FREEPORT — Defense and explosiveness.

That's what the Freeport football team used Friday night in its 28-7, WPIAL 3A playoff-clinching win over Keystone Oaks.

After a scoreless first quarter, Freeport (6-2, 5-1) started the second quarter with a key defensive stop against Keystone Oaks (5-3, 4-2).

Freeport linebacker Conor Selinger returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown.

“I saw the ball coming, I just did what we were taught to do,” Selinger said. “High point it, and then took it and ran.”

Freeport coach John Gaillot said that pick set the tone for the evening.

“It just seems like we all feed off of it,” Gaillot said. “It's like somebody plugged into the power-grid.”

The Yellowjackets' defense had 11 tackles for a loss. Between two quarterbacks, Keystone Oaks found some success in moving the ball with their passing game, finishing with 115 yards, but most of the 10 incompletions were forced by Freeport's secondary.

Freeport also finished the game with three interceptions.

Selinger said the defense can trust each other to make plays.

“The defense, we all work as one,” he said. “We gotta key on our man and do our jobs.”

Gaillot said his defensive coaches deserve a lot of respect for helping the players feel accountable for their actions, and these motivations have transcended the defense.

“All 11, from special teams, to offense, defense, they play hard for each other,” Gaillot said. “That's what's so nice and rewarding for my coaching staff and myself to see.”

The trust the team has also showed in their offense with at least one play that went off-script, according to Gaillot.

He said quarterback Austin Romanchak was supposed to hand the ball off to Selinger for a run to the outside early in the third quarter. But Romanchak saw something as the play began, and he instead kept the ball and found space for a 56-yard touchdown.

“He ended up pulling it and taking off,” Gaillot said. “It's really deceiving the way he does things.”

The touchdown was Romanchak's biggest play of the night as he and his teammates found some difficulty on the ground and in the air.

The junior quarterback finished with only six yards on three completions and just 28 yards rushing on his other 11 carries in the game.

Gaillot said he's looking for the same explosiveness in the regular-season finale next week against Valley.

“Each week is a new playoff game,” Gaillot said. “That's the way we focus.”

Selinger said he and the defense will try to replicate their success because for his team, a spark can make the difference.

“Momentum is everything,” he said. “A pick is always good for momentum.”

Keystone Oaks 0 0 0 7 — 7

Freeport 0 7 14 7 — 28

Second Quarter

F — Conor Selinger interception return 80 (Jacob Sarver kick), 11:22

Third Quarter

F — Austin Romanchak run 56 (Sarver kick), 10:09

F — Conor Selinger run 1 (Sarver kick), 1:12

Fourth Quarter

KO — Logan Shrubb run 8 (Nate Taylor kick), 11:54

F — Ricky Hunter run 1 (Sarver kick), 2:47

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Keystone Oaks, Michael Daure 14-34, Logan Shrubb 13-10, Nick Whittington 1-2, CJ Morrow 1-(-1). Freeport, Austin Romanchak 12-84, Conor Selinger 18-49, Jacob Sarver 4-19, Ricky Hunter 4-13, Brodey Woods 1-8.

Passing: Keystone Oaks, Shrubb 13-24-115-2, Daure 0-1-0-1. Freeport, Romanchak 3-6-6-0.

Recieving: Keystone Oaks, Daure 4-43, Noah Hindes 3-43, Ryan Musulin 2-18, Joey Tortorella 4-11. Freeport, Sarver 2-6, Selinger 1-0.