I went to one football game last year, and it was because I had to take my German exchange student to fulfil her Apple Pie American Experience™. As someone who’s been a swimmer their whole life, landsports have never really been my forte. I’ve only ever participated in one other sport besides swimming; Penn Christian Academy Cross Country, sixth grade. Picture an eleven year old me running in dazed circles through the backroads behind my deeply religious elementary school and you’ll have a clear image of my single venture onto dry land.

However the most confusing part about watching that football game wasn’t the fact that every time I asked my exchange student if she was having a good time, she just smiled at me until I nodded and said, “Great!”; the most confusing part was that I couldn’t match names to jerseys down on the field.

Junior Matt Goodlin plays offense, running back, and defense outside linebacker. His number five jersey has special meaning; Keep Number Five Alive is a movement among the team in honor of Knoch linebacker Tim McNerney, who graduated in 2009. The Washington and Jefferson senior was murdered during a street robbery on his way back to his dorm. Along with the number having been that of a Knoch football legend, Goodlin’s jersey also has family ties.

“My older brother used to wear it as well,” said Goodlin.

Saavon Mosby came to Knoch just last year from Butler and plays lineman.

“I like the number twenty-three,” said the senior, who wears number twenty-three. After playing football throughout high school, Mosby admits he’s bummed that this is his last year.
“It’s surreal. I wish I had more time,” said Mosby.

Mr. King, World History teacher of twenty-five years, was quite the Knoch Knight himself back in the day. At the beginning of his junior year, King was assigned jersey number seventy-two. He offensive and defensive tackled his way through an amazing season, and kept the number for the rest of highschool.

“I had a great junior year, and then after that it became superstition. It becomes a part of who you are,” said King, who now always keeps an eye out for whoever is wearing number seventy-two.

So take this information and run with it; go outside for god’s sake. Ideally to a football game, instead of sitting here reading a school newspaper article written by a girl who knows no German and nobody’s name.

6th row left to right: Ian Vereb, Coach Densmore, Coach Mowr, Mr. Whalen, Coach Savannah, Coach Johnston, Coach Kroneberg

5th row L to R:
Keagan Fraser 17
Alex Cotton 70
Logan Klemm 62
Carter Scully 72
Gavin Mcgowen 44
Owen Huff 83
Luke Goodlin 56
Michael Venesky 65

4th row L to R:
Logan Harrison 71
Zane inklovich 39
Kyle Lauster 85
Tyler Buterbaugh 32
Hunter roenigk 53
Eli Reese 79
Dustin schlagel 74
Keith washington 29
JJ Szebalskie 45

3rd row L to R:
Dalton Reed 63
Chris Young 88
Cole Lassinger 77
Earnie Zilka 81
Matt Goodlin 5
Braden Tristani 54
Jared Schrecengost 15
Scott Fraser 3

2nd row L to R:
Clark Fraser 55
Joey wojciechowski 82
Josh Goldscheitter 40
Brandon Bastin 52
EJ Simms 21
Saavon Mosby 23
Kameron Grassi 4
James Johnston 20
Maison Frank 61

1st row L to R:
Hunter Cassio 35
Tanner Grassi 50
Noah Cetnar 11
Chase Mullen 12
Jarrett Bricker 59
Emmett Fry 75
Ethan Sloan 7
JP Trubic 73