SOUTH DEERFIELD — It was another good night to be a member of the Frontier Regional School offense.
The Red Hawks racked up over 300 yards on the ground and scored in all but one possession, rolling past Mahar Regional School, 58-13, in an Intercounty League North football contest, Friday night.
Frontier (2-1 overall, 2-0 IL) led just 14-13 early in the second quarter, but scored 44 unanswered points to close out the win. The Red Hawks rode a dominant rushing attack that averaged over nine yards per carry.
“There’s no smoke and mirrors, just plain old-fashioned football but we do it really well,” Frontier senior lineman Andrew Logan said of the team’s offensive attack.
With Logan & Co. creating holes up front, the Red Hawks received big games from tailbacks Ito McMillan (11 carries, 184 yards) and Josh Semaski (nine carries, 86 yards). McMillan ran for three touchdowns, including a 73-yard score on the team’s first offensive play of the game. Alec Kirkendall added a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
Both offenses looked in midseason form during the early going. While Frontier was enjoying its usual dose of success, the Senators (1-1, 0-1) matched them in the opening 15 minutes. Riding the legs of tailback Jacob Tenney (20 carries, 110 yards), the visitors trailed just 14-13 with 10:51 left in the second quarter after Tenney bulled in for a 1-yard touchdown. Ayden Sevigny (13 carries, 91 yards) had put Mahar on the board in the first period with a 12-yard scamper on a counter play.
While the game had the look of a shootout early, Frontier managed to run away and hide. The team scored the final three touchdowns of the first half and forced two turnovers on defense — both by Jack Vecellio on an interception and fumble recovery. Kirkendall scored on a 5-yard run, quarterback Garrett DeForest hit Donovan Hoffman for a 40-yard TD on fourth down, and DeForest scampered in for an 8-yard touchdown that made it a 35-13 advantage at the break.
Almost inconceivably, the Senators racked up 257 yards of offense in the first half and picked up 13 first downs, yet still trailed by 25 points at intermission.
“We started figuring out some things as the game went along,” Logan said of the Frontier defense. “We knew what (Mahar) was looking to do going into the game but we didn’t apply it early. After (the first quarter) we played the way we’re capable of (on defense).”
Frontier blocked two punts in the second half, both leading to quick-hitting touchdown drives. McMillan and Kirkendall scored third quarter rushing touchdowns, and the Hawks capped the night with an 18-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Sam Schreiber to Ben Lizotte midway through the fourth quarter to make it a 58-13 game.
Logan said watching Frontier’s playmakers perform is rewarding for he and the rest of the offensive linemen.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “Honestly, it gets the blood flowing, watching Ito hit a hole and break a long run, or Garrett and those guys. The big runs can really swing a game for us.”
DeForest was 3-for-7 for 66 yards through the air, and added 12 yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground.
Mahar quarterback Noaha Chabot racked up 83 yards passing, 66 of those to favorite target Charlie Barnes, who hauled in a pair of receptions. Dominic Cacciolfi totaled 34 yards on four carries late in the fourth quarter for the Senators.
Since a season-opening 8-7 loss to Belchertown, Frontier has outscored its first two IL North opponents by a 91-13 margin.
“We really re-focused since (the loss),” Logan said. “There’s been minimal talking, minimal messing around. We realized after that first loss that we need to be ready to go every game and I think we’ve done a good job of applying that.”
Frontier hosts Easthampton next week in another IL North tilt, while Mahar takes to the road to play rival Athol.