Selinger’s late touchdown lifts Freeport past Deer Lakes for key Big East victory
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Saturday, October 6, 2018 | 12:18 AM
John Gaillot dearly hoped to avoid a game that came down to the final drive.
Freeport’s coach didn’t get what he wanted, but the Yellowjackets still got what they needed: a crucial victory in their pursuit of a WPIAL playoff bid.
Conor Selinger rushed for a go-ahead touchdown with 1 minute, 41 seconds remaining and sealed the victory with an interception of Deer Lakes quarterback Aris Hasley on the ensuing drive, giving Freeport a 14-10 victory over Deer Lakes in a Class 3A Big East game Friday night at Lancer Stadium.
“We just told ourselves we’ve just got to push through it and never give up,” said Selinger, who rushed for 90 yards and the game-winning 11-yard score. “We had good field position, and we knew we had to capitalize on that. We did our best, we stuck to our keys and punched it in.”
Freeport (3-3, 3-3) won its third consecutive game to move into a fourth-place tie with Deer Lakes (3-3, 3-3) for the final Big East playoff spot. Both teams have two conference games remaining.
The Yellowjackets also ran their winning streak over the Lancers to eight games, but needed to work to get it.
“That was definitely a playoff game,” Gaillot said. “They’re a very well-coached team, and their coach (Tim Burk) is in his first year, and I told him in my 11 years of playing Deer Lakes, that’s the most disciplined team I’ve seen. Hats off to him, his staff and his kids. Those kids played their hearts out. It’s a shame someone had to win, but I’m glad it’s in our column.”
The game ultimately turned on a punt: Freeport’s Ricky Hunter boomed a 65-yarder, his second of the game longer than 60 yards, to pin Deer Lakes at its 6-yard line with just over four minutes remaining.
Deer Lakes went three-and-out, and after a short punt, Freeport went 28 yards in four plays, scoring when Selinger took a handoff from Austin Romanchak to the left, cut back and burst up the middle for the touchdown. The senior then intercepted Hasley on the second play of the ensuing drive, and Freeport ran out the clock.
“Give them a long field, and that’s what we’re trying to bank on with our defense,” Gaillot said. “If they sustain an 80-yard drive, they deserve it. (Hunter) came up big, real big.”
Deer Lakes rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit to take a 10-7 lead after a Hasley touchdown pass to Jack Hollibaugh in the third quarter and a 41-yard Nick Caro field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“All I ask of my kids is to play hard, believe in themselves, and they did that,” Deer Lakes coach Tim Burk said. “That’s all I’ve ever asked, and I think they showed that tonight. It’s a tough way to lose. Hats off to Freeport. They trust their kicking game. He believed in his squad. … It’s just a play here, and a play there.”
Romanchak rushed for 130 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Both teams had additional opportunities to score, but the defenses forced key turnovers. Deer Lakes intercepted Romanchak twice, once in the end zone, forced a red zone fumble and caused a turnover on downs. Freeport likewise intercepted Hasley in the red zone on the Lancers’ opening possession and forced a turnover on downs on another deep Deer Lakes drive.
“I’m very proud of the boys,” Gaillot said. “They always work hard. We’ve got to fix some things.”
Freeport hosts Burrell next week in another key conference game.
Hasley passed for 210 yards for Deer Lakes, hitting Hollibaugh for the tying touchdown on the first drive after halftime. Hollibaugh caught a team-high five passes for 76 yards and that score.
The Lancers, who will step out of conference play next week by traveling to Keystone Oaks, remain alive for the third playoff trip in school history. Their final two conference games are against North Catholic and Derry.
“We’ll fix it, we’ll learn from it, and we’ll get better,” Burk said. “But I can’t thank my kids enough for giving me 48 minutes of effort. I can’t. (Freeport was) just the better team tonight.”
Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Doug at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.
Tags: Deer Lakes, Freeport
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