Codi Mullen

 The Knoch Knights star quarterback talks about breaking school records, family legacy, and the struggles of small-town recruitment.

 

 

By Dustin Schlagel

 

 

SAXONBURG, PENNSYLVANIA (March. 9, 2024) – The Knoch Knights football team made history this past fall as they entered the playoff picture for the first time since 2014. Following a dismal 1-9 record in the 2022 season, the Knights made a quick turnaround this past season, finishing with a much improved 8-3 record.

 

 

A big part of the team’s recent success comes from Junior quarterback and defensive back Codi Mullen. The reigning WPIAL All-Purpose Player of the Year managed to lead his team to 2nd overall in the AAA Allegheny 6 Conference while also breaking a school record or two along the way.

 

 

Despite a disappointing outcome to the football season in fall of 2022, then Sophomore quarterback Codi Mullen was still able to make his presence known on the offensive side of the ball. Throwing for just over 1,600 yards, Mullen was able to break Knochs 35-year-old single-season passing yards record. This record wouldn’t stay standing for long, however, as Mullen was able to produce over 1,800 yards through the air this past fall, breaking the school passing record for the second time in a row.

 

 

“In the offseason, we would be at football camp sometimes 13 hours a day,” said Mullen in an interview earlier this week. “Building team chemistry in the Summer helped me get to where I am now.”

 

 

Mullen hasn’t just shown his talent on the gridiron either. The WPIAL First Team punter also plays on the Knoch Boys Lacrosse team in the spring, where he primarily plays midfield and faceoff. On the lacrosse field, Mullen has played a massive role since the start of his high school career. In just his freshman season, Mullen transitioned into the varsity starting lineup, and he’s been a star for the Knights lacrosse team since.

 

 

Mullen has gotten off to a hot start in his fresh sports career and has begun to build a legacy at Knoch with his record-breaking performances on the field. However, Mullen isn’t the first of his family to make sports history at Knoch. In fact, his family has been making sports news in Saxonburg for decades.

 

“My dad played quarterback at Knoch in high school and was a punter in College”, Said Mullen. “My brother (Chase Mullen) set the single-season record for goals at Knoch and plays lacrosse in college. Beating him out is always something in the back of my mind when I’m out on the field”.

 

 

With his junior season of Knoch Football behind him and lacrosse season rapidly approaching, Mullen looks to add another trip to the playoffs to his sports resume. With the dual-threat quarterback looking to lead his school to success in both Football and Lacrosse, he’ll also be hoping to turn some heads in the college recruitment scene.

 

 

“People have always told me to play ball as long as I can. I definitely want to play football in college. It’s always been my dream to play Division 1 even since I was 7 years old. When I was younger and someone asked me what my dream was, it was always, ‘I want to be in the NFL’. I definitely want to play ball as long as I can.”

 

 

Closing in on his junior year, Mullen hasn’t decided on a school yet to continue his sports and academic career after high school. However, the Saxonburg native has noticed a problem in his recruitment process.

 

 

“Knoch’s not one of those big schools like Seneca Valley or North Allegheny. There are so many other big high schools around that colleges sometimes look to first. There haven’t been many college athletes to come out of Knoch. It’s difficult.”

 

 

Knoch High School, which sits in the rural town of Saxonburg Pennsylvania, enrolls around 700 students annually. Because of their relatively small enrollment total, Knoch and many other small schools get aligned into the same conferences. During college recruitment, many of those small schools tend to get overlooked in comparison to larger schools and creates difficulty for athletes to create exposure for themselves. However, Codi Mullen is making sure that he gets as many views as possible.

 

 

“I send my (highlight) tape to literally everybody that I can. If they don’t see it, they don’t see it. It’s still worth a shot”.

 

 

Going into his senior year, Mullen will face another challenge: a boost in competition as the Knoch Football team jumps from 3A to 4A next season. The jump in conferences will show to be a true test for the Knights, as they hope to continue trending upward in their new conference. One thing for sure is that Knoch’s star athlete Mullen will be ready for the competition no matter what.