JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP– A game hampered by lightning Friday evening ended with a rainbow Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Chris DeFrancesco lobbed a 24-yard touchdown strike to wideout Michael Teitz in the third overtime to give upstart Keystone Oaks a heart-pounding 48-42 victory over Knoch before a sparse crowd at Knoch Knights Stadium. A game that finished roughly 20 hours after it began had enough back-and-forth action to rival Wimbledon. “It’s a shame someone had to lose that game,” said Keystone Oaks coach Nick Kamberis. The game also had one of the finest rushing performances the WPIAL has seen this season. Keystone Oaks sophomore running back John Fuhrer ran the ball an incredible 51 times for 275 yards and five touchdowns. Figuratively, Fuhrer went over the 100-yard mark two consecutive days, racking up 107 on 16 carries Friday before play was stopped due to bad weather. “He’s a great cutback runner,” said Knoch coach Mike King. “They run that zone play and they coach the heck out of that cutback. We couldn’t stop ’em. “When we did stop it, it was too late almost. When you score 42 points, you expect to win the ball game.” “Our offensive line just moves people,” Kamberis said. “Nick is our little ball of energy.” Kamberis was in tears as he emerged from a celebratory huddle after the game. The Eagles (3-1, 2-0) went 0-9 last season, but are suddenly tied with Hampton atop the Greater Allegheny Conference. “When you go 0-9 it’s a rough offseason,” Kamberis said. “People are petitioning to get you fired and what not. But the kids really fought to keep us around.” The Eagles have apparently added some muscle. “Last year, we were 160 pounds, this year we’re 200 pounds,” Kamberis said. “It’s a beautiful thing. Hopefully we can build on this.” Knoch running back Alex Whisler also turned in a workman-like 107 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. But despite the smashmouth approach the teams used most of the game, it was a soft, slant pass over the middle that KO’d the Knights (1-3, 0-2), who have dropped three straight. Two penalties on the game-winning series actually helped the Eagles, according to Kamberis, who said his offense worked on that particular pass route all week in practice. “And he had all day to throw,” Kamberis said. Whisler took the opening kickoff back 91 yards for a touchdown Friday, and quarterback Jordan Shoop added a 43-yard scoring run as the team’s took a 21-all tie into Saturday. When the game resumed, Knoch took over first-and-10 from the Golden Eagles’ 14 with 2:49 left in the first half. Shoop hit Dan Pickard from two yards out to put Knoch ahead 28-21 at the half. After one of the shortest halftimes either team will ever experience, Fuhrer capped an eight-minute, 80-yard drive — he had 79 of those yards himself — with a one-yard score to make it 28-all. Knoch punted, but got the ball back quickly when Curtis Howard intercepted DeFrancesco and returned it 23 yards to the Eagles’ 15. Four plays later, Whisler ran in from five yards to put Knoch up 35-28. Fuhrer struck again with 27 seconds left in regulation, once again putting the lid on a long drive. His six-yard run finished off an 18-play drive that started at the KO 8. Shoop was intercepted on the final play of the first half, but Knoch scored first in overtime. Whisler’s second-effort touchdown on the first play of overtime made it 42-35. After a reverse to Bradley Francus gained eight yards to the Knights’ 4, Fuhrer scored again to send it to a second overtime. Knoch stopped the Eagles’ next drive, but fumbled on third-and-goal inside the 2. “That game didn’t come down to that one fumble,” King said. “To most people it did, but there were a whole lot of things that happened in between there that could have given us that game.” Knoch got the ball to start the third OT, but Ben Wetzel’s 19-yard field goal try was blocked by Francus. Two plays later, DeFrancesco found Teitz for the game-winner. Knoch now has a short week of preparation with its next game 7 p.m. Thursday at Highlands. “Our kids are pretty resilient,” King said. “But, heck, after that game, I wouldn’t be ready for another year.”

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