There was only one thing that could stop Freeport Friday night and that was a visit from Mother Nature.

The Yellowjackets won a mutual high school football opener, 15-0, over Knoch in a game that was shortened by lightning.

Lightning affected other games as well. Pine-Richland had a 13-0 lead over Mars with 5:46 left in the second quarter when lightning stopped play. The game was scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Summit Academy trails Beaver 28-0 at the half in a game that was scheduled to be completed at noon Saturday.

"Lightning in the first game of the season happens to us about once every three years," said Knoch coach Mike King.

The Freeport offense was led by senior running back Nate Kurtz, who rushed for 47 yards and one touchdown.

Freeport scored the first touchdown of the night when Kurtz blasted his way into the end zone from two yards away.

Kory Micholas set up the Freeport score by returning a punt 56 yards to the Knoch 19-yard line.

The 'Jackets scored on their next possession when Micholas scurried five yards for the touchdown.

Micholas finished with 12 yards on four carries.

Freeport had 86 total yards rushing in the abbreviated game.

"That's what we're going to do is run the football," said Freeport coach Bill Dillen. "That is Freeport football."

"They were very dominating on the offensive line, and that is a concern," said King.

"You are going to have offensive lines coming out and trying to run the football on you. This is still Western Pennsylvania high school football," he added.

The leading rusher for the Knights was David Bergamasco with 16 yards on nine carries.

Freeport created an opportunity on defense when Kiel Conjack intercepted a Jordan Shoop pass at midfield.

On offense, Conjack rushed for 23 yards and threw for 18 as the 'Jackets' signal caller.

"People are going to try to take certain things away," said Dillen. "Hopefully, offensively, we can take advantage of that."

Freeport had the ball at the Knoch 10-yard line when the first lightning strike occurred with 1:03 left in the first half.

The game was delayed for an hour and 10 minutes.

The teams were called back onto the field, but three plays later, another lightning strike occurred and the game was called.