SOUTH DEERFIELD — Through the preseason, Scott Dredge had the notion that defense would be the real calling card for Frontier football, and the Redhawks' 2024 season opener Friday night played out just that way.

The hosts came up empty on the scoreboard but showed out with their physical play and aggressiveness. Lunenburg made two first-half scores stand up and got a freakish game-clinching touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put the wraps on the Redhawks, 18-0.

"We're hoping the defensive unit can carry our team, and for the most part, they did tonight," said Dredge. "I can't say enough about Kaden (James), he's a tremendous football player and he really held the team together tonight. Aside from that fluke play, I thought we were doing a good job."

James, Konnor James, Julian Adams and Max Hunter were clear standout performers defensively for Frontier.

On the offensive side, Frontier held the ball for six possessions, five ending in punts and one with the end of the first half. Collin West proved a useful weapon to change field position for the Redhawks; his five punts averaged 40 yards with a long of 46.

With roughly 20 players available, Frontier couldn't avoid the injury bug in Game 1, losing lineman Javion Cabrera in the first quarter and having featured back Brady Poreda limited due to a leg injury. Poreda carried for a team-high 36 yards Friday, but in all, the Redhawks managed only 34 yards of total offense and never moved the ball across midfield.

The teams played their season opener last year in Lunenburg, with the Blue Knights winning 32-6.

Lunenburg's Liam McKenna got the visitors started with a 27-yard field goal with 6:14 left in the first quarter, and the Blue Knights beat the clock just before halftime when Nick Agnese ran it in from 2 yards out. Lunenburg then set up for a McKenna extra point on which Frontier jumped offside for a half-the-distance penalty. With the ball just outside the 1-yard line, the Knights changed their tune and opted instead for a 2-point try, run in successfully by quarterback Matt Agnese to make the score 11-0.

Matt Agnese then broke a 41-yard scramble on the first play of the second half to bring the ball down to the Frontier 12, and Lunenburg looked primed to add another score when Agnese hit Blake Buiwit inside the 5-yard line. Buiwit coughed up the football however, the game's only turnover, and Poreda jumped on the loose ball at the 4.

On its next series, Lunenburg drove from its own 33 to the Frontier 38, facing fourth-and-17. Agnese flipped a pitch to Buiwit who swept to his right and let go an option pass, overthrown and swatted away by a Frontier defender. The Knights' Rory Ferguson, trailing the play, picked the loose ball out of the air and made a beeline for the right pylon, squeezing into the end zone for a 38-yard scoring play with 9:32 to go.

Lunenburg was then flagged for 15 yards for excessive celebration, leading to a 35-yard extra-point attempt by McKenna, but he put it between the uprights with plenty to spare for a 18-0 lead.

The Blue Knights ended the evening with 199 rushing and 137 passing yards. Roudy Auguste (76 yards), Nick Agnese (49) and Dylan Gemborys (47) spread the load on the ground, while Matt Agnese completed 5-of-10 passes for 99 yards. Buiwit caught four balls for 83 yards.

Garrett Dredge threw three passes for the Redhawks, completing one to Ben Caron.

"We don't have any depth. When you're down a couple of cylinders, you just try to keep the engine moving forward," said Scott Dredge. "When you're dressing 20 kids, and two impact players get hurt, you're gonna need to rest."

The Redhawks take next week off before they resume play Sept. 20 at home against Franklin Tech.