WPIAL All-Conference selections

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Knights win finale versus Kiski

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  »2009-11-5 Norwin/Kiski game photos

Knights topped by Penn-Trafford 38-17

If there was one thing that killed the Norwin Knights all year, it was their penchant for allowing big plays.

That doomed them again in their final regular season game, a 38-17 loss to arch-rival Penn-Trafford.

The Knights (4-5, 2-4) traveled to Harrison City Oct. 30 with a playoff spot on the line — the winner would clinch the fourth and final seed out of the Foothills Conference — but came up short after surrendering two long touchdown runs, a long TD pass and a kickoff return for a score.

The Knights fell behind right away. The Warriors (3-6, 3-3) took the opening kickoff and started at their own 44-yard line. Five plays later Ryan Burger scampered 29 yards for a touchdown to put Penn-Trafford up 7-0.

Norwin rallied, though. Recovering a muffed punt at the Penn-Trafford 30, the Knights scored on a 9-yard run by quarterback Tim Petro to knot the score at 7-7.

That lasted all of 13 seconds. Warrior return man Ryan Austin ran the ensuing kickoff back 87 yards for a score — his fifth return touchdown on the year — to make it 14-7.

The Knights fought back yet again. Starting at their own 39, they completed a couple of third down conversions to penetrate as far as the Penn-Trafford 14. The drive stalled there, but senior placekicker Brandon Horsman kicked a 38-yard field goal to pull the Knights within four at 14-10.

When the Knight defense then stopped the Warriors short of the sticks on fourth down and short on two consecutive drives, it looked as if momentum might be changing. The Knights even took the lead a short while later, when Petro threw a 59-yard bomb to junior wide out Christian Bryan for a score. That put Norwin up 17-14 with just 1:59 left to go in the first half.

But Penn-Trafford took the lead back in a hurry.

Starting in their own 24, the Warriors gained 15 yards on their first play and the last 61 on their second, when junior tailback Manny Simpson sprinted down the left sideline to score. That put the Warriors up 21-17 at the half.

The final two quarters were all Penn-Trafford. Simpson had another score and the Warriors added a field goal and a 49-yard touchdown pass to reach the final score.

The loss dropped the Knights to fifth place in the eight-team conference. They have one game left, though.

The Knights will take on Kiski Area (3-6, 1-4) the fifth-place finisher in the six-team AAAA Big East Conference, in a consolation game on Thursday night November 5th at Norwin stadium.

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  »2009-10-30 Norwin/Penn-Trafford game photos
  »2009-10-24 Norwin/Latrobe JV game photos

Knights lose a thriller to Latrobe, 31-28

In a game of punches and counterpunches between Norwin and Latrobe, the Wildcats landed the biggest one, and it was a knockout.

Down 28-24 in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats caused a Norwin fumble, then scored three plays later on a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eric Shaffer to D.J. Lonigro to beat the Knights, 31-28.

Latrobe’s win moved the Wildcats (4-4, 3-2) into the WPIAL playoffs and put Norwin’s post-season hopes on hold for another week. The Knights are 4-4, 2-3.

The game was a seesaw battle right from the get-go.

On their first possession, starting at their own 25, the Wildcats got a 72-yard run to the Norwin 3 on their first play from fullback Scott Mohring. The Knight defense stiffened, keyed by a sack by Ben Baird, and forced Latrobe to settle for a field goal.

Down 3-0, the Knights then came right back, marching 83 yards to score on a 22-yard screen pass to Tyler Lukart. Joel DeFelice picked up a key first down on a fourth-and-one to keep the drive alive.

A Latrobe touchdown put the Wildcats back on top 10-7 early in the second, but Norwin came back a second time. Starting at their own 31, the Knights drove 69 yards to score. Quarterback Tim Petro completed two big third-down passes on the drive, one a 20-yarder to senior receiver Seth Austin, before running it in himself from the 4. That made the score 14-10 Norwin.

The Knights then took their first lead of the game. Starting at their own 35, the Knights moved downfield, with DeFelice converting another fourth-and-one. Junior receiver Andy Carter had a nice 18-yard catch to move the ball to the Latrobe six-yard-line, too.

From there, Petro ran it in for his second touchdown of the game and a 21-10 Norwin lead at the half.

Latrobe took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored quickly, though. Brad Burkley ran 65 yards for a score on the Wildcats’ second play to cut the deficit to 21-17.

Norwin went back in front 28-17 on a 52-yard drive capped by Lukart’s second touchdown of the game. It was set up by a 39-yard kickoff return by Christian Bryan.

The Wildcats then put together a 91-yard, 17-play drive to close to 28-24, and finally took the lead for good on Shaffer’s pass to Lonigro.

