Freeport can't stop Deanes
BUFFALO TWP — Freeport couldn't derail “the train” Friday.
The Yellowjackets allowed Lionel Deanes, who earned his locomotive nickname from Seton-La Salle coach Rob Carter, to earn 296 rushing yards on 34 carries.
Defensive struggles and crucial turnovers cost Freeport a 35-25 loss in an Allegheny Conference game at Freeport Stadium.
“They have a good (offensive) line, and we stopped them in the first half pretty well and then kind of wore down a little bit,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “(Deanes) is a phenomenal back.”
Despite its defensive woes, Freeport still had opportunities to win.
The Yellowjackets trailed 21-18 with the ball at the Rebels' 27 late in the third quarter. Quarterback Austin Romanchak dropped back to pass and was met by Kevin McLane, who stripped the ball from his grip. Rebels defensive lineman Luke Blahut picked it up and wasn't brought down until he reached the Freeport 44.
It took Deanes three carries to get to the 2, and then Christian Weyrich ran it in for the 28-18 lead with 11:46 left in the fourth.
“He's 'the train', baby,” Carter said of Deanes. “That's 'the train.' When it came down to it, we did a helluva team effort in our run game, threw the ball when we had to, but we rely on the train.'”
Freeport (4-3, 3-2) quickly responded, with Romanchak juking his way to a 20-yard touchdown run with 9:49 remaining to cut the score to 28-25.
However, Deanes put distance between the Rebels (5-2, 4-2) and Yellowjackets by breaking free for a 72-yard dash to the end zone. With 5:27 left, Seton-La Salle led 35-25.
Freeport didn't roll over. Romanchak returned the ensuing kick 58 yards to the Rebels' 14. The Yellowjackets' last hopes were dashed on the next play when Romanchak's pass was picked off by Nathan Ault with 5 minutes remaining.
“Things happen,” Gaillot said of the turnovers. “Things happen every day in life and you got to regroup and move forward. I thought our boys did. We hung in their until the end.”
The first half was a back-and-forth affair. Freeport scored first on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Romanchak to Sarver a little more than seven minutes into the game. A failed point-after attempt kept the score at 6-0.
Seton-La Salle responded with a 15-yard strike from Nolan Abbiatici to Nick Vari to take the 7-6 lead with a minute left in the first.
Freeport regained the lead when Sarver turned a short pass from Romanchak into a 47-yard score. A failed two-point try kept the score 12-7 early in the second.
Seton-LaSalle took a 14-12 lead when Abbiatici ran it in from eight yards out with 9:05 left. Another Abbiatici score, this one from the 1, gave the Rebels a 21-12 lead with 7:22 left in the half.
Romanchak responded on the next play with an 85-yard kick return, though another failed point-after attempt kept the score 21-18.
