The Fredonia Hillbillies boys basketball team is shown before the tip-off of the first game of the season on Wednesday, against CSAT, at Fredonia High School. Fredonia won the game 53-49. OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford.

Numerous lead changes, a loud and rowdy crowd, clutch shots, dogged defense: Boys’ high school basketball returned to Fredonia Wednesday night in a flashy way. The home team made sure most of the crowd went home happy.

The Hillbillies beat Buffalo charter school CSAT, 53-49, in their 2019-20 season opener in a non-league contest at Fredonia High School. Fredonia blew a 14-point second-quarter lead to wind up down by as many as six points, but roared back with an 18-point fourth quarter. They broke a 49-all tie with senior Kaleb Rybij’s quick little jumper in the paint with 25.2 seconds left to play.

CSAT’s Xavier Alvarez, who led all scorers with 20 points, had a good look at what would have probably been a game-winning 3-pointer on the next possession, but the shot rattled out of the hoop. The visiting Eagles then fouled Fredonia, which promptly missed both its free throws. But CSAT then threw the ball away and Fredonia’s Tyler Putney hit two free throws to clinch the game for the Hillbillies.

“We had great energy at times we had great execution at times,” said Fredonia coach Nick Bertrando. “Being the first game, it was one of those where I think we’re kind of getting into the swing of things. We’re a week later — and that’s not an excuse for anything — but we’re a week later than we usually start and with 15 practices, at times it looks like we’ve only had 15 practices together. So we’re still a work in progress here.”

The Hillbillies didn’t look like they had much to work on in the first quarter, which ended with Fredonia up 13-4. Nick Whitfield was the star in the quarter, with six points, and consecutive blocks that earned him a tap of acknowledgment and respect from the CSAT player he stuffed.

“We always talk about getting off to a hot start … then hopefully just kind of keeping the pedal on the metal,” Bertrando said. “Give it to CSAT, they made their adjustments. They slowed us down, they stopped our transition points that we were getting early in the game, then they put the pressure on us in the half-court set. We had some careless and unfortunate turnovers that kind of put them back into the game.”

Fredonia was up 20-6 when the CSAT comeback began with an Amir Morris bucket and steal of Fredonia’s ensuing inbound pass. Pierre Gabart then hit a shot, was fouled and hit the free throw for the Eagles.

A Whitfield field goal with 1:53 left in the second period ended a 7-0 CSAT run, but Morris got his teammates pumped up with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to make the halftime score 24-16 Fredonia.

“We identified who their shooters were gonna be, and we tried to negate some of those looks,” Bertrando said. “But once they started getting that dribble penetration, those opportunities for those kick-out threes and the wide-open, kind of in-rhythm 3’s coupled on top of one another, they got hot and all of a sudden we’re looking at the scoreboard and it’s not as wide (a lead) as it was at one point.”

Indeed, Alvarez opened the second half with one of those in-rhythm treys, and hit two more 3-pointers in the third quarter, including another buzzer-beater. Alvarez and Gabart scored all of CSAT’s 25 points in the period, and Alvarez’s bucket at the end of it gave the Eagles a 41-35 lead.

“Going into the fourth quarter, we said, ‘we’re down by six, OK?’ We’re going to take one possession at a time,” Bertrando We can’t win it in one possession, we can’t lose it in one possession. Let’s just keep chipping away. They made their run, let’s make our run, let the chips fall where they may.”

Fredonia immediately got to work on a run that regained them the lead. Alec Schrader hit a three to start the quarter. Then Whitfield hit a field goal and on the next possession had another set of consecutive blocks that really got the Hillbillies fans worked up. They got even happier when he hit two free throws with 6:17 left for a 42-41 Fredonia advantage.

A tough, off-balance jumper by Gabart gave the Eagles a 46-45 edge with 2:51 remaining. Fredonia scored the next four on two Whitfield free throws and a Putney layup, but CSAT responded with three in a row to knot the score at 49 and set the stage for Rybij’s game-winner.

“Tonight, I would say it’s about consistency… we got off to a great fast start and then we sort of hit a wall in the second and third quarter as far as scoring opportunities. Then we picked it up in the fourth,” Bertrando said. “We kind of sandwiched everything together tonight, but moving forward, we gotta play a complete game in four quarters overall.

“I’m super happy that our home crowd came out tonight and they were loud,” Fredonia’s coach added. “I’d like to think that at the end of the game, the home-court advantage helped propel us to win No. 1.”

Whitfield wound up Fredonia’s leading scorer, with 17 points, along with 11 rebounds and four blocks. Rybij managed 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Gabart had 15 points for CSAT.

The Hillbillies will head to Pennsylvania for their next game. They play Corry (Pa.) Saturday at the Erie Insurance Arena.