'Jackets sting Bucs
FREEPORT — Freeport played even with Burrell for the first half in Friday's Allegheny Conference matchup.
In the third quarter, however, Freeport used a pair of big scoring plays to take control and posted a 21-14 victory over the previously undefeated Buccaneers at Swartz Field.
On Freeport's first possession of the second half, Andrew Vidra ripped off a 58-yard scoring run and the squad followed up with a 54-yard pass play from Matt Lucas to Tyler Collins for a 21-7 lead.
"I give credit to my assistant coach, Ron DiJidas, on that (Vidra) play," said Freeport coach Bill Dillen. "He called a 47 toss and called it right away. He saw some things in the first half and wanted to use it."
Vidra, who scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter that had tied the game at 7, took the pitch from backup quarterback Tom Blythe, who came in only for that series.
"I told the coaches that play was there the whole time," said Vidra, who finished the game with 105 yards on 10 carries, plus all three extra points. "I saw my linemen block outside and I cut back inside."
The play was set up by Kevin Hughes' interception of Burrell quarterback Seth Napierkowski at the Freeport 42. Vidra scored on the next play from scrimmage.
After the Yellowjackets defense held the Bucs (4-1, 3-1) to three plays and a punt, Freeport (2-3, 2-3) took over at its own 23-yard line.
On the fifth play of the drive, Vidra broke a 25-yard run to put the ball at the Burrell 43. Two plays later, Lucas found Collins down the middle with one defender in tow, caught the ball and broke away for a 54-yard score.
The Bucs had a golden opportunity to strike back quickly, but came away empty-handed.
Burrell's Mark Kaczanowicz, whose father coached Freeport in the 1990s, took the ensuing kickoff 79 yards down to the Freeport 6. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Yellowjackets gave the Bucs a first-and-goal at the 3.
But four consecutive carries by Troy Highfield netted just two total yards and the Bucs turned the ball over on downs.
"You get yourself down to the 5-yard line and it's an inch to go, a yard to go, you need to get a push," said Burrell coach Dave Heavner. "Freeport got a good defensive push."
Burrell did score with 2:17 left as Napierkowski found Brett Fellers on a 10-yard curling route to trim the deficit to seven points.
The Bucs needed just 1:13 to run nine plays to pull closer. They attempted an onside kick, but the Yellowjackets recovered and ran out the clock.
The Yellowjackets will take their two-game winning streak to West Shamokin next Friday. While Dillen expects a tough fight, he can see only positives coming out of a game like this.
"The big difference is the last couple of weeks, we haven't made mistakes. We lost two ballgames in the second half earlier this year when we made mistakes. ... This game gives us confidence," Dillen said.
