JEFFERSON TWP — The road to the Northwest 8 Conference football championship goes through South Fayette.

Knoch arrives there Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

“The winner of this game definitely has a leg up toward winning the conference,” South Fayette coach Joe Rossi said. “If we want to win it, we feel like we have to have this game.”

The Lions (5-1, 3-0) are on a five-game winning streak while the Knights (5-1, 4-1) are looking to bounce back from their first loss, a 14-7 overtime decision to Montour.

Knoch's only touchdown in that game was a short interception return by Matt Goodlin, who was banged up after the game and barely made it to the postgame handshake line.

“He was cramping up after the game,” Knoch coach Brandon Mowry said. “He did a lot for us on the field in that game and he always plays hard. Matty's good to go this week.”

Goodlin had 22 carries for 96 yards against Montour and has rushed for 894 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. He and noseguard Dalton Reed had 11 tackles each defensively last week.

“Our defense continues to play well,” Mowry said. “Jared Schrecengost stepped in for (injured) James Johnston at outside linebacker last week and was outstanding.

“Scott Fraser at safety, Dalton at noseguard, they were exceptional as well. But it's been a collective effort overall.”

That effort will be needed more than ever this Fruidasy. Since a season-opening 27-13 loss to Upper St. Clair, South Fayette is averaging 45 points per game.

Rossi admitted he didn't see that type of production coming.

“We graduated a lot of key kids from last season,” he said. “Our quarterback, our top four receivers, four of our five offensive linemen are gone from last year.

“I'm thrilled the way our new crop of kids has stepped up and kept things going.”

Naman Alemada has completed 85 of 125 passes for 1,161 yards and 14 touchdowns. Joey Audia has been his favorite target with 29 catches for 314 yards and five scores.

The Lions spread the ball around in the passing game. Charley Rossi has 19 catches for 318 yards, Ryan McGuire nine for 191, Luke Pschirer eight for 106 and four TDs.

Andrew Franklin keys the running game with 380 yards and eight TDs on 55 carries. Nine South Fayette players have scored at least two touchdowns on the year.

“We throw the ball around a lot,” Rossi said. “We believe in grooming receivers and we do that during the off-season. We'll shoot tennis balls at them for hand-eye coordination, use a JUGS gun, have them catch balls when it's cold with snow on the ground.”

Mowry respects the South Fayette attack enough that he hopes his offense can keep the Lions' offense watching from the sidelines.

“That has to be the strategy,” Mowry said. “We executed that pretty well in the first half of our game last year. We held the ball for 11 minutes in the first quarter, but didn't finish drives and missed a couple of field goals.

“They got to us in the second half. To be successful against this team, we have to finish drives and score our share of points.”

Rossi respects Knoch the same way.

“This is definitely a battle of two different styles,” he said. “That Goodlin is a stud, one of the best running backs in the league. He's blue-collar, a typical western Pennsylvania back who fights for every half a yard he can get.”

South Fayette has won the previous three meetings between these teams, 49-14 in 2016, 52-14 in 2017 and 35-14 last year.