Freeport aims to rebound after missing out on postseason

By: Jerin Steele
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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A young Freeport football team took its lumps last year in a season that ended with a 3-7 record and a rare playoff miss.

The Yellowjackets are still young on paper for 2024 with the majority of the team being juniors, but they are more experienced.

Now the goal is to get back to the winning ways that have been customary under veteran coach John Gaillot.

“The attitude is really positive, and I credit that to Sean Selinger,” said Gaillot, who’s entering his 17th season coaching his alma mater. “He’s been here for four years and has played, so we’re expecting a lot of good things out of him and lean on him for his experience. He’s a leader. It’s been highly competitive at practice, and that’s nice to see. I really like the feel of his team.”

Selinger is one of just a handful of returning seniors. He’s slated to play inside linebacker on defense, moving from primarily being an outside linebacker last year and tight end on offense. He racked up 63 tackles and five sacks a season ago.

Two key graduates Freeport needs to replace are Colton Otterman, who led the team in rushing (542 yards) and sacks (17), and Brady Sullivan, the team’s leading receiver (37 catches).

Drew Ross is a major part of the returning junior class. In his first season as the starting quarterback, he threw for 1,259 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“He took a lot of hits last year, but he’s tough as nails,” Gaillot said. “He gets right back up. You ask him if he’s OK, and he’s like, ‘I’m fine.’ That’s just his mentality. I don’t want to put pressure on anybody. I just want them to play. The way he’s reading defenses has improved drastically. I’m excited for him and our team.”

Some of the other returning juniors include leading tackler Dawson Gaillot and wide receiver Madden Wisniewski. Amos “Mickey” Glenn returns after missing last season because of injury, and Owen Neistein is a player Gaillot said has made great progress during summer workouts and 7-on-7’s.

“Our junior class is more of our core, because there’s so many kids in that group,” Gaillot said. “Then you have Danny King, who’s a sophomore. There’s quite a few underclassmen. I like where we’re at so far. There’s a long way to go, but attitude and effort is really good.”

The Yellowjackets are reunited with many Alle-Kiski rivals in the Class 3A Allegheny Seven Conference this season. They’re in with Burrell, Valley, Deer Lakes and Highlands as well as East Allegheny and Imani Christian.

With five A-K Valley rivals together again it’s reminiscent of the old Allegheny Conference in the mid 2010s.

“We’ve all come back together,” Gaillot said. “It’s always been a big rivalry with Burrell. We respect them greatly. It’s always a really good game. Deer Lakes had a great season last year, and I expect them to be highly competitive again. Highlands has a lot of really good athletes. It’ll be a very competitive conference. Probably the most competitive one we’ve been in for a while.”

Freeport

Coach: John Gaillot

2023 record: 3-7, 1-4 in Class 3A Allegheny Six

All-time record: 582-395-47

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 at Indiana, 7

8.30 at Derry, 7

9.6 Quaker Valley, 7

9.13 at Deer Lakes*, 7

9.20 Burrell*, 7

9.27 Valley*, 7

10.4 at Highlands*, 7

10.11 at Hopewell, 7

10.18 at East Allegheny*, 7

10.25 Imani Christian*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Drew Ross

96-180, 1,259 yards, 13 TDs

Rushing: Colton Otterman*

81-542 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving: Brady Sullivan*

37-539 yards, 7 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Freeport has a new offensive coordinator in Dylan Henderson. Henderson is a 2009 West Shamokin graduate, where was a standout quarterback and a 1,000-point scorer in basketball.

• Aliquippa winning its court case against the PIAA and avoiding a forced move into Class 5A had a ripple effect in the schedule, which affected Freeport. The Yellowjackets were originally scheduled to host Latrobe in a nonconference game Oct. 11, but will now travel to Hopewell instead.

• The Yellowjackets have made the playoffs four out of the last six years, including a WPIAL semifinal appearance in 2022 against eventual state champ Belle Vernon.

• Freeport has never won a WPIAL football championship, but has made it to the finals seven times. The last championship game appearance was in 1989, a 20-14 loss to Steel Valley.

ROSTER

No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.

1, Owen Neistein, WR/DB, 5-5/140, jr.

2, Bryson Paga, WR/OLB, 5-10/145, so.

3, Luke Logsdon, QB/WR/DB, 5-10/150, fr.

4, Luke Selinger, QB/OLB, 5-5/130, fr.

5, Sean Selinger, QB/TE/LB, 6-0/195, sr.

6, Levi Anthony, TE/LB, 5-10/165, jr.

7, Chace Flynn, TE/LB, 6-1/190, so.

8, Danny King, QB/WR/S, 6-1/180, so.

9, Braydon Pomaybo, RB/DB, 5-9/145, so.

10, Kason Barker, WR/DB, 5-7/155, jr.

11, Drew Ross, QB/DB, 5-10/155, jr.

12, Nick Jones, WR/LB, 5-10/165, so.

13, Madden Wisniewski, WR/DB, 6-1/175, jr.

14, Camden Schlegel, WR/0LB, 5-11/140, so.

15, Caden Patterson, WR/DB, 6-0/135, fr.

16, Simon Anthony, OLB/WR, 5-9/150, fr.

18 Canon Wisniewski, WR/DB, 5-11/170, fr.

20 Thomas Gregori, WR/LB, 5-7/120, fr.

21 Aaden Alcorn, WR/S, 5-7/130, fr.

22, Anthony O’Donnell, HB/LB, 5-9/165, jr.

23, Dawson Gaillot, HB/LB, 6-0/185, jr.

24, Judah Thompson, K, 5-7/130, so.

25, Eli Perroz, WR/DB, 5-8/130, so.

26, Julian Onstad-Graise, WR/DB, 5-9/155, fr.

27, Eyan Mitchell, WR/OLB, 5-8/145, fr.

28, Paxton Cene, RB/LB, 5-8/175, fr.

32, Nick Suder, RB/LB, 5-9/160, fr.

33, Amos Glenn, RB/DB, 5-8/145, jr.

52, Cameron Manke, C/LB, 6-0/180, so.

53, Nathan Hadad, OL/DL, 5-9/165, fr.

55, Kaiden Spahr, OL/DL, 5-9/195, so.

56, Cole Troutman, OL/DL/K, 6-0/235, jr.

57, Caleb Davis, T/DL, 5-6/215, fr.

58, Hunter Frantz, T/DL, 6-0/150, so.

59, Aiden Matson, OL/DL, 5-4/225, jr.

61, Andrew Ruffner, OL/DL, 5-8/225, fr.

63, Karter Kemp, G/DL, 5-0/200, so.

64, Maddex Tresco, OL/DL, 5-5/175, fr.

66, Rebecca Brice, OL/DL, 5-5/240, fr.

67, Sam Austin, OL/DL, 6-0/250, sr.

68, Salvatore Coppola, OL/DL, 6-1/240, sr.

71, Matthew Wallisch, OT/DL/OLB, 6-5/225, sr.

76, Hunter Lang, OL/DL, 6-2/250, sr.

77, Wade Potocnak, T/DL, 6-0/225, jr.

82, Eli Whitlinger, W/DB, 5-10/130, fr.

87, Alex Claditis, WR/DB, 5-11/180, fr.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Freeport