knights marched from their own 27 to the FR 15. Jake McTighe's 15-yard pass to Jake Hickey gave the Knights a first down with two seconds remaining to scramble its field-goal unit onto the field before the clock began.

Wood nailed a 32-yarder, but Knoch was flagged for an illegal formation. By accepting the penalty, the Knights were allowed to attempt the field goal again with no time on the clock. Wood hit from 37 yards out to make it 6-3 at the break.

After Adam Seger took the opening kickoff to the FR 45, the Knights (1-4, 0-1) failed to capitalize on their good position.

The teams exchanged three-play possessions, but the Panthers' offense bounced back with its 17-play, 74-yard drive that bridged the third and fourth quarters.

Nine plays in the third quarter allowed FR to drive to the Knoch 19, then it took the squad eight plays in the fourth to find paydirt.

Franklin Regional had a first-and-goal at the Knoch 5, but the Knights put on a strong goal-line stand.

Rager, however, scored on fourth down from the 1-yard line. Two officials did not rule it a score, but a third did and Franklin Regional made it 13-3 on Ondeck's extra point.

Undaunted, the Knights drove 61 yards on 12 plays, culminating in a 4-yard keeper by McTighe on a fourth-and-goal with 3:22 left. McTighe kept the drive alive earlier when he ran for 13 yards on a fourth-and-5 to the FR 16.

Knoch, however, was unable to get the ball back as the Panthers ran six plays to run out the clock.

"I really did expect this kind of game," said King. "I was just hoping we'd be able to generate a little more offense. I figured that our defense would do well and we could get something going offensively in the second half."

Notes: McNerney rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries to lead the Knights. ... Knoch returns to action next Friday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup at Hampton.

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