The Knights got the ball back one last time, but went three-and-out. The Wildcats then ran out the clock as Shaffer ran for three straight several first downs.

If the Knights want to make the playoffs and post just their second winning record in six seasons under head coach Dan Conwell, they need to beat Penn-Trafford (2-6, 2-3) on the road this Friday night. The winner will be the No. 4 playoff seed from the Quad South

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  »2009-10-29 Norwin/Penn Trafford 9th Grade game photos
  »2009-10-23 Norwin - Latrobe Game photos
  »2009-10-17 Norwin - McKeesport JV Game photos

McKeesport runs over the Knights 53-10

At the end of the first quarter of Norwin’s game versus McKeesport

Oct. 16, the Knights had run more than a dozen plays to the Tigers two, and possessed the ball for 11:40 of the quarter’s 12 minutes.

And still they were losing.

The dynamic Tigers (6-1-0, 5-0-0) — who came into the game averaging more than 42 points per contest — put on an explosive display, scoring three touchdowns on their first four offensive plays and five on their first 10 en route to a 53-10 win over the Knights.

The Tigers struck quickly. A penalty on the opening kickoff pushed the Tigers back to their 17. But on the first play, Darien Robinson, escorted by two blockers, sprinted 83 yards for a score. McKeesport missed the extra point, but led 6-0.

The Knights came back with a long, methodical, impressive drive that ate up more than 10 minutes. They got as close to the end zone as a first and goal at the four, but settled for a field goal to make it 6-3.

McKeesport roared back, though. Starting at the 22 after the kickoff, on the Tigers’ first play, Robinson ripped off a 78-yard touchdown run. After a failed 2-point try, the score was 12-0.

Norwin tried to come back again, and made it as far as McKeesport’s 36 on a nicely executed screen pass to K’Hari Singleton. But the second of two personal foul calls pushed the ball back into Knight territory and ultimately forced a punt.

Starting at their own 20, the Tigers then scored in two plays, with Ty-Meer Brown running 65 yards for a score. The point after made it 19-3.

In the second half, after Norwin punted on its first possession, McKeesport took three plays to score — the touchdown coming on a 23-yard run — to go up 26-3. Another three-play drive resulted in another touchdown to make the score 33-3.

Norwin finally got back on the board after a nice kick return by Dino Saello gave the Knights the ball on their own 47. Quarterback Tim Petro later ran 23 yards for a score to make it 33-10.

It was all McKeesport after that, though.

Brown scored on a 60-yard run when it appeared he was bottled up at the line, Robinson scored on a 43-yard run and Eric Purdue ended it with a 15-yard run.

The Knights will try to regroup this week in another road game. Norwin (4-3-0, 2-3-0) next plays the Latrobe Wildcats (3-4-0, 2-3-0).

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Knights soar over the Falcons, 34-6

Pity the poor Connellsville Falcons.

Winless on the season, in last place in the WPIAL's AAAA Foothills Conference and being outscored by an average of more than 33 points per game, they traveled to Norwin Oct. 9, one week after the Knights were pounded by a ferocious Gateway Gators attack.

The Knights made them pay.

Taking a turn being the abusers, the Knights roughed up Connellsville big time, posting a 34-6 win that wasn't that close.

The Knights set the tone early. They took the opening kickoff and quickly drove 80 yards in five plays to go up 7-0.

The drive featured a series of big plays, including 18- and 14-yard catch-and-runs by Seth Austin and two fine runs by senior fullback Joel DeFelice, who made a nifty move to shake a defender on his way to an 18-yard touchdown run.

The teams then traded punts and fumbles before Christian Bryan partially blocked a Connellsville punt in the second quarter. Norwin took over on the Falcons' 41 yard line.

Junior tailback K'Hari Singleton had a couple of nice runs on the drive before DeFelice picked up his second score of the game, cutting inside a good block by senior right guard Shane Sabol to get across the goal line. That made is 14-0 Norwin.

Norwin would score once more before the half when quarterback Tim Petro hit Bryan in stride for a 53-yard touchdown. The Knights were up 20-0 after missing the extra point.

The Knights got on the board again in the third quarter. Andy Carter intercepted a Falcons pass to set the Knights up at their own 45. After another completion to Austin, Singleton took over, posting several nice runs before scoring to put Norwin up 27-0.

Less than three minutes later it was DeFelice's turn again. On the first play of a drive that began at the Knights 47, he burst up the middle and sprinted 53 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made it 34-0.

Connellsville got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, making it 34-6.

But after Dino Saello ran the ensuing kickoff back from his own 15 to the Connellsville 29, the game was all but over. The Knights advanced to the Connellsville 9 before turning the ball over on downs, but the game was essentially over.

The Knights (4-2-0, 2-2-0) next take on McKeesport in a road game.

  »2009-10-09 Connellsville game photos
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