NEW KENSINGTON — An opportunity to earn respect certainly lit a fire under Conor Selinger.

Like most of the Freeport football team, he wanted to send a message to the WPIAL steering committee on where the Yellowjackets should be seeded in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs.

Typically slow starters, Freeport forced three turnovers and scored 21 first-half points during a 34-6 Allegheny Conference win Friday at Valley's Memorial Stadium.

“We wanted to show them we were worth a five or six seed,” Selinger said.

Entering the game, the Yellowjackets (7-2, 6-1) weren't as prolific in the first half.

“I was pleasantly surprised and happy about that,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said.

Freeport outscored its opponents by six in the half (73-67), compared with 113 after (156-43).

Austin Romanchak got Freeport started by throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Sarver with 43 seconds left in the first half. A fumble recovery by Matt Charlton set up the Yellowjackets' second score, a 9-yard pass from Romanchak to Isiah Bauman.

Then a Luke Kennedy interception gave the Yellowjackets the ball back late in the second half. Freeport capped that drive with a 6-yard run by Sellinger, who finished with a game-high 102 yards on 22 carries.

The Yellowjackets backed that up with bone-crushing defense. Valley's leading rusher, Alex Ward, finished with 27 yards on four carries. As a team, the Vikings finished with minus-16 rushing yards.

“We were pressuring the quarterback and sending a lot of blitzes,” Selinger said. “They didn't know where we were going.”

Valley coach Muzzy Colosimo felt his defense tightened up after halftime.

“We knew we had to play good assignments,” Colosimo said. “In the second half we played pretty well.”

Freeport added two touchdowns in the second half, both on 1-yard runs by Ricky Hunter and Miles Troup. The Vikings (3-6, 3-4) scored their only touchdown on a 50-yard run by Ward as time expired.

“Play aggressive defense like we always have,” Gaillot said. “This is a special group. They are a physical group. That's what I love most about them.”

Freeport 7 14 0 13 — 34

Valley 0 0 0 6 — 6

First Quarter

F — Jacob Sarver 21 pass from Austin Romanchak (Sarver kick), :43

Second Quarter

F — Isiah Bauman 9 pass from Romanchak (Sarver kick), 9:42

F — Conor Selinger 3 run (Sarver kick), 4:15

Fourth Quarter

F — Ricky Hunter 1 run (Sarver kick), 8:49

F — Miles Troup 1 run (kick failed), 3:33

V — Alex Ward 50 run (no conversion), :00

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Freeport, Conor Selinger 22-102, Miles Troup 6-59, Austin Romanchak 11-52, Jacob Sarver 5-29, Ricky Hunter 3-8, Gabe Brunck 1-6, Leylan 1-(-1). Valley, Alex Ward 4-27, Ross 8-9, D.J. Johnson 1-(-2), Simmons 1-(-2), Anthony Johnson 1-(-6), Tyler Green 4-(-42)

Passing: Freeport, Austin Romanchak 3-8-39-1. Valley, Ward 4-10-70-1, Green 5-10-47-1

Receiving: Freeport, Sarver 3-30, Bauman 1-9. Valley, Johnson 6-63, Ross 1-22, Stemhunter 1-11, Noah Fleck 2-6, Ward 1-3.