Resilient Highlands clinches playoff spot with win over Freeport

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 | 10:24 PM

Highlands’ boys basketball players have taken all of the adversity they have faced this season and have turned it into a berth in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.

Three Golden Rams scored in double figures in a Section 1-4A contest Tuesday against rival Freeport at Freeport Middle School.

Led by Troy Bielak’s 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks, Highlands fought off a Freeport charge and pulled away down the stretch for a 64-51 victory.

“I am extremely proud of this team,” Highlands coach Mike Foster said. “I told them in the locker room that I am little emotional. They have bought into everything that coach (Steve) Bielak and I have tried to tell them. We wanted to make sure they knew that they could do this. They’ve worked hard every single day and believed in each other. Even when they thought, ‘What are we doing?’ they knew the system worked. I am proud of them. I love those guys.”

With its win Tuesday, Highlands (5-13, 4-7) snapped a four-game losing streak, three of which came against section leaders and playoff qualifiers North Catholic, Deer Lakes and Knoch.

“We lost close ones to Deer Lakes twice, North Catholic is who they are and Knoch is very, very good,” Foster said. “But we battled. We also played Central Valley. All of those games in the past week or so got us ready for this one.

“We came out of the lion’s den, and we were ready to go. The guys played with so much heart. They all trusted each other tonight. It was phenomenal.”

Highlands beat Freeport for the 16th straight time and completed the season sweep of the Yellowjackets. It also raised its record to 8-0 in the gym at Freeport Middle School.

The Golden Rams now turn their attention to Friday’s section finale, a home game against Valley. If Highlands wins, it wraps up the fourth-place playoff spot from Section 1 outright.

“This isn’t where we stop,” Foster said. “We have to continue to work and fight to get to where we want to be. We have to stay focused to take care of business on Friday.”

Despite the loss, Freeport (6-13, 3-8) is still alive and needs to win at Knoch on Friday and have Highlands lose to Valley.

But before the Yellowjackets can worry about Knoch, it has to deal with a nonsection game at Armstrong on Wednesday.

“We talked to the guys after the game about being able to execute the game plan a little bit better,” said Freeport coach Rich Macura, who saw his team battle back from a 13-point deficit in the first quarter to pull to within three at halftime and tie the score late in the third quarter.

“We have a game (tonight), so we have to move on as quickly as possible.”

Burrell (7-14, 4-8) remained in playoff contention Tuesday with a 78-49 win at Valley in its section finale.

Facing foul trouble over the final three quarters — Bielak and Carmine Lacava picked up their third fouls in the first half of the second quarter — Highlands kept getting contributions up and down the lineup.

Danny King, who fronted Freeport with 22 points and nine rebounds, converted a layup with 23 seconds left in the third to draw his team to within two at 43-41.

King was held off the scoreboard in the fourth.

Lacava, who finished with 15 points, responded with a 3-pointer with 12 seconds on the third quarter clock to push the advantage back to five as the teams headed to the fourth.

The Golden Rams closed the game on a 9-1 run. Bielak and Brady Celko delivered layups, and Highlands went a collective 5 of 8 from the line over the final 1:56 to salt the game away.

“We were really happy with the effort to get back in the game,” Macura said. “We talked about how the first few minutes of the game was more than likely going to decide the game. That really put us in a hole. When you put so much energy into getting back into a game, sometimes you just can’t keep it going.”

Preston Foster also reached double digits for the Golden Rams as he finished with 12 points, and Ty Hall contributed nine points.

Carson Kane complemented King with 13 points for Freeport.

“We all came together, especially at halftime,” Troy Bielak said. “We talked before the game about the playoff opportunity we had on the horizon. We came out in the second half and played with more energy.

“Now, moving forward and facing Valley on Friday, we have to make sure everything continues to click. There is no room for error. We just have to continue to pick each other up.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Freeport, Highlands