Local Sports

Shutout in Fredonia

Eagles’ defense stymies Hillbillies 21-0

FREDONIA -- Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton has been carried by its defense all season long. Head coach Ty Harper said as much on Friday night.

The Eagles' defense did it again as Harper and company walked away from the Orange Bowl with a 21-0 win over the Hillbillies in a Class C South football game.

"We feel confident in the defense. (Defensive coordinator) Chris Payne does an outstanding job. He put together another tremendous game plan again tonight, and I thought they carried us," Harper said.

Both teams struggled on offense throughout the opening period. The highlight for Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton (4-3, 3-2) in the first quarter was a tipped ball interception, and the bright spot for Fredonia (3-4, 2-4) was a sack by Ayden Wronski in the red zone. Each defensive highlight did not lead to points, however, and the game remained scoreless into the second quarter.

"They have a very, very good defense," Fredonia head coach Greg Sherlock said of the Eagles. "They limited us to less yards, by far, than anyone. It wasn't even close. ... It was tough sledding tonight. That's a great defense."

Early in the second quarter, the Eagles took a gamble and it paid off. Josh Swan uncorked a deep ball down the visiting sideline to give his receiver, Ian Kindermann, a chance to win a 50-50 ball. Kindermann outjumped the defender and reeled in the pass, then managed to stay on his feet on the way to the end zone. His spectacular 65-yard catch and run resulted in the game's first points. Swan handled the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 9:49 left in the second quarter.

"Ian Kindermann has made a bunch of big plays for us this year. He's a kid that we've come to really rely on. We felt like we had a good matchup there," Harper said. "... Josh threw a nice catchable ball, and Ian won the one-on-one ... and he just made a great play."

Even after the spectacular play, Fredonia tipped its cap and kept fighting defensively. The Hillbillies still felt good about how their defense showed up early in the game.

"They played disciplined ball. They were hitting gaps they were supposed to be hitting. Every gap was covered," said Sherlock. "The only score they got to begin with, we had perfect coverage. (Kindermann) made a great play. I don't fault that at all."

As poorly as the Hillbillies offense played in the first half, the defense kept them in the game. The Hillbillies forced four turnovers on downs inside the Fredonia 30-yard line. Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton was 1 for 5 on fourth down in the first half.

"We were getting the ball pretty deep into their territory, but we just weren't finishing drives. The defense bailed us out," Harper said.

Both defenses continued their impressive performances in the third quarter, with both offenses failing to score in the period. The Eagles maintained their 7-0 lead entering the final quarter.

"We can get stop, stop, stop, but if we can't find anything consistently or get rhythm in the offense, it doesn't matter what we do. At that point, we're down 7-0 and we couldn't move the ball," Sherlock said.

Finally, in the fourth quarter, the visitors broke through with a pair of rushing touchdowns -- and the defense played a part in that, too, with back-to-back stops on fourth-and-2 in Fredonia's own territory each time.

Fredonia went for it both times -- first on a fake punt, then on a carry -- because the team needed a spark. Sherlock felt with how strong his defense was playing, mixed with how much the offense was struggling, it was worth the risk.

"I knew I was putting them in a bad, bad position," Sherlock said. "... We were trying to win the game still, so I thought we had to do something."

The first turnover was negated by a fumble on the next drive, but the Eagles cashed in on the second opportunity with a 2-yard touchdown run up the middle by Tristen Gibbs. The Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton lead doubled to 14-0, and Fredonia's hopes were on life support.

"It always comes down to the kids making plays, and our kids just made plays when it mattered," Harper said. "We talked to them today about two things we're looking for the rest of the season -- effort and execution -- and we got both of those things on those stops."

A few minutes later, Thandon Bensink broke free for a long touchdown run without a defender left in sight by the time he crossed the goal line. His touchdown run and the ensuing extra point put the Eagles up 21-0 and essentially put an end to the contest.

After moving to 3-1 on the year with a homecoming victory over Allegany-Limestone/Hinsdale on Sept. 25, Fredonia suffered back-to-back blowout losses on the road at Southwestern/Frewsburg and Portville, being outscored 73-13 over the two games. Friday night's game was much closer, with the defense surrendering only one big play through three quarters. The offense, however, was still an issue for the Hillbillies, who have now lost three straight games and have not scored more than once in any of the three games.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton, however, has found its identity. Tough defense is what carries the Eagles, and offensively, it is the two-man rushing attack from Gibbs and Bensink in the backfield that leads the way, with Kindermann providing an outside threat in the passing game. The Eagles have one more shot to earn a playoff berth next week.

"I felt since August that anybody here could beat anybody on any given night," Harper said. "At this point, it's win or go home. We have to enjoy this, but Monday, we get back to work. ... We don't have time to really sit back and pat ourselves on the back."

Up next, both teams wrap up their regular season next Friday. Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton hosts Gowanda/Pine Valley, while Fredonia hosts rival Dunkirk at the Orange Bowl.

"This rivalry means a lot to both communities," Sherlock said of the Dunkirk-Fredonia rivalry. He highlighted the Central Connection Cup rivalry trophy and sponsorships throughout both communities that add to the excitement of the contest.

"There is a lot to play for," Sherlock said.

NOTES: For Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton, Lance Franklin had nine tackles, Lane Scarpine had two sacks, Trent Ramm had six tackles and a sack, and Michael Jauss had an interception. Gibbs ran 21 times for 103 yards; Swan completed six passes for 174 yards; and Aiden Woodis caught three passes for 94 yards.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton 0 7 0 14 -- 21

Fredonia 0 0 0 0 -- 0

CL/W/B--Kindermann 65 pass from Swan (Swan kick)

CL/W/B--Gibbs 3 run (Swan kick)

CL/W/B--Bensink 55 run (Swan kick)