FREEPORT — Galena expected Freeport Aquin to compete Friday night, but it probably didn’t expect the Bulldogs to be the first to score within the first six minutes of the game.

But after a Cody Gallagher (108 yards on 21 carries) 61-yard touchdown run, the Bulldogs did just that.

“That was definitely a wake up call for us tonight,” Galena running back Matt Hillard said. “But Aquin is a good team and they were going to come at us hard tonight.”

Unfortunately for Aquin, the Pirates bounced back 18 seconds into the second quarter as Hillard outdid his running back counterpart with a 76-yard scamper for a score.

Galena’s balanced attack throughout the second half was enough to put away Aquin, 26-6.

Mitchell Phillips connected on a 56-yard pass to Adam Hocking with 1:12 left in the first half.

Later a 14-yard interception in the third by linebacker Aaron Scibona set up Galena’s third touchdown, and second for Hillard, who had 164 yards on 19 carries.

Galena’s win marked the fourth straight year the Pirates have defeated Aquin in regular season play. It’s also the fifth time in the last six years that Galena has come out on top against its NUIC Upstate rival.

The Pirates (then NUIC North) also ruined the Bulldogs’ (NUIC South) postseason early, 15-14, in the first round of the 2003-04 Class A playoffs. The Pirates went on to win their second state championship in school history.

Friday’s matchup was the third game between the current NUIC Upstate rivals.

The only team to beat Aquin in its 2005 Class A state championship run was Galena in a close 26-20 defeat in week 2 of the season.

Since 1998, Galena has won all six games against Aquin.

- Joey Baskerville, journalstandard.com