Freeman celebrates first game on new field with win over West Valley
The mood was already festive around Freeman High on the first Friday night of the football season, what with dusting the new off the school’s shiny green turf at Kent Smith Field.
And then the Scotties turned in a stingy first-half performance, not allowing visiting West Valley to run up and down on the new surface.
Freeman’s defense kept the Eagles in check, building a 20-0 lead at halftime en route to a 27-20 season-opening victory.
“I have been looking forward to this game for a year,” Freeman senior Kanoa Rogan said. “They blew us out last year, but I knew we were going to give them a game this time.”
West Valley mishandled the opening kick and started its first offensive series from its 9. The Scotties held the Eagles to a three-and-out, then blocked the punt at the goal line.
Freshman kicker Braxton Dickerhoof made his Freeman debut by booting a 27-yard field goal right down the middle for a 3-0 lead.
Luke Whitaker added an 18-yard touchdown pass to Sage Gilbert to start the second quarter, then found Rogan along the sideline for a 15-yard score to make it 17-0. Dickerhoof added a 30-yard field goal as time ran out for the 20-0 lead.
West Valley found some offensive consistency in the second half. Ethan Turley scored on a pair of short runs to cut the deficit to 20-13, but the junior took a hit to his knee deep in his own end and was helped off the field for two plays. His backup, Erik Borg, had his lone pass attempt batted into the air at the line of scrimmage, and Rogan came down with the interception. Rogan later scored on a 17-yard run to give the Scotties a 27-13 lead.
Turley returned and connected on a deep pass to set up a score to pull West Valley within a touchdown.
In possession of the ball on the Freeman 4 with 1 second left, Turley’s pass attempt was blocked by 6-foot-6 defensive end Colton Wells to preserve the Scotties’ win.
The new field was the star of the show – at least for opening night. The surface is encircled by a new rubberized track and complete with state-of-the-art lights that put on a show whenever the home team scored.
But what Freeman did on the field was just as important.
“What a great win,” Freeman coach Ben Chapman said. “We talk a lot about what we can do when all come together and treat each other with love. Having a young kicker is huge for us – that was the difference in the game, really. Luke and Kanoa both had big games for us. Luke played behind a kid who’s at Boise State this year, and he played cornerback for us a year ago. This is his chance to shine. Kanoa shared time at running back last year. This is his first time as a feature back. They’ve stepped up for us and stepped up for us all week.”