SOUTH DEERFIELD — When Frontier Regional School running back Ito McMillan scored on a 5-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, it put the Red Hawks up 19 and it looked like they were well on their way to a dominant victory over Greenfield.
But the Green Wave offense suddenly woke up, and the Hawks were forced to hold on for a 25-22 victory in an Intercounty League North Division battle Friday.
Frontier dominated at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball for three quarters as it stymied the Green Wave and built the large lead. When McMillan sprinted around the end and into the end zone at the midway point of the fourth, the game appeared to be over. But a taunting penalty by a Frontier lineman on the touchdown moved the ensuing kickoff back 15 yards and the Green Wave began their drive at the Frontier 37. Four plays later, Greenfield quarterback Owen Phelps (9 of 19, 106 yards, three touchdowns) hit receiver Danny Vega on a 15-yard slant that Vega took into the end zone. The two hooked up for the conversion and Greenfield pulled the deficit to 25-14 with 4 minutes, 5 seconds to play.
The Red Hawks started their next drive at their own 48, but on the second play of the possession, Frontier quarterback Matt Hildreth fumbled the ball and Greenfield’s Brody Baird jumped on it. The Wave were unable to pick up a first down on the drive, turning the ball back over to Frontier, but on the next play, Hildreth again struggled to control the increasingly wet ball and the Wave again recovered it at their 45. This time, Greenfield cashed in, as Phelps completed 3 of 4 passes on the drive, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jake Sak with 2:02 remaining. RJ Byrd scampered in the conversion and Greenfield trailed 25-22.
With one timeout remaining, the Green Wave were forced to try an onside kick. But as the fourth quarter showed (the teams combined to fumble the ball six times in the final 11 minutes) the ball was tough to handle. A high hop on the kick by Greenfield kicker Hunter Campbell slipped through the hands of Frontier’s Marcel Pattavina and Greenfield’s Carlos Cardenales recovered at the 49. Two plays later, Greenfield had a first down at Frontier’s 35, but the Red Hawks’ defense stiffened. On fourth-and-13 from the Frontier 43, Phelps struggled to handle the center exchange, briefly fumbling the ball. He picked it up and ran into the line for a 3-yard gain, which all but ended the contest. Two kneel downs later by Hildreth and Frontier escaped with the win.
“We had inexperienced guys and it was a little moist,” Frontier coach Don Gordon said of the mistakes.
Greenfield coach Mike Kuchieski was proud of his team for battling back.
“We showed some guts in the fourth quarter, but I wish we played the first half,” he said. “I’m not going to take anything away from our kids. They knew that we needed to play well in order to beat this team. We gave 100 percent. I’m proud of us. We just didn’t get the job done in the first half. I didn’t get them prepared to play that first half and that’s my fault.”
McMillan finished with 132 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries, while his running mate Garrett DeForest collected 122 yards and two touchdowns on 14 hauls. Fullback Corbin Blight added 29 yards on eight carries and a score. Those three were helped out by an offensive line that got great push throughout the night.
“We had to make some adjustments to pick up their blitzes,” Gordon said. “If there is a crease there, our backs will take the yards.”
Frontier Regional 25, Greenfield 22
|
Greenfield |
6 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
—22 |
|
Frontier Regional |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
—25 |
First quarter
F — Blight 4-yard run (Hildreth kick)
G — Vega 17 pass from Phelps (run failed)
Second quarter
F — DeForest 26 run (run failed)
Third quarter
F — DeForest 1 run (kick blocked)
Fourth quarter
F — McMillan 5 run (run failed)
G — Vega 15 pass from Phelps (Vega pass from Phelps)
G — Sak 11 pass from Phelps (Byrd run)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Greenfield: Byrd 21-161, Haselton 1-0, Phelps 8-(-18). Frontier: McMillan 12-132, DeForest 14-122, Blight 8-29, Hildreth 4-(-12).
PASSING—Greenfield: Phelps 9-19-0-106. Frontier: Hildreth 3-4-0-52.
RECEIVING—Greenfield: Haselton 5-50, Vega 2-32, Sak 2-24. Frontier: McMillan 2-9, DeForest 1-43.