Freeport 'D' to be tested
LOWER BURRELL — Cole Bush is the second-leading rusher in the WPIAL entering this Friday's game against Freeport.
The Yellowjackets mission? Try and slow him down.
“We'll try to watch film and see what people did previously to find something to hinder his production,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “The only bad thing is we can't find anything. We have to do what puts us in the best position. I don't think you can completely shut him down.”
Last season, Bush rushed for 1,024 yards and 22 touchdowns. This year through five games, the junior has 1,048 yards on 116 carries and 19 total touchdowns.
In last week's 56-35 victory over Kittanning, Bush rushed for 197 yards and found the end zone six times. He has rushed for 230 or more yards three times and his lowest output was a 130-yard effort against Shady Side Academy
“He's so strong as a runner,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “He's physical and he wears people down and punishes them. He strong, but he's fast. He's a complete back. He catches passes.”
“Cole has put in a lot of time in the off-season,” Bucs coach Kevin Horwatt said. “He showed up to play basketball last season and showed up at the weight room.”
A win in this Allegheny Conference matchup, which is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Burrell, will go a long way in determining the champion.
The Yellowjackets sit at 4-1 overall and in the conference while Burrell is 4-0 in the conference and 5-0 overall. A loss to Valley 9-8 two weeks ago was the Jackets' lone misstep this season before bouncing back with a 28-14 victory over Shady Side Academy.
“That was two games with two very different teams,” Gaillot said about his squad. “We played with a very high amount of confidence going into the Shady Side game. We just played football. I told the guys we can't worry about making mistakes.
“At the beginning of the year, they had a lot of expectations. Against Valley, it was about them being afraid to make mistakes. Last year, no one gave us a shot and we had fun playing football. We came in relaxed and fired up against Shady Side and played football. You can see the results when you're having fun,” Gaillot added.
The Yellowjackets outgained the Indians by a 2-to-1 margin in yards (396-197) while Brendan Lynch rushed for 181 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown run while passing for 121 yards and another score.
For the year, Lynch leads the team in rushing with 483 yards on 65 carries for four touchdowns while Damon Smith has added 391 yards on 77 carries and four scores. Lynch has also passed for 340 yards and four touchdowns.
His counterpart at Burrell, James Liput, has completed 28 of 63 passes for 480 yards.
“Burrell has very good receivers and Liput has a strong arm,” Gaillot said. “(Running back Ryan Sowol) runs the trap as good as anyone.
“Their offensive and defensive lines are solid. They have weapons everywhere. They're a very powerful team.”
Said Horwatt, “We're getting stronger each week, getting, better and better. They know what it takes to play four quarters of football. We're starting to see the results.
“I think Freeport is a great football team offensively and defensively. Defensively, they fly to the football and offensively, they do a variety of things. They'll play smashmouth football in the power 'I' or the shotgun. They have great athletes.
“The biggest thing now is to keep our kids grounded. We're keeping out focus on Freeport. We can't look past that.”
