TURNERS FALLS — Garrett DeForest and Frontier Regional School continued to roll along.
The junior running back rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns on Friday night as the Red Hawks cruised past Franklin Tech, 33-0, in an Intercounty League North Division showdown.
The victory sets up a matchup in South Deerfield next week as Frontier (4-1, 3-0 IL North) hosts Turners Falls (4-1, 3-0) in what should amount to be the IL North championship game.
While the Frontier offense scored four touchdowns, the defense also did its job as it held the hosts scoreless and even got in on the scoring as Jacob Bryant recovered a fumble in the end zone after the Hawks stuffed Bailey Young on a run attempt.
The Red Hawks held a 19-0 lead at the break and never threatened to relinquish it in the second half. It wasn’t a perfect effort by Frontier, as Franklin Tech played scrappy and did put together some sustained drives, while also holding strong defensively on several occasions. But with seven starters sidelined with injuries, the Eagles were too undermanned to ever seriously threaten to win the game.
“We didn’t play our best. There are some things we have to fix,” Frontier coach Don Gordon said.
Frontier also had to deal with the loss of starting center Xavier Santiago, who was injured in practice this week and did not play. Dylan Apanell took his place and played well.
The Red Hawks took a quick lead. After holding Franklin Tech (1-4, 0-3) to a four-and-out on the opening drive, Frontier took over and marched 65 yards on five plays for a game-opening touchdown. Ito McMillan (12 carries, 95 yards) had a 39-yard run on the drive, and DeForest followed that up with a 20-yard touchdown run. Matt Hildreth kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
The teams settled into a bit of a stalemate from there, as the score remained that way until early in the second quarter when Frontier took over on downs at the Franklin Tech 28. Five plays into the drive, DeForest ran in his second score of the game from 7 yards out for a 13-0 lead. Franklin Tech went three-and-out on its ensuing drive and on the punt, Frontier appeared to be offsides but the play was not blown dead and the punt was blocked, setting up Frontier deep in Eagles’ territory. Two plays later, DeForest ran in from a yard out to give the Hawks a 19-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, DeForest moved to quarterback for a couple of drives as the Hawks worked on a different offensive look. DeForest completed two passes to starting quarterback Matt Hildreth on the drive — one for 30 yards, the other for 18 — that set up Frontier at the Eagles’ 1, and DeForest punched it in from there for his fourth touchdown of the game. Frontier’s two main backs combined for more than 200 yards rushing.
“Me and Ito have been playing since second grade together. We just have that connection,” DeForest said. “Everything we can do to push each other, even if its in the morning in the weight room or working hard at practice all the time, we are just there for each other. It’s the brother relationship we have.”
While there is that competition between the backs, DeForest said neither player really cares who is scoring the touchdowns, just as long as the offense is clicking.
“It’s not really about all the personal fame, whatever. Me and Ito are working together the entire time,” he said. “If it’s him working for those hard yards and me getting the touchdown, or me getting the tough yards and him scoring, it doesn’t matter.”
Frontier’s final score was set up by DeForest, although not how he would have liked it. The running back was threatening to go in for his fifth touchdown when he fumbled the ball at the 2, which set up the Eagles’ offense near its goal line. After two consecutive runs were stuffed at the line, the Frontier defense got penetration and hit Young in the end zone, forcing a fumble, which Jacob Bryant pounced on for the defensive score.
Frontier fullback Alec Kirkendall finished with five rushes for 35 yards, and Josh Semaski added 21 yards on six hauls.