To Medina, however, the field conditions mattered not a bit.

In fact, the Mustangs (11-0) appeared to thrive in the winter wonderland, rushing for a whopping 590 yards en route to a 58-6 victory over Fredonia.

Senior Greg Thompson, normally a wide receiver, amassed 262 yards on 10 carries and scored four touchdowns; senior quarterback Xander Payne collected 192 yards on 19 carries and scored three times; and senior fullback Noah Skinner added 115 yards on 15 trips and another score to cap a ground attack that is believed to be a Section VI playoff record, eclipsing the previous mark of 473 by Cleveland Hill in 2016.

The win advances Medina, which also claimed the sectional title in the spring, into the Far West Regional next weekend against East Rochester/Gananda, an 18-12 winner over Haverling in the Section VI final.

OBSERVER Photo by Tim Frank Fredonia's Simon Davis tries to break a tackle of a Medina defender during Saturday's Section VI Class C championship game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.

Fredonia, meanwhile, finishes 10-1.

“They kind of manhandled us on both sides of the ball,” Hillbillies head coach Greg Sherlock said.

Ironically, Mustangs head coach Eric Valley wasn’t sure how his team would fare given the elements.

“For us to be able to run the ball in those conditions was huge,” he said. “When we came out at the start, our (linemen’s) feet were sliding around. We rely heavily on pulling to get us good angles. If we couldn’t move we were going to be in a little bit of trouble.

“Once there’s a … seam in those conditions, our kids were able to pop some long ones.”

Payne’s TD runs were from 4, 28 and 54 yards — all in the 32-point second quarter.

“He hasn’t run the ball a lot,” Valley said. “We know he can, but we have so many receivers and running backs that we don’t want to put him in harm’s way if we don’t have to, but the conditions today we knew we had to rely on him a little bit more and he came through.”

Thompson, a transfer from Albion, had scoring bursts of 31, 44, 82 and 45 yards — the final three in the fourth quarter; and Skinner took it to the house from 39 yards in the third period.

“For a senior he’s still a little green with us,” Valley said of Thompson. “He’s still learning the system. He’s got another gear and he showed that.”

By contrast, the Hillbillies (10-1) managed just 90 net yards on the ground and only 80 net yards through the air. Their lone touchdown came on Nick Whitfield’s 63-yard run in the final minute of the second quarter. By that time, Medina led 40-6.

“It’s a tough outcome and the score is even worse. I feel personally responsible,” Sherlock said. “I’ve never been in a game where I’ve ever been beat up that bad on the scoreboard.”

Still, the veteran coach has fond memories of the last three months.

“We spent a lot of time with them,” Sherlock said. “We’ve taken the kids all over the country to camps, colleges and invites. … They’ve become part of the family. You hate to see them go. You’re happy and proud of what they’ve become and excited to see what the next chapter in life is going to be. Hopefully, that’s going to include football for some of the kids.”

NOTES: Whitfield rushed for 67 yards on 12 carries and Matt Lotter had 48 yards on 10 trips. …Whitfield completed 8 of 30 passes for 72 yards and was intercepted once. … Lotter was credited with 13 tackles. … Owen Rush of Fredonia and Skinner were the Character Athletes of the Game.

Fredonia 0 6 0 0 — 6

Medina 0 32 8 18 — 58

Med–Payne 4 run (Skinner run)

Med–Payne 28 run (Thompson run)

Med–Thompson 31 run (Skinner run)

Med–Payne 54 run (Skinner run)

Fred–Whitfield 63 run (run fail)

Med–Skinner 39 run (Skinner run)

Med–Thompson 44 run (run fail)

Med–Thompson 82 run (run fail)

Med–Thompson 45 run (run fail)