Reading Can't Stop Lexington and Its Amazing Quarterback

If you believe the clock at Harry Crumb Field Friday night, Sal Frelick's 85-yard scoring run started with 3:09 to play in the half and ended at 2:54, some 15 seconds later. But to football fans in Lexington, the Minutemen's senior quarterback covered the distance in the blink of an eye. And no one from Reading would disagree.

Looking part Bunny Briggs, part Usain Bolt, Frelick dashed to the sideline, tap danced down the line and shifted into a gear few high school players have, scoring the first of his two touchdowns that gave Lexington a 21-7 lead on the way to a 41-21 win over visiting Reading.

In truth, Frelick was behind all six Lexington (3-0) scores. He threw for another and would have been credited for a second but the catch was fumbled and recovered in the endzone, giving Lexington six points but keeping Frelick out of the scoring play. And you could argue that Ben Quint's two four quarter scores were aided by a Reading defense that was keeping all eyes squarely on Frelick.

"He's a great player. No doubt about it," said Reading coach John Fiore of Frelick, who finished with 188 yards rushing on 15 carries. "They made a lot of plays in all three phases of the game. Our kids made some plays but we didn't make enough of them."

Reading (2-1) hung tough with a Lexington team that had beaten them, 56-27, last fall. The Rockets had a 7-6 lead after a keeper by senior quarterback Matt Panacopoulos (91 yards rushing on 16 carries). And following Lexington scores that made it 21-7 and 28-14, Reading came back each time and cut the margin to 7. With the score 28-21 in the fourth, Quint scored on a 39-yard run and after the PAT was blocked it was 34-21 Lexington with 8:29 to play. Following his own interception, he scored again, this time from 60 yards out to make it 41-21 with 5:27 left. It was a final score that suggests blowout but was anything but that.

"That's the result though," said Fiore. "We deal in reality and that's the result. Hats off to them."

Panacopoulos scored all three Reading touchdowns while Jack Geiger had 25 carries for 142 yards. But despite their efforts the two Reading stars couldn't overcome Lexington's Frelick, who also completed 9-of-12 passes for 145 yards.

"No doubt, he's an outstanding high school football player," said Fiore. "Outside of that, we have to make the plays we've got to make. Congratulations to them."