Freeport senior running back Ricky Hunter makes a move on Knoch's Scott Fraser during the Yellowjackets' 34-31 home win Friday night. Hunter rushed for three touchdowns and had a key kickoff return that set up his winning score.

BUFFALO TWP — All season Ricky Hunter has been making big plays on special teams for the Freeport football team.

The senior hoped he'd have one more chance to make another.

He got it.

Hunter fielded a kickoff at his own 8 with the Yellowjackets trailing visiting Knoch, 31-28, with a little more than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

A wall of blockers formed creating an alley down the left sideline and Hunter took advantage of it. He raced 72 yards, tightroping the boundary and making tacklers miss before he was finally brought down at the Knoch 20.

Two plays later, Hunter plowed into the end zone from the 5 with 23 seconds left to send Freeport into the offseason with a rousing 34-31 win over the rival Knights Friday night.

“I was praying I'd get that ball so I could run it back,” Hunter said. “It's my senior year and I wanted one more kick return and I almost got it.”

It was plenty good enough, however.

“Just unbelievable,” said Freeport coach John Gaillot. “Unbelievable what he's done all year, what the boys have done all year. We needed a big play and I thought he was going to take it to the house. He got us in position. The boys just finished and I couldn't be more proud of the type of kids we have.”

Hunter's kickoff return came after Knoch went ahead on an unorthodox 1-yard run by quarterback Kam Grassi.

It wasn't as much of a run as it was a blast from a howitzer.

Grassi turned after receiving the snap and Knoch fullback Dalton Reed plowed into him and launched him into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

“That was kind of by design,” said Knoch coach Brandon Mowry.

What wasn't by design was the Hunter kickoff return that followed.

“It came down to making plays and they made one more than us,” Mowry said. “That kick return — shoot, that's life.”

The wild final minute was fitting.

The first 47 were just as wild.

There were nine lead changes, just three punts and both teams moved the ball well.Knoch, trying to overcome a slew of injuries to key offensive players like Matt Goodlin, broke out plays it hadn't run all season.Grassi was the beneficiary.The senior quarterback was 12-of-19 for 155 yards and a touchdown. He was successful rolling to his right and hitting receivers in the flat.The passing game set up Keith Washington in the running game. Washington, filling in for Goodlin, had 109 yards on 22 carries.But for every zig Knoch made, Freeport answered with a zag.After a slow start, Hunter got going in the second half, rushing for 66 of his 91 yards and two of his three touchdowns after halftime.His 37-yard burst up the middle in the third quarter gave Freeport one of its leads at 21-17.No lead lasted long in this one, however.“It was a very exciting to be in a game like this,” Hunter said. “It was exciting to win because it was the last game of the season and it was a great way to go out.”Freeport (5-4) had hoped to work its way back into the playoffs after another 0-3 start, but were eliminated two weeks ago.The Yellowjackets were blown out last week and were determined to make a strong showing in the season finale.“This is the hardest-working 5-4 team in the history of football,” Gaillot said, choking back tears. “They strapped it up and played so hard. So proud of them.”Garret Schaffhauser also had a strong game for the Yellowjackets.He threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a team-leading 92 yards.Brodey Woods caught six passes for 84 yards and a score as Freeport burned Knoch on crossing routes.Knoch (6-4), which had its playoff hopes officially dashed with Ambridge's loss to New Castle Friday night, may have found some stars for the future.Keagan Fraser scored on runs of 2 and 8 yards and Washington showed flashes of being the next potent Knoch runner.“We finally got Keagan back — he was out since training camp. It was kind of like a free agent signing,” Mowry said. “I was proud of that kid's effort.”Knoch, which started 5-0, lost four of its last five in Mowry's first season as coach.“We talked all winter from the time I got hired about coming out fast and starting fast and we did that,” Mowry said. “We had some adversity. Jimmy (Johnston) got hurt and Matty (Goodlin) got hurt and we had to shuffle things. We beat Trinity last week and I think we have some positive momentum going into next year.”Knoch 3 7 7 14 — 31Freeport 0 14 7 13 — 34First QuarterK — Justin Tristani 33 field goal, 3:02Second QuarterF — Brodey Woods 16 pass from Garret Schaffhauser (Ricky Hunter kick), 7:44K — Keagan Fraser 8 run (Tristani kick), 4:28F — Hunter 9 run (Hunter kick), 1:04Third QuarterK — Keagan Fraser 2 run (Tristani kick) 7:00F — Hunter 37 run (Hunter kick), 5:35Fourth QuarterK — Scott Fraser 10 pass from Kam Grassi (Tristani kick), 11:35F — Ben Lane 11 pass from Schaffhauser (Hunter kick)K — Grassi 1 run (Tristani kick), 1:18F — Hunter 5 run (kick blocked), :23Individual StatisticsRushing:Knoch, Keith Washington 22-109, Keagan Fraser 4-24, Kam Grassi 8-16, Joey Wojciehowski 4-11. Freeport, Garret Schaffhauser 15-92, Ricky Hunter 13-91, Brodey Woods 3-4, Ben Lane 2-(-7).Passing:Knoch, Kam Grassi 12-19-155-0. Freeport, Garret Schaffhauser 10-23-154-0.Receiving:Knoch, Scott Fraser 7-94, Jared Schrecengost 5-61. Freeport, Brodey Woods 6-84, Ben Lane 2-46, Ricky Hunter 1-24, Luke Miller 1-0

KnochþÄôs #3 Scott Fraser is brought down by FreeportþÄôs #10 Luke Miller at Freeport High School on October 25th 2019.