Knoch's Tim McNerney is the fourth-leading rusher in the WPIAL this season; Arthur James is 21st. Those are staggering numbers when you consider neither was supposed to be the No. 1 runner on his team.

Knee injuries to other players pushed McNerney and James up the depth chart, and they have run with their opportunity.

"We tell our kids all the time that you never know when it's going to be your time, and this shows it," said Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak.

James, a 5-foot-10, 156-pound senior, quit Thomas Jefferson's team last year. But Brian Baldrige, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, had a season-ending knee injury in the first game of this season.

Thomas Jefferson used a few different players at halfback the next few games before James emerged. He now has 754 yards on 92 attempts, including 542 yards the past three games.

"He had no expectations of starting, or even getting any substantial playing time -- yet here he is," Cherpak said.

McNerney, a 5-8, 180-pound junior, expected to see some playing time, but 6-2 senior Alex Whisler was going to be the star of the show. Then Whisler had a season-ending knee injury in the second game against Ringgold.

McNerney became the featured halfback and now has 1,185 yards on 160 attempts. He has averaged 183 yards the past five games.

"Tim actually started the very first game last year when Whisler was hurt," said Knoch coach Mike King. "But it's almost like night and day how [McNerney] ran as a sophomore and how he's running as a junior. It's just like he flipped on some kind of switch."

James has helped Thomas Jefferson to a 7-0 record while Knoch is 6-1.

No movin' the chains

Clairton has not allowed a point the past three games but even getting a first down against the Bears has been tough. In games against Springdale, Riverview and Wilkinsburg, Clairton has allowed a total of seven first downs.

One to watch

Tom Droney. Remember the name. You'll probably be seeing it and hearing it much more in the next few years.

Droney is a 6-foot-4 sophomore point guard on the Sewickley Academy basketball team who is suddenly being noticed by big-time colleges. Duquesne has already offered Droney a scholarship. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was at a Sewickley Academy workout this fall, as was Ohio State assistant coach Archie Miller. Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski has called Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer, inquiring about Droney. Palmer also has talked to coaches at Penn State, Virginia and Notre Dame.

"What happened was he did so well at the 5-Star Basketball Camp this summer and that's where a lot of coaches saw him," Palmer said. "I thought he could eventually be a recruited player, but I didn't expect it this fast. It really is amazing how he's taken off."

GCC gets player

Marko Cukic, an international student from Serbia, was ruled eligible to play basketball this season after a hearing Tuesday with the WPIAL. Cukic is a slender 6-8 senior who played club basketball in Serbia.

Peca Arsic, who came from Serbia to play at Penn-Trafford in the early 1990s, played a role in getting Cukic to Greensburg Central Catholic. Arsic went on to play at West Virginia and Delaware.

Cukic is staying with a family in Greensburg.

"After hearing the testimony, our board just felt his move here was not related to athletic purposes," said WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley.

The big picture

FSN Pittsburgh and the WPIAL have reached agreement for the cable station to continue televising the league football championship games live through 2012.

Comcast has three more years left on its contract to televise the WPIAL basketball championship games on tape and "On Demand."

"Fox said if the opportunity comes up to do basketball in the future, they would look at it," O'Malley said.

Check this out

Valley's Tracy Booker carried 52 times for 389 yards against Carrick last week. The 52 attempts were two shy of the state record, set in 1979 by Bobby Lewis of Spring-Ford.

Seneca Valley's Ryan Tipf leads the WPIAL in field goals with seven. Bethel Park's Ethan Talbot and Highlands' Nick Bouchat have six.

The top seeds for the WPIAL soccer playoffs that begin Saturday are Bethel Park (AAA boys), Steel Valley (AA boys), Seton-LaSalle (A), Peters Township (AAA girls) and South Park (AA girls).