SOUTH BUFFALO TWP — Football and the athletes who play the sport are much different now than when Ron DeJidas played his last game with the Yellowjackets in 1992.

Kids are bigger and stronger for a game that features a quicker tempo than DeJidas remembers.

Generational changes haven't impacted how DeJidas feels about the experience.

Once DeJidas wrapped up a successful playing career with Clarion University, he dropped the helmet for a whistle.

DeJidas — who became the first two-time winner of the Butler Eagle Scoring trophy by winning it in 1991 and 1992 — is now an assistant coach for Highlands, focusing on running backs and linebackers.

“We tell our high school football players now there is nothing like playing high school football,” said DeJidas, who is 40. “I didn't get a chance to play big-time football. I imagine there's a lot of atmosphere and pageantry with that.”

DeJidas works as a sixth-grade science teacher at Highlands and lives in South Buffalo Township, which is in the Freeport School District.

Golden Rams coach Sam Albert, who coached at Freeport from 1999-2003, said his players admire DeJidas.

“Not only is he a great person, but he's a great teacher and coach,” Albert said. “With his playing experience at Clarion and I bring up all the time that he was the scoring champion of Butler County twice.”

Few Yellowjackets had the kind of career he did. During his three years at tailback, DeJidas rolled up over 3,000 yards to set the Freeport record.

The Yellowjackets made the playoffs during those three seasons, compiling a 25-8 record under coach Gary Kepple. The atmosphere at James E. Swartz Field was pretty wild.

Freeport will play its last season at Swartz Field this season.

“I think it's the fact that it's buried in the middle of town,” DeJidas said about the frenzied atmosphere. “I'm not sure if it's still allowed, but the fans were so close to the field. When we were playing, the referee had to stop the game and push people out of the end zones because they were pushing in.”

DeJidas made sure people needed to steer clear. He registered 114 points as a junior and 158 as a senior to lead Butler County.

“Not only is he a great person, he's a great teacher and a great coach,” Albert said. “With his playing experience at Clarion and I bring up all the time he was the scoring champion in Butler County twice.”

DiJidas is one of five Butler County athletes to win the trophy twice.

A-C Valley's Mike Leach (1998-99), Karns City's Josh Fiscus (shared 2003, outright 2004), Mars' Bill Bair and Grove City's Wes Phipps (2010-11) are the others.

That success — and nose for the endzone — followed him to college.

He still ranks sixth all-time in Golden Eagles history for rushing yards (2,286) and touchdowns (19).

During the 1996 season, Clarion advanced to the Final Four of the Division II playoffs behind two outstanding runners.

Steve Witte set the Golden Eagles record for rushing yards in a season with 1,352, while DeJidas set the second-best mark with 1,231.

Clarion University football coach Chris Weibel, who was quarterback on the Golden Eagles' 1996 team enjoyed having both backs. Witte and DeJidas opened up space for him to pass in an offense that produced nearly 7,800 yards of total offense.

“(DeJidas) is tough. He's hard-nosed, a blue collar tough guy from Freeport,” Weibel said. “He practiced hard every down.”

DeJidas isn't sure he'll be able to see Swartz Field off — the Yellowjackets will play at Highlands this season — but coming back to Freeport always felt a little off.

The crowd is still there, he's just in a different place.

“A little bit,” said DeJidas on if coaching against the Yellowjackets was strange. “I was standing on the wrong sidelines.”