Freeport's Austin Romanchak reacts after Shady Side Academy's Dino Tomlin scored a touchdown in the third quarter Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, at Freeport High School.
Freeports celebrates with Autin Romanchak after his third-quarter touchdown against Shady Side Academy on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, at Freeport High School.
Freeport's Austin Romanchak reacts after Shady Side Academy's Dino Tomlin scored a touchdown in the third quarter Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, at Freeport High School.
Freeports celebrates with Autin Romanchak after his third-quarter touchdown against Shady Side Academy on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, at Freeport High School.
Freeport’s offensive players knew exactly what they wanted to do on fourth-and-goal with the game on the line. They just had to convince their coach first.
Score one for youth.
Austin Romanchak’s 1-yard quarterback plunge with 2 minutes, 17 seconds remaining gave Freeport the go-ahead touchdown as the Yellowjackets beat Shady Side Academy, 24-17, in a Class 2A Allegheny Conference thriller Friday night at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium.
“We had to talk (coach John Gaillot) into it — he wanted to kick it,” said Romanchak, who rushed for 88 yards and all three Freeport touchdowns. “But we told him we would get the ball in the end zone on that play, and we came through.”
Shady Side Academy took the lead late in the first quarter. After a lengthy Freeport drive stalled in Indians territory, SSA scored on its fifth play from scrimmage when Moore’s deep pass eluded a leaping Romanchak and found Tomlin near midfield; the receiver coasted for an easy 89-yard TD.
Freeport tied it on Romanchak’s 5-yard run midway through the second, but SSA took a 10-7 halftime lead on a Connor Lemmhuis field goal. The Indians extended their advantage on the opening drive of the second half, as Moore hit Tomlin for a 29-yard score, but Jake Sarver’s 26-yard field goal in the third and Romanchak’s 3-yard run in the fourth tied the score.
Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.
