Friday, the fireworks started even before the contest, as the two teams converged at midfield of the Orange Bowl. But by the end of the night, Southwestern had every reason to talk the talk. Fredonia, however, was resoundingly hushed.

In the latest edition of the intense Class C South rivalry, the Trojans trounced the Hillbillies 48-18.

“We talk constantly about good character and being good role models and doing the right thing. This game started off not being that,” Fredonia head coach Greg Sherlock said of the pregame antics. ” … I’m embarrassed for this community. I’m embarrassed for most of the kids on the team and the coaches, and the time that we put in with what we talk about. Everybody has got to look in the mirror.”

Southwestern (2-1, 2-0) made its first trip back to the Orange Bowl since a thrilling contest was decided on the final play of the game in 2021. The Hillbillies won that contest by stopping a 2-point conversion with no time left on the clock to send their home fans storming onto the field.

Fredonia’s Owen Rush attempts to tackle Southwestern’s Brody Larson during Friday’s Section VI Class C South football game at the Orange Bowl in Fredonia. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

Friday’s game started with the Trojans storming the field from the same spot, bursting through a banner held by cheerleaders that read “We bleed red and blue.”

Fredonia (1-2, 0-2) took exception to Southwestern’s antics before the game and words were exchanged near midfield. Eventually, Fredonia was assessed a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“Our kids came out and kept their composure, and executed,” Southwestern head coach Jake Burkholder said. “It started out with a 15-yard penalty and our kids walked away. It’s a high-energy contest with Fredonia every time. It’s a great game for our kids. I’m proud as heck of them.”

Although nothing physical came from the pregame altercation, on the ensuing kickoff of the game, Southwestern landed a haymaker when Matthew Strong-Butterfield returned it for a touchdown. The first touchdown of the season for the Trojans gave them a 7-0 lead just 12 seconds into the contest.

“We wanted to start strong from the beginning,” Southwestern senior Jameson Walsh said. ” … We just wanted to come out and make a statement, to send the message to the whole league that Trojan football is still here.”

Southwestern never trailed in the game, and never even ran an offensive play without the lead. Fredonia’s first offensive drive ended in just three plays after a Walsh sack. The Hillbillies then sent out the punting unit, and again, the Trojans landed another heavy blow.

The punt, from deep in Fredonia’s own territory, was blocked and recovered in the end zone by George Marshall for a touchdown. The Trojans led 14-0 less than two minutes into the contest, and without running a play on offense.

“I’ve taken the blame for my teams for many years. I will always take blame because I did not have them in the right frame of mind, however I’m not taking the blame for everything anymore,” Sherlock said, citing his team’s unsportsmanlike conduct and lack of effort on special teams. “We’re just not having guys going 100%. It’s very obvious.”

Fredonia showed life offensively after the horrendous start, but mistakes — both mental and physical — cost the Hillbillies. After White connected on a deep ball to Tim Field on third-and-14 for an 83-yard touchdown, Field spiked the ball after crossing the goal line. The Hillbillies were forced to attempt a 2-point conversion from the 17-yard line and a pass fell incomplete.

On Fredonia’s next drive, White approached the goal line on a quarterback keeper, but lost the ball as he was fighting toward the end zone. The ball was turned over to Southwestern on a touchback, rather than Fredonia cutting into the Southwestern lead and having a chance to tie the score with a potential two-point conversion.

The Trojans later added a rushing touchdown by Declan Kennedy for their first offensive touchdown of the season, then the defense got in on the fun as Brayden Potter returned a White fumble 54 yards to the house. The Trojans led 28-6 with 7:13 left in the first half.

“It just goes to show that we’re a multi-dimensional team. Defense, offense, special teams, every play we’re going to go out and give it 100%,” Walsh said. ” … Everything we did, we did it to perfection today and it showed up on the scoreboard.”

From that point on, the Trojans fed their workhorse running back. Walsh ran away from the Hillbillies the majority of the night, with 18 carries for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He had scoring runs of 40, 39 and 2 yards.

Walsh also stood out defensively with 14 tackles, three sacks and an additional three tackles for a loss.

“This is a team that we’ve gone to battles with, but haven’t been able to come out on top since 2019. So to come down here in this atmosphere, with two teams that don’t like each other, it feels good to come out on top of one,” Walsh said.

The Hillbillies had won the previous three meetings with the Trojans, all by one score, including a 2021 playoff rematch from an earlier thrilling contest at the Orange Bowl. Friday’s contest was decided by a larger margin than all three previous contests combined.

“I felt that our kids quit on the field. That’s something that I have not seen in seven years here,” Sherlock said. ” … When the score, they felt, got out of hand, I felt that some of them just quit. That’s something that we have to look at and change.”

Also of note on Friday, Fredonia took the opportunity at halftime to honor one of the area’s all-time greatest athletic heroes, Don Reinhoudt, who died in a car crash in July at the age of 78. A ceremony was held at halftime to recognize Reinhoudt, a Fredonia graduate, who was the 1979 World’s Strongest Man.

Next week, Southwestern hits the road again and takes on Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton. Fredonia will be back at the Orange Bowl next Friday against Portville.

“Our kids are riding high right now. We’ve just got to keep that momentum going,” Burkholder said. “They saw what they are capable of doing.”