Central Valley rolls past Freeport in WPIAL quarterfinals

By: Ted Sarneso
Friday, November 8, 2024 | 10:33 PM

Battles are won and lost in the trenches.

On Friday night, Freeport lost those battles.

The offensive and defensive lines for the No. 7-seeded Yellowjackets (8-4) got zero push against No. 2-seed Central Valley (6-5) in a 35-7 defeat in the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals.

“They were just bigger and stronger than us,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “We’re always small every year compared with everyone else, but we’re scrappy. They overpowered us and credit to them. They have the horses up front.”

The Warrior offensive tackles Brendan Alexander and Jarius Baker, guards Nolan O’Neill and Michael Bendekovic and center Tyler Ondrusek had the size and skill to move the Yellowjackets wherever they wanted.

“I like to think we’re hitting our stride there,” Central Valley coach Mark Lyons said. “We have a nice one-two punch with Mason Dixon and Jance Henry. Our line is starting to hit their peak as far as understanding each other, the running game and how it all fits.”

The line’s domination opened huge holes for running back Mason Dixon, who came into the game 5 yards short of 1,000 for the season.

“We understand that you have to run the ball at this time of the year,” Lyons said. “You also have to stop the ball as well, and that’s the formula we try to get to at this point of the season. It’s taken us a little longer to get to that point, but we want to be running on all cylinders at this time of the year.”

Dixon eclipsed 1,000 yards on his first carry and shredded the Freeport defense for 190 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns on the night.

“Seeing those holes from my line felt great,” he said. “It’s something we work hard on at practice, and I trust my line. They’re always going to get it done for me. I also want to give a shoutout to Coaches Kyle Vreen and Larry DeVincentis. It isn’t just always me.”

Henry ran the ball 11 times for 81 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“Their running game was more unbelievable than what I saw on film,” Gaillot said.

“They’re a very talented group of young men, very athletic.”

The Warriors gave the Yellowjackets a heavy dose of the run game all night, starting with their opening possession that went 83 yards in 13 plays.

Dixon ran the ball for 53 yards on six carries, and Henry carried the ball inside the red zone five times for 26 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown run.

After a quick four-and-out for Freeport, Central Valley drove from its own 42-yard line in six plays, capped by a 34-yard touchdown run by Dixon.

With 1 minutes, 15 seconds left in the first half, Dixon galloped for his second touchdown of the night, this time from 26 yards.

Defensively, the Warriors front four was in the face of Freeport quarterback Drew Ross all night, preventing him from getting any throws going and suffocating the run game, holding Amos Glenn to minus-5 yards on 10 carries in the first half.

Freeport totaled just minus-4 total yards in the first half.

“We played great,” Ondrusek said. “I love those guys. We’ve been busting our butts all season. We had a slow start, so we knew we had to grind the season out and that’s what we’re doing. We’re rolling right now.”

Ondrusek and Alexander in the middle pushed the middle of the Yellowjackets offensive line backwards, and ends Michael Crea and Lukas Gerovac brought pressure from the outside.

“They were very stout defensively,” Gaillot said. “They covered us up and forced us to run as they packed the box.”

Ondrusek finished the night with three sacks for minus-17 yards.

“For the gameplan this week, we had me on little nose stunts and depending on their scheme in the backfield, and I would slant one way or the other,” he said. “I want to thank the coaches for the gameplan, because it worked out.”

Gerovac had a sack and almost had a strip sack, but the referee ruled Ross’ arm was going forward for an incomplete pass.

Warriors quarterback Jaiden Rutherford punched one in from 7 yards in the third quarter, expanding the Warrior’s lead to 28-0.

Henry added his second score of the night in the fourth quarter on a bruising 13-yard run to put the game on ice.

The Yellowjackets got on the board on the next drive as Ross found Danny King for a 39-yard touchdown pass.

Ross finished 11 of 19 for 147 yards and the one touchdown.

For Freeport, it was a successful season after going 3-7 last year and missing the playoffs.

“Unbelievable season with these kids,” Gaillot said. “They’re a good group of kids, and they fought hard all year. Winning a playoff game is going to help us as we only lose five seniors, three of them starters, and we have a good group of freshmen coming up next year.”

The victory was the 150th for the Warriors since the school formed from the merger of Monaca and Center in 2010.

They will look to add to that total next week as they face No. 3 seed Elizabeth Forward in the semifinals next Friday at a site to be determined.

They will need to be sharp after having five pre-snap penalties on offense and two on defense.

“Those are uncalled for,” Lyons said. “I understand the game of football, you’re going to have penalties when you play hard and I’m okay with that, but pre-snap penalties, we were just too amped up. We had a good week of practice leading up to tonight’s game, and I was proud of my guys and how they kept competing.”

Said Ondrusek: “Job’s not done. We’ll lift tomorrow morning, and we need to have a great four days of practice this week, like last week. If we continue what we’re doing, we’ll be all right.”

Tags: Central Valley, Freeport