WASHINGTON, Pa. - McGuffey still can't figure it out.

The Freeport High School football team kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard for the second year in a row after its 17-0 win at Trinity Middle School Friday night.

Both teams were forced to bounce back from rough starts last week against Class AAA opponents. Freeport fell to Knoch, 14-7, while McGuffey came up short against Peters Township, 14-0.

Freeport took a 10-0 lead at halftime Friday.

"Knoch was a heck of a football team," Freeport coach Bill Dillen said. "We just had to re-focus again, that's all."

The Yellowjackets, who threw for 125 yards, held McGuffey to a mere 133 yards of total offense.

"I think we need to do that," Dillen said of his team's passing game. "I think what it will do is open some people up; the fact that we can throw the football."

Freeport's Bryan Zimmerman found Josh Schrecengost alone down the sideline late in the third quarter with a 38-yard touchdown toss to put his team up 17-0.

"I have a lot of good guys around me to help," said Schrecengost, who finished with a team-high 83 receiving yards. "We've got a lot of speed."

McGuffey, which stayed close for the second straight week thanks to its defense, couldn't quite get its offense going as three quarterbacks saw action.

"Our starting two (quarterbacks) were hurt," Highlander head coach Derek Bochna said. "I'm not too worried about the quarterbacks' passing, I'm worried about the linemen protecting them. I have to find five linemen who can block for us."

The Highlanders didn't complete a pass until the middle of the fourth quarter, when Keaton Hamberger, who came in to relieve starter Scott Grandon, found Dan Loughman for a 36-yard gain.

McGuffey couldn't capitalize on the play as it promptly fumbled the ball away on its next play.

Freeport had its own problems on offense as it found itself inside the McGuffey red zone three times only to come away empty.

The Highlanders blocked two field goals and had a masterful goal-line stand after Freeport corner A.J. Vidra returned an interception 32 yards to the McGuffey 3-yard line.

"I'm always concerned when we do that," said Dillen of his team's inability to cash in on its good field position. "That's what we're going to look at tomorrow on the film and make corrections."

Bochna also said his team has corrections to make before the Highlanders open their Interstate Conference season next week at home against Brownsville.

"We couldn't beat anybody right now," he said. "I know next week isn't going to be easy in practice. We're going to work them hard starting (today)."

As for Freeport, which opens its Allegheny Conference schedule next week at Ford City, the expectations are for a close game.

"This game is over," Schrecengost said of his team's win. "We're going to Ford City now. We have to have another good week in practice. It should be a good game."

Freeport took command early Friday night, scoring on its second possession. Kevin Turner rumbled four yards into the end zone to cap an 11-play, 56-yard drive that ate up 5:56.

"We tried to really get after them tonight," Schrecengost said.