JEFFERSON TWP — Knoch spread its people around well off the field.

Highlands spread its offense around well on it.

Golden Rams sophomore quarterback Chandler Thimons therew for 239 yards and four touchdowns — hitting three different teammates for scores — and Brock White rushed for 101 yards and two TDs in Highlands' season-opening 39-7 Greater Allegheny Conference football victory at Knoch Stadium.

“It's hard to win in Saxonburg, so we will gladly take this,” Highlands coach Dom Girardi said. “But we have a lot to work on.”

The Rams were whistled for 11 penalties in the contest, one of them costing the team a touchdown.

Knoch's maching band played an hour before kickoff, the band parents permitted inside the stadium to view the show. Theband and majorettes then left the stadium, as did the band parents, and the football teams and cheerleaders came on the field.

There were roughly 70 fans on Knoch's side of the stadium, no fans on the visitors side.

While that plan worked, the Knights struggled on the field. Knoch lost three fumbles and managed 126 yards of offense.

Defensively, the Knights surrendered 373 yards and 18 first downs.

“Just a lot of stuff to clean up,” Knoch coach Brandon Mowry said. “We had a nice drive going early and lost the handle on the fooball.

“We didn't get pressure on their quarterback. The kid is good — I knew he'd be good — but we have to get there. You can't cover guys forever. We tried different stunts and they just weren't working.”

Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter, Knoch drove to Highlands 26 on its second possession. A 12-yard run that would have been a first down resulted in a lost fumble, however.

“That one hurt,” Mowry admitted.

Thimons' arm took over from there.

He tossed a 28-yard scoring strike to Elijah Coleman that was wiped out by a holding penalty late in the first quatrter.

Early in the second, however, Thimons found Coleman streeaking down the left sideline and hit him in stride for a 77-yard touchdown and a 12-0 lead. Less than two minutes later, he found D.J. Loveland for a 27-yard scoring strike and an 18-0 lead.

“Chandler started every game as a freshman last year,” Girardi said. “He's a sophomore, but I don't consider him a sophomore.

“He ought to take his offensive linemen out for a steak dinner because those guys did a fantastic job.'

White caught a pair of touchdown passes, thus reaching the end zone four times. Thimons did all of his damage through the air in three quarters.

The Knights didn't find the end zone until they were trailing 32-0 in the third. A bad punt snap gave Knoch the ball on the Highlands 36-yard line. A 12-yard run by Keagan Fraser set up a 2-yard scoring run by quarterback JJ Szebalskie.

“This one got away from us. We just have to get back to work,” Mowry said.

Highlands defeated Knoch for only the second time in 11 years. The Rams were held to three first downs and 65 yards in a 24-0 loss to Knoch last year.

The Rams generated more offense than that in the first quarter this time around.

Highlands 6 20 6 7 — 39

Knoch 0 0 7 0 — 7

First Quarter

H — Brock White 3 run (kick blocked), 6:50

Second Quarter

H — Elijah Coleman 77 pass from Chandler Thimons (kick blocked), 9:49

H — DJ Loveland 27 pass from Thimons (kick blocked), 8:03

H — White 9 pass from Thimons (White pass from Thimons). :32

Third Quarter

H — White 2 pass from Thimons (kick failed), 9:53

K — JJ Szebalskie 2 run (Brendabn Tristani kick), :23

Fourth Quarter

H — White 25 run (Cameron Reigard kick), 11:50

Individual Statistics

Rushing:Highlands, Chandler Thimons 6-52, Brock White 17-101, TEAM 3-(-25), Ashton Hatajik 3-(-2), Nick McQuade 1-8. Knoch, JJ Szebalskie 5-(-18), Keagan Fraser 13-40, Zane Inklovich 3-3, Tyler Buterbaugh 1-5, Keith Washington 6-17, TEANM 1-(-12), Bennett Shaw 3-19, Luke Goodlin 8-29.

Passing:Highlands, Chandler Thimons 12-20-239-0. Knoch, JJ Szebalskie 4-6-43-0.

Receiving:Highlands, Elijah Coleman 4-133, Drake Burford 1-31, DJ Loveland 4-60, Brock White 3-15. Knoch, Zane Inklovich 2-23, Jake Murphy 1-1, Tyler Buterbaugh 1-19.