ORWIGSBURG — Mason Freed introduced himself in the Eastern Conference Class AAA championship game last season.
Then a sophomore, Freed stepped in for injured starting quarterback Sean Greenawalt and delivered the Eagles the title over Fleetwood in overtime.
In Friday night’s season opener, Freed showed last season’s heroics were no fluke.
The junior quarterback completed 10-of-12 passes for 119 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles’ 55-7 Anthracite Football League trouncing of Shenandoah Valley at the Eagles’ Nest.
“We always want to come out every week and put on a good show,” Freed said. “We’ve worked a lot over the summer, molding me into the quarterback I need to be to carry on the team from where they were last year.”
But he did it in a drastically different manner. Greenawalt presented danger with his legs, while Freed is doing it with his arm.
Freed started the game 8-for-8 and threw for scores on three of his first six completions. By the time he was taken out of the game in the third quarter, he hit six different receivers.
“We worked a lot on passing this summer. We really wanted to bring the passing game as a threat,” Freed said. “Obviously we ran the ball a lot last year, so this year we wanted to pass a little bit more.”
It was Blue Mountain’s run game, however, that got the scoring started. Mike Kalyan rumbled up the middle from 6 yards out to put the Eagles up 7-0 on their second drive.
Freed then hit Kalyan for a 10-yard, roll-out pass to extend the lead to 14-0 on the Eagles’ ensuing drive. Spencer Welch upped Blue Mountain’s lead to 21 when he returned a punt 39 yards for a touchdown with four minutes to play in the first quarter.
Then Freed pulled the Eagles well out of reach. He threw touchdown passes on back-to-back drives to Nathan Calderone (27 yards) and Connor Kerstetter (11 yards), setting the Blue Mountain lead at 34-0 less than a minute into the second quarter.
His final TD pass was a 21-yard strike to Kerstetter.
“We went to throw the football today,” Eagles coach Cory Mabry said. “We lost a good running quarterback last year that passing wasn’t our forte. We have a quarterback this year that we feel can throw the ball. That was the answer to the question we were looking for Week 1.”
Shenandoah Valley finally got on the board when quarterback Ian McCole found Joel Santana for a 36-yard touchdown to make it 34-7 with 8:09 remaining in the first half.
McCole started well under center for Shenandoah Valley. The 6-foot senior opened the game 5-for-6 for 30 yards, but finished 9-for-26 with two interceptions.
Both interceptions were by Blue Mountain’s Danny Greenawalt, the second returned 58 yards for a touchdown with 21 seconds left in the first half. Those were the final points of the game as both teams exchanged seven possessions in the second half on a moving clock.
“When you score on defense and you score on special teams, and you run the ball and throw the ball, you feel pretty good about your kids’ performances,” Mabry said.
Blue Mountain back-up running back Jack McKivigan saw the most touches in the second half and led the team with 84 yards on six carries. Lucas Forbes finished with 68 yards and a touchdown on seven touches.
In a game that appeared to show few bright spots for new Shenandoah Valley head coach Kevin Bolinsky, the Blue Devils’ coaching staff still found some positives.
Santana looked lethal on the outside, and if the line can solidify McCole’s protection, some more offensive production could be in the near future.
But the biggest takeaway came on Blue Mountain’s opening drive, when the Devils held the Eagles to a three-and-out.
“We don’t want to get the kids’ heads down, so we’re definitely highlighting that series,” Bolinsky said. “Can’t ask for a better series than that against a good team, Class AAA school. The potential is there.”
Game Summary
SV (0-1, 0-1) 0 7 0 0 — 7
BM (1-0, 1-0) 28 27 0 0 — 55
BM — Mi. Kalyan 6 run (Benner kick)
BM — Mi. Kalyan 10 pass from Freed (Benner kick)
BM — Welsh 39 punt return (Benner kick)
BM — Calderone 27 pass from Freed (Benner kick)
BM — Kerstetter 11 pass from Freed (kick failed)
SV — Santana 36 pass from McCole (Urbanavage kick)
BM — Forbes 2 run (Benner kick)
BM — Kerstetter 21 pass from Freed (Benner kick)
BM — Greenawalt 58 interception return (Benner kick)
SV BM
First Downs 7 16
Rushes-Yards 19-8 33-233
Passes 9-26-1 10-12-0
Passing Yards 115 119
Total Yards 107 352
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-1
Penalties 11-70 7-65
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Shenandoah Valley — Allegretta 1-6, McCole 12-1, Urbanavage 1-1, Cabrera 2-(-1), Labosky 2-(-1), Team 1-(-14). Blue Mountain — McKivigan 6-84, Forbes 7-68, Mi. Kalyan 7-44, Freed 2-28, Ma. Kalyan 2-9, Chelius 2-2, Krewson 1-2, Bedway 1-1, Dallatore 1-0, Team 1-(-1), Donovan 2-(-4).
PASSING: Shenandoah Valley — McCole 9-26-2, 115. Blue Mountain — Freed 10-12-0, 119.
RECEIVING: Shenandoah Valley — Santana 5-62, Allegretta 3-17, Morales 1-36. Blue Mountain — Kerstetter 2-32, Welsh 3-28, Calderone 1-27, Chelius 2-21, Mi. Kalyan 1-10, Lewis 1-1.
INTERCEPTIONS: Blue Mountain — Greenawalt 2.