CLARENCE — Clarence won the first-ever Section VI flag football championship last season and went on to beat Canisteo-Greenwood in the regional championship at Highmark Stadium.

It’s safe to say the Red Devils’ reputation precedes them.

The Fredonia Hillbillies were unfazed Monday night.

Clarence led 25-12 with seven minutes remaining in the game before Fredonia stormed back and scored the game-winning touchdown with no time on the clock in a 32-26 nonleague victory.

“This is right up there with the big win against Jamestown last year,” Fredonia head coach Nick Bertrando said. “To be honest with you, the sheer excitement on the girls’ faces — there were times tonight we were down and on the ropes — but the resiliency of this group of young women is amazing.”

The teams traded scores in the first half before the Red Devils put up back-to-back scores to go into halftime with a 19-12 lead.

After a Fredonia punt, Sammi Jo Payne scored on a long run to give Clarence a 26-12 lead after a conversion.

The Hillbillies did not give up.

Natalia DiPalma, who finished with 126 yards rushing and two scores in the game, found paydirt on a long run to make it 26-19.

Then, with under two minutes remaining, Elizabeth Morris sacked the Clarence quarterback for a turnover on downs. The Hillbillies marched down the field and Ella Koopman connected with Ashlynn Delcamp on a long pass down to the 1-yard line with under a minute remaining. DiPalma scored the short touchdown that tied the game at 26-all with 38 seconds left after a Koopman-to-Delcamp conversion pass.

On Clarence’s first play from scrimmage, Koopman came up with an interception. DiPalma then ran the ball into the red zone before Koopman connected with Delcamp in the end zone as time expired for the 11-yard touchdown and the win.

“This was a really good opportunity against the top team in Division 1 to really kind of see where we were at. We talked about playing this game midseason as a benchmark or measuring stick-type game,” Bertrando said of the nonleague matchup. “We have some games underneath our belt. This is a top team in Western New York, let’s see what we can do and what level of competition we’re at.”

Fredonia improved to 7-1 overall and is currently 4-1 in Division 2 South. The Hillbillies’ three nonleague wins are against Jamestown, Frontier and Clarence.

Emma Patterson finished with 43 rushing yards and a score; Francesca Pucci had 77 yards rushing; Koopman had 149 yards passing and two scores to go along with 40 rushing yards; Keiliany Diaz had 93 receiving yards and a score; and Delcamp had 34 receiving yards and a score.

Defensively, Brianna Whitfield had three flag pulls and three passes defended; Koopman had two passes defended, an interception and nine flag pulls; and Paige Elliot had four flag pulls and an interception.

The Hillbillies will host nonleague Buffalo Academy of Science on Thursday and Iroquois on Saturday.

“Thursday is just another opportunity to get some reps and clean some things up,” Bertrando said. “We’re literally two weeks away from the start of the playoffs.”