Freeport wins rivalry game against Knoch
JEFFERSON TWP — Junior running back Ben Lane helped Freeport seize the momentum early.
He also helped them snatch it back late as the Yellowjackets defeated Knoch, 28-14, Friday night at Knoch Stadium to become the first winner of the Pike Trophy.
The Pike Trophy will be a traveling award presented to the winner of this game each year.
“We're friendly neighborhood rivals,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “I love their coaching staff. I have a lot of respect for that program.
“We got a little too comfortable and they came back at us.”Freeport (1-1) took advantage of a bad snap on the first offensive play of the game. Knoch quarterback Carson Kosecki bobbled the ball as he reached for it and Freeport's Parker Lucas recovered it at the Knights' 21-yard line. Two plays later, Lane ran left, then cut back to the right and snuck into the end zone along the right sideline for a 22-yard touchdown jaunt.The Yellowjackets built a 26-0 first-half lead from there. Brady Stivenson caught a 37-yard Garrett King bomb on 2nd-and-24, then a 27-yard scoring pass from King on 3rd-and-11 late in the opening quarter.Early in the second period, Logan Jendrejewski blocked a Knoch punt and took it in from eight yards out for a 20-0 edge.“That early fumble and score really hurt us,” Knoch coach Brandon Mowry said. “Our center had been seeing a lot of time at guard and didn't get many reps there this week.
“He settled down after that play.”A 25-yard Lane run set up Zach Clark's 7-yard scoring run with 3:45 left in the half.“Our kids didn't quit,” Mowry said. “I'm proud of our effort. We shut them out in the second half. we can build from that.”Lucas was wide left on a 32-yard field goal try for Freeport in the third period. The Yellowjackets' only points of the second half occurred when Lucas and Sean Selinger sacked Kosecki in the end zone for a safety.Trailing 28-0, Knoch (0-2) had a pair of Keagan Fraser touchdowns — one on an 87-yard pass play, the other a 3-yard run — wiped out by penalties.The Knights scored their first points of the season on Kosecki's 10-yard TD pass to JJ Szebalskie on a 4th-and-2 play late in the second quarter.Codi Mullen recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and the Knights regained field position. Zach Clark intercepted a pass at the 1-yard line to briefly keep Knoch at bay, but the Yellowjackets fumbled the ball in the end zone on the next play and Nevin Peart recovered for a touchdown.Suddenly, it was 28-14 with 10:38 still to play.Re-enter Lane.He gained 24 yards on a 3rd-and-9. He got five more on a 3rd-and-3. He helped Freeport eat 6:27 off the clock before punting with 4:04 remaining.“That was the game-changer right there,” Gaillot said. “Ben is Ben. If nothing's there on one side, he'll try the other. He helped us get the momentum back.”Lane liked his first-quarter score better.“When you jump out early like that, it fires up the offense and the defense,” Lane said. “But we needed that long drive at the end.”Knoch didn't need to see it.“When you control the ball like that, you control the game,” Mowry said. “You wear a defense down. That's what we want to do to people and I believe we'll get there.'Lane had 15 carries for 101 yards for Freeport while King threw for 110 yards. Fraser led Knoch with 18 carries for 94 yards.Gavin McGowan recovered a fumble for the Knights.“Big win. We clearly improved from last week. We're getting there,” Gaillot said.Freeport 14 12 2 0 — 28Knoch 0 0 7 7 — 14First QuarterF — Ben Lane 22 run (Vincent Clark kick), 11:06F — Brady Stivenson 27 pass from Garrett King (Clark kick), 1:22Second QuarterF — Logan Jendrejewski 8 blocked punt return (kick failed), 11:07F — Clark 7 run (pass failed), 3:45Third QuarterF — Carson Kosecki tackled in end zone for safety, 6:23K — JJ Szebalskie 10 pass from Kosecki (Brendan Tristani kick), :28Fourth QuarterK — Nevin Perart recovered fumble in end zone (Tristani kick), 10:31Individual StatisticsRushing: Freeport, Garrett King 13-46, Ben Lane 15-101, Zach Clark 6-10, TEAM 2-(-19). Knoch, Carson Kosecki 15-(-17), Keagan Fraser 18-94, JJ Szebalskie 1-(-3), Exzavier Johnson 1-1, TEAM 2-(-14).Passing: Freeport, Garrett King 5-7-110-1. Knoch, Carson Kosecki 2-4-13-1.Receiving: Freeport, Brady Stivenson 2-64, Zach Clark 2-36, Jaxcken Reiser 1-10. Knoch, Jake Murphy 1-3, JJ Szebalskie 1-10.
