BUFFALO TWP — With a key leader lost for the season and a first-time varsity starter behind center in its opener, Freeport needed a sparkplug Friday night.

Getting used to a position he’d never played before and having his hand in three scores, Zach Clark was more than happy to bring the enthusiasm. His energy vaulted the Yellowjackets to a 28-8 win over Indiana at home.

Freeport led wire-to-wire, as the visitors’ only touchdown came with 0:30 left in the first half. Before then, the ‘Jackets were up 15-0.

They got on the board first after linebacker Justin Jack jumped on a fumble caused by senior defensive back Parker Lucas’ strip sack, halting the Little Indians’ first series. The turnover set senior quarterback Gavin Croney and his offense up in good position, and they took full advantage.

The ‘Jackets marched 28 yards in five plays, capping their first possession with Croney’s nine-yard touchdown connection with Clark, who was wearing the No. 22 jersey in homage to his stepbrother, senior Jackson Reiser.

Reiser was set to be a central piece of the team’s defense before going down with a torn ACL in Freeport’s preseason scrimmage with Slippery Rock.

“He was the leader on this team and he brought so much energy,” said Clark, who was moved to Reiser’s post at middle linebacker. “I knew I had to step in and fill in for him.”

He did so without taking many breaks.

“He was just phenomenal tonight with how he played, every aspect of the game,” Gaillot said. “I don’t think he came off, maybe once or twice the entire game.

“He’s going to have to get people motivated.”

Croney was effective as a game manager and didn’t get too ahead of himself.

“I think he was extremely poised today,” Gaillot said. “He really protected the ball. I was really pleased with his work.”

A big reason as to why he was so comfortable was Freeport’s performance in the other two phases of the game — defense and special teams.

Indiana had a pair of solid possessions, reaching Freeport’s seven-yard line in the first frame and coming within a yard of paydirt in their first series out of the half time break.

The latter was a 16-play drive that started at the Little Inidans’ own 22. ended in a goal-line fumble, in part because they were hurrying, trying to get the snap off before Freeport could get set.

“With coach (Todd) Durand’s defense, there’s a lot of bending, but no breaking,” Gaillot said. “We’ve won a ton of games game-planning like that. We’ll just continue doing what we do.”

The momentum leaned Freeport’s way after Clark stepped in front of an Indiana punt with under 1:30 to go in the first half. He recovered the loose ball and essentially walked in for the score on a play that he said he wasn’t even supposed to make.

He told a teammate to take his place and that he’d rush the punter instead.

“Special teams is a huge part,” Clark said. “We go over it every day. We know the plays you can make, obviously, like tonight. It ended up working out in our favor.

“(It) turned the game right around.”

“That really hurt us,” first-year Indiana coach Bradley Wright said. “We just failed at critical points of the game where we needed to do much better in executing.

The Little Indians threw the ball 31 times in the contest. Last season, they put the ball in the air 42 times in total.

“My philosophy is to try to be balanced,” Wright said. “I think we had a good game plan, it’s just simply we made too many mental mistakes.”

On a halfback pass with 5:50 to play, Clark also threw a 36-yard touchdown to Carson Kosecki, a Knoch transfer. The hook-up all but sealed the contest for the ‘Jackets.

“It wasn’t a good throw, but it worked out,” Clark said, laughing.

Indiana 0 6 2 0 — 8

Freeport 6 9 7 6 — 28

First Quarter

F — Zach Clark 9 pass from Gavin Croney (kick failed), 7:23

Second Quarter

F — Cyprian Selinger 34 field goal, 2:39

F — Clark 3 punt return (kick failed), 1:16

I — James Mill 36 pass from Trevor Smith (pass failed), 0:30

Third Quarter

F — Ben Lane 30 run (Isaac Wetzel kick), 9:59

I — punter stepped out of endzone for safety, 1:39

Fourth Quarter

F — Carson Kosecki 36 pass from Clark (kick failed), 5:50

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Indiana, Trevor Smith 14-66, Liam McFarlane 10-32, Garrison Dougherty 6-13, Levi Porter 4-1. Freeport, Ben Lane 8-35, Gavin Croney 11-28, Zach Clark 2-17, Justin Jack 1-7, Brady Stivenson 1-0, Isaac Wetzel 1-(-2), Colton Otterman 1-(-3).

Passing: Indiana, Trevor Smith 17-31-168-0. Freeport, Gavin Croney 6-11-54-0, Zach Clark 1-1-36-0.

Receiving: Indiana, Anthony Kowchuk 3-40, James Mill 4-39, Liam McFarlane 3-34, Garrison Daughtery 1-12, Levi Porter 3-17, Issac Nygren 1-8. Freeport, Carson Kosecki 1-36, Parker Lucas 1-21, Zach Clark 3-18, Ben Lane 1-10, Cyprian Selinger 1-5.