SALEM, Va. — Matt Lotter is a national champion.

The Fredonia native and his SUNY Cortland Red Dragons edged top-ranked and defending champion North Central 38-37 in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl Friday night in the 50th edition of the NCAA Division III title football game.

Lotter, a sophomore, entered the game with 20 tackles on the season and was also a member of the Red Dragons’ special teams.

What the 2022 Fredonia High School graduate witnessed was a special performance by his quarterback. Zac Boyes completed 26 of 34 passes for 349 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed 16 times for 123 yards to claim Most Outstanding Player honors.

Trailing 7-3 at halftime, Cortland (14-1) scored 35 second-half points and its defense stopped North Central on a 2-point conversion with just over a minute remaining to secure the win.

The Red Dragons were the first school from New York state to reach the Division III title game since 1991, and the first team from the east coast to play for a championship.

Lotter is the son of Fredonia High School teacher and swim coach Joanne Lotter. As a senior with the Hillbillies, he was Fredonia’s leading rusher (1,1078 yards, 12 touchdowns) and leading tackler (140 (tackles). Lotter earned all-state honors, was the Section VI Class C Defensive Player of the Year, and was selected as an OBSERVER/Post-Journal All-Star.

“I’ve never had a student-athlete that I’ve ever coached that have made it to a game like this at any level,” Fredonia head football coach Greg Sherlock said earlier this week.