Brownfield runs Warriors to 14-6 win over Freeport
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 DaVontay Brownfield (9) wrestles Freeport蘑菇视频 Shane Jack to the ground in the first quarter of Friday蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game at Elizabeth Forward.
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
Freeport蘑菇视频 Parker Lucas (9) and Aidan Lindsay (53) try to tackle the Warriors鈥� DaVontay Brownfield in the second quarter during Friday蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game at Elizabeth Forward.
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 DaVontay Brownfield stands in the end zone after scoring on an 8-yard run late in the first half of Friday蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game against Freeport at Elizabeth Forward. Brownfield finished with 154 yards rushing in the Warriors鈥� 14-6 victory.
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 Charles Nigut runs into open field in the second quarter of Friday蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game against Freeport at Elizabeth Forward.
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
Elizabeth Forward quarterback Zion White looks for an open receiver as he rolls out to his right in the first quarter of Friday蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game against Freeport at Elizabeth Forward.
ELIZABETH 鈥� Elizabeth Forward rode DaVontay Brownfield蘑菇视频 legs and a stout defense for a 14-6 victory over visiting Freeport Friday night in the WPIAL Class AAA football quarterfinals.
The Warriors (9-2) advance to the semifinals and will play Central Valley Friday at 7 p.m. at West Allegheny.
The Raiders (11-0) defeated East Allegheny, 48-6, to set up a rematch of last year蘑菇视频 WPIAL final. Central Valley shut out then-undefeated Elizabeth Forward, 35-0.
Coach Mike Collodi and Brownfield are looking forward to avenging last fall蘑菇视频 loss.
鈥淐entral Valley has lost one game in three years. They鈥檙e the best team in the state, according to the newspapers,鈥� said Collodi. 鈥�(The varsity) will watch film Saturday and we鈥檒l get ready for Central Valley.
鈥淔reeport is a heckuva team. They have a great defense. We knew that coming into the game. I told our guys they had to be ready to play four quarters. It蘑菇视频 been a while since they had to do so. They鈥檙e no slouch.鈥�
鈥淲e just wanted to keep playing. We were 8-0 last year, going into the championship game. That was the only team that beat us, so why not, that蘑菇视频 what we want,鈥� Brownfield said of the rematch. 鈥淲e were just hitting on the last-game scares. We knew what we had to do. We were looking to next week. We weren鈥檛 looking past anybody.
鈥淲e are looking forward to next week. We knew who we wanted. We just had to do our best.鈥�
The Warriors held a tenuous 7-6 lead after the Yellowjackets transformed a bad snap on a punt into a touchdown late in the third quarter.
Freeport gained possession of the ball at Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 17-yard line and needed only three plays for Shane Jack to cap the drive on a 2-yard run with 2:18 remaining in the quarter.
However, a high snap and a strong rush led to a failed point-after attempt.
鈥淭hese guys have been so resilient all year long. They鈥檙e just a great group of kids. They bounced right back. They weren鈥檛 phased by that at all. They responded,鈥� praised Collodi. 鈥淭hey never give up. They never hang their heads. They go on to the next play.鈥�
鈥淲e knew we couldn鈥檛 put our heads down. There was a lot of game left. It was 7-6 at that point. They missed the extra point. We were still up. That was the motive,鈥� said Brownfield.
Charles Nigut蘑菇视频 return of the ensuing kickoff started the Warriors鈥� drive at their 36-yard line.
The game-winning drive started with a 19-yard catch-and run by Nigut. Brownfield followed with runs of 3 and 1 yards to close out the third quarter.
Zion White started the fourth quarter by hitting Charles Meehlib on a 14-yard slant. White came back with the same pattern to Kelly Rush for 16 more yards.
Brownfield nearly ran the final 11 yards on his powerful legs, gaining about five yards with several Freeport defenders hanging on.
White took care of the final yard for the touchdown. Ethan Callahan added the point after.
Elizabeth Forward regained possession of the ball with 9:02 left in the game after forcing a punt.
The pass pattern that was successful in the final touchdown drive was defensed by Freeport after a 21-yard run by Brownfield with the Yellowjackets鈥� Zach Clark picking off the pass at the Warriors鈥� 44-yard line.
Clark蘑菇视频 16-yard return set Freeport up deep in Elizabeth Forward territory at the 28-yard line.
Gavin Croney was wide open in the end zone, but the Warriors鈥� disrupted the wide receiver enough to cause a dropped pass on first-and-10 at the 13.
The Yellowjackets went for it on fourth-and-10 at the 13, but Nigut knocked the pass away from Brady Stivenson kill the drive with 4:47 left in the game.
Collodi turned to Brownfield to run out the clock and the running back obliged with runs of 8, 11, 4, 5 and a game-clinching 22-yard gain with under two minutes to go. Elizabeth Forward was also aided by a Freeport offside penalty.
Brownfield gained over 100 yards in the second half to finish with 154 yards rushing on 23 carries.
鈥淚 credit it all to my line. They made big holes. In the first half, we came out slow. We just stepped it up. We knew what we had to do,鈥� complimented Brownfield.
鈥淲e had to adjust some things at half time, and tried to exploit some of their weaknesses, or at least what we thought were their weaknesses,鈥� said Collodi. 鈥淲e thought we could be successful running the ball and using our size to wear them down. Two, three yard runs became four, six yard runs. It just took some time.鈥�
White took a knee a couple times to run out the clock.
The Warriors scored the lone touchdown of the first half in the second quarter on the heels of a fake punt.
Elizabeth Forward had a fourth-and-7 with 3:15 remaining in the first half and lined up to punt. The Warriors鈥� called timeout before the snap.
Nigut took the snap and broke around left end for an 18-yard run to keep the drive alive.
Brownfield capped the drive with an 8-yard run into the end zone with 70 seconds remaining in the first half.