Pacifico stars in Laurel win over Freedom
Laurel (20) vs. Freedom (6)
Written: Sep 24, 2016
By Joe Sager
New Castle News
FREEDOM — Jesse Pacifico stole some momentum from the Freedom High football team.
Shortly after, he boosted it for Laurel.
The Spartans junior had an interception in the end zone and then scored on a long passing play Friday night to help lift Laurel to a 20-6 road win in a WPIAL Class 2A Midwestern Conference battle.
The triumph kept the Spartans (3-1 conference, 4-1 overall) near the top of the pack in a crowded Midwestern race.
"It was good feeling to come down here and get a win like that," Pacifico said. "Defense is where we all start. We felt really good on defense."
After building a 6-0 lead after the first on William Shaffer's 27-yard TD pass to Isici Layne, Freedom (1-1, 1-4) nearly tied or took the lead halfway through the second quarter. The Bulldogs drove deep into Laurel territory, but Pacifico jumped in front of a Zach Rosa pass intended for Nick Henderson in the end zone to end the threat with 5:01 left on the clock.
"We knew (Henderson) likes to get the ball. I kept looking at the quarterback and knew he'd throw to that side eventually," Pacifico said. "He did and I was blessed enough to get an interception. Interceptions are very, very deflating."
Freedom managed to cut the lead in half with a field goal right before halftime. However, Pacifico struck on the second play after the intermission. He fielded Shaffer's short pass and exploded up the field untouched for a 63-yard touchdown. Spencer Jones added the conversion run for a 14-3 lead.
"I was very surprised (to be so open). I was looking and I saw the safety sitting in the middle and then he was so dedicated to the other side, so I was able to get open," Pacifico said. "Coming out in the second half, it was only 6-3. We had to start rolling. We got ourselves pulled together in the second half and that was huge."
Laurel coach Brian Cooper was happy to see the team benefit from big plays.
"We have a bunch of different weapons and we feel that we're solid; those guys are great athletes," he said. "We want to continue to progress and improve. When each guy has an opportunity to step up, we expect them to make those plays. Jesse was the one to make those plays tonight."
The Spartans added another touchdown late in the third. This time, Shaffer hit Jordan Dantico for a five-yard strike and a 20-3 lead.
The defense shut down Freedom for the rest of the game. The Bulldogs managed only another field goal late in the contest.
"They were doing a lot of blitzing and stuff. When they do that type of thing, they'll make big plays and put you behind offensively. But, we were patient and hit on some big plays and we were able to take the win because of that," Cooper said. "Defensively, what a solid performance all the way around, especially against the run. Up front, our guys handled it and that's where we said the game was going to be won or lost this week. They really stepped up and played well."
(Email: ncsports@ncnewsonline.com).
LAUREL FREEDOM
11 First downs 9
88 Yards Rushing 75
35 Yards Lost 24
53 Net Rushing 51
20 Passes Attempted 24
8 Passes Completed 9
1 Passes Intercepted 1
193 Yards Passing 118
246 Total Yards 169
1-0 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
5-29.2 Punts-Average 6-37.3
5-28 Penalties-Yards 5-35
LAUREL 6 0 14 0 — 20
FREEDOM 0 3 0 3 — 6
Scoring plays
LAUREL —Isici Layne, 27-yard pass from William Shaffer (kick failed).
FREEDOM — Zach Greene, 32-yard field goal.
LAUREL — Jesse Pacifico, 63-yard pass from Shaffer (Spencer Jones run).
LAUREL — Jordan Dantico, 5-yard pass from Shaffer (run failed).
FREEDOM — Greene, 29-yard field goal.
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