But it wasn’t easy.

Armed with a two-touchdown lead and the ball with just under three minutes remaining, the Hillbillies nearly gave it all back, but their defense stuffed Trojan quarterback Aidan Kennedy on a two-point conversion run on the game’s final play to post a thrilling 27-25 victory in a Class C South showdown at the Orange Bowl.

The win improves Fredonia’s record to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the division. Meanwhile, Southwestern, which has lost three games by a total of four points, falls to 3-3 and 2-2.

It certainly didn’t appear as if this game, played on a unseasonably balmy early fall night, would come down to the final play.

OBSERVER Photo by Justin Goetz Fredonia’s Micah Davis rushes into Southwestern’s Edwin Gibbon (40) and Nick Feldt (70).

The Hillbillies led 21-7 at halftime, courtesy of Whitfield TD runs of 38 and 2 yards, and Davis’ 76-yard scamper on a first-quarter kickoff return.

Southwestern’s lone score before intermission came on Kennedy’s 1-yard keeper in the first quarter.

And when Whitfield tacked on his third TD run — this one from 23 yards — less than two minutes into the second half, the Hillbillies appeared in control, leading 27-7.

To the Trojans’ credit, they didn’t quit.

In fact, Southwestern scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, thanks to Kennedy’s heroics.

The first score of the period came on his 18-yard strike to Jameson Walsh to cut the lead to 27-13, but the point-after kick was wide left. Fredonia was forced to punt on its ensuing possession, but the Hillbillies got the ball back a short time later when Ethan Fry picked off a Kennedy pass with 2:49 remaining.

Game over, right?

Hardly.

Southwestern forced another punt and Kennedy directed the Trojans on a 67-yard scoring drive, capped by his 13-yard scramble to paydirt. The two-point conversion pass fell incomplete — Southwestern only converted one PAT all night — and Fredonia’s lead stood at 27-19 with 18 seconds remaining.

At that point, the raucous Hillbillies’ student section gathered at one end of the field, preparing to celebrate the program’s first win over the Trojans since 2010.

Except, Southwestern wasn’t quite done, as it successfully recovered an onside kick, giving Kennedy the ball at the Fredonia 34 with 13 seconds left.

On first down he connected with Ashton Mathews for a 17-yard completion, stopping the clock with 5 seconds left. On second down, he eluded the rush and took off around left end, diving into the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown run with no time remaining.

On the ensuing two-point conversion try, Fredonia’s defense came up huge, stopping Kennedy on the designed quarterback keeper.

The Hillbillies, who had played so well defensively for 3¢ quarters, could finally celebrate.

NOTES: Kennedy finished the night with 133 yards rushing and three TDs, and completed 15 of 31 passes for 259 yards. … The Hillbillies’ statistics weren’t immediately available at press time.

Southwestern 7 0 0 18 — 25

Fredonia 14 7 6 0 — 27

Fre–Whitfield 38 run (Tabone kick)

SW–Kennedy 1 run (Hoose kick)

Fre–Simon Davis 76 kickoff return (Tabone kick)

Fre–Whitfield 23 run (kick fail)

SW–Walsh 18 pass from Kennedy (kick fail)

SW–Kennedy 13 run (pass fail)

SW–Kennedy 17 run (run fail)