After years of seemingly never catching a break, the Fox Chapel football team finally had things go its way.

The Foxes haven't had a winning season or qualified for the playoffs since 2002. Nor have they posted a record better than 3-6 in that time. Every time the program appears to be making progress, something comes along to knock it down.

Last season, Fox Chapel was as competitive as it has been in a long time against WPIAL powers such as Woodland Hills and Penn Hills, but the Foxes still lost those games. Worse, injuries seemed to to pop up at the wrong times.

Soon after running back Montay Green burst onto the scene as a freshman last season, rushing for 114 yards during the first half of a win against Kiski Area, he sustained a broken ankle and was done for the year. The team's senior quarterback last season, Joe Donahoe, also missed time due to injury.

After a strong camp this summer, optimism was running high for the team. But in the first quarter of the first game, the player Fox Chapel coach Bryan Deal called "our best overall football player," senior linebacker/tight end Rich Silverman sustained a serious knee injury and was pronounced out for the season.

This time, however, instead of gloom and doom, the Foxes are using their latest misfortune as a rallying cry.

"There's kind of been a cloud that's been over us," Deal said. "When Richie laid there after all the hard work he had put in, we could have been dead in the water. But Friday night, something good happened for us. We made some plays. We were able to put everything bad that has happened to us in the past. We pulled together and I'm excited about that. I've liked how we're responding in tough situations."

Although the Foxes lost the opener, 24-16, it was only in a one-possession game to Highlands, the team ranked No. 3 in WPIAL Class AAA by the Post-Gazette, and Fox Chapel was in the game late.

The following week, Fox Chapel broke through, defeating a Latrobe team that had won its opener -- and doing it by forcing a three-and-out after turning the ball over with less than four minutes to play and driving 82 yards in 1:30 to win, 28-24.

"We've been in so many tight games the past couple years but just couldn't get over the hump," Deal said. "People say we don't know how to win. Well, the only way to learn how to win is to win. You can be as positive and upbeat as you want to be, but until the team wins a game in a situation like that, it won't matter. I'm real proud of them for coming through and making the plays when they needed to."

"Let's face it, Fox Chapel hasn't had the most successful program in the WPIAL the past couple years," senior lineman Matt Kann said. "We need to learn how to win the close games. We need to be better at coming through and getting more wins as we get ready for conference play."

This is the earliest in the season Fox Chapel has earned its first victory since 2002. Deal and his staff took over the program in 2005, meaning this is the first team that has spent its entire four years in his system. The largest senior class he has had has gotten extensive playing time as underclassmen.

As a result, Kann said this is "easily" the best team Fox Chapel has had in his four years of playing.

"We are so much more talented, so much better in terms of speed and playmaking, the wide receivers and running backs and just playmaking ability in general," Kann said. "Plus, we're also much bigger and stronger than we have ever been. I feel like the secret to our success this year is the offensive line. We feel we have one of the most underrated lines in the WPIAL."

That line is anchored by 255-pound Kann, 6-foot-5, 271-pound junior Miles Dieffenbach, who is being recruited by Pitt, 260-pound sophomore Matt Sasson and 6-7, 240-pound senior David Martin.

That's plenty of bulk to clear the way for players such as Green, who rushed for 112 yards last week and has scored four touchdowns in two games. Senior Lamont White has rushed for 127 yards, junior Julian Salerno has completed 25-of-39 passing for 248 yards and a touchdown and senior Colin Hartford has 11 catches for 98 yards and a score.

The combination of strong line play and talent at the skill positions has the Foxes thinking big.

"We're not accepting mediocrity anymore," Kann said. "This season, we can't just settle on playing well and coming close to beating good teams. We're not the same old Foxes anymore."