FOX CHAPEL — Geared up on Thursday to play a section foe it has struggled against in the past, the Freeport football team had to wait until Saturday night to get a shot at Shady Side Academy.

Lightning on Thursday night postponed the game. Once the game started, there was plenty of thunder from both defenses as the Yellowjackets survived a chippy, penalty-filled slugfest to beat the Indians 13-10.

Those two days of waiting were long ones.

"It was like Christmas morning is the 25th, and then you wake up and they tell you it's the 27th," said Freeport coach John Gaillot. "You have to wait two days to open up your presents. They were chomping at the bit."

Both teams were riled up into a frenzy from the start. In the game's first five plays, there were two personal fouls and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Penalties in general plagued both teams.

Freeport (2-1, 1-0) rung up 105 penalty yards; Shady Side Academy (1-2, 0-1) was flagged eight times for 80 yards. The most painful of those penalties wiped out an 86-yard touchdown pass from Reggie Mitchell to Jake Ellis thanks to an ineligible receiver downfield call.

The biggest play of the game came on the first play of the third quarter.

Ahead 7-3, Freeport quarterback Brendan Lynch hooked up with Derek Durand on a 72-yard catch and run for a score to put the Yellowjackets up 13-3.

The deep pass down the right sideline was there in the first half, but Lynch could not connect with his receiver.

Freeport gave it one more try to start the second half with a much better result.

"Honestly, Derek is probably the best receiver in (WPIAL Class AA)," Gaillot said. "He runs routes better than I've ever seen, even in college. We took a shot. (Derek) said he could beat the kid."

It also took a perfect throw from Lynch, who absorbed a big hit after he threw the pass.

Lynch, though, has proven his toughness to his teammates and the coaching staff in the short period of time he has played football.

Lynch, only a sophomore, has only been playing football for three years. Alex Isenberg, who started under center for the Yellowjackets last season, tutored Lynch this summer on the finer points of offensive coordinator Clyde Conti's offense.

"He plays like he is a senior," Gaillot said of Lynch. "He continues to amaze everyone on this team and the coaching staff with what he can accomplish. Every game he gets better."

Lynch put Freeport ahead 7-3 in the first quarter on an 18-yard touchdown run. He finished with 89 yards passing and 49 yards rushing.

Still, it took a defensive stand by Freeport to finish off the victory.

The Yellowjackets had the ball at the Shady Side 23 with 2:24 remaining in the game, but a fumbled snap was recovered by the Indians and returned to their 45.

Shady Side Academy quarterback Mitchell, who threw for 62 yards and rushed for 64 more, got the Indians to the Freeport 37 with just over 30 seconds remaining in the game, but his fourth-down pass to the sidelines was hauled in by receiver Ty Petrucelli out of bounds to end the threat.

"They rose to the occasion," Gaillot said.

And because they did, Freeport conquered Shady Side Academy for the first time since 2006.

"This is our third year here doing what we believe," Gaillot said. "This is huge."

Freeport 13, Shady Side Academy 10Freeport 7 0 6 0 — 13Shady Side Ac. 3 0 7 0 — 10F SSA12 First Downs 1132-138 Rushes-Yards 36-12189 Passing Yards 624-9-0 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 3-13-0227 Total Yards 1832-1 Fumbles-Lost 2-010-105 Penalties-Yards 8-80

First QuarterSSA — Mike Puhl 31 field goal, 7:06F — Brendan Lynch 18 run (Cody McClelland kick), 4:49

Third QuarterF — Derek Durand 72 pass from Lynch (kick failed), 11:48SSA — Anthony Loyacona 1 run (Puhl kick), :55

Individual StatisticsPassing: Freeport, Brendan Lynch 4-9-89-0. Shady Side Academy, Reggie Mitchell 3-13-62-0.

Rushing: Freeport, Jake Campbell 15-76, Brendan Lynch 10-49, Marcell Ittner 4-22, Sean Liberto 2-(-3), Team 1-(-6). Shady Side Academy, Reggie Mitchell 9-64, Anthony Loyacona 15-45, Nick Loyacona 1-7, Ryan Reynolds 1-6, Dennis Briggs 1-0, Jared Brevard 9-(-6).

Receiving: Freeport, Derek Durand 2-85, Damon Smith 1-4, Sean Liberto 1-0. Shady Side Academy, Anthont Loyacona 2-33, Ryan Reynolds 1-29.