GREENFIELD — Dare we say, Frontier Regional is now a passing team?
OK, maybe not, but the run-heavy Red Hawks unleashed a different dimension on Friday night. With the Greenfield defense stacking the box and bottling up the potent Frontier rushing attack, quarterback Garrett DeForest and tight end Donovan Hoffman stole the show. Hoffman caught five passes for 89 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown from DeForest in the third quarter that lifted Frontier to a 14-8 victory in a wild bout between Intercounty League North heavyweights at Vets Field.
The win elevates the Hawks to 4-1 overall and a league-leading 4-0 in the North. Greenfield fell to 2-3 overall, 1-2 in the league.
“We have a strong connection, we’ve been best buddies since seventh grade and played together since middle school,” began DeForest of he and Hoffman. “We pass when we want to, that’s what we always say here. We like to run the ball, but when it’s time to open it up, we have the ability to pass as well.”
DeForest finished 7-of-10 for 112 yards through the air. All five of his completions to Hoffman were particularly timely as well, all moving the chains for first downs.
“I have trust in Garrett to get me the ball and confidence in myself to catch it,” Hoffman said. “Everybody did their job, from the line up front to the rest of us.”
Marred in an 8-8 deadlock in the third quarter, Frontier came out of the locker room and put together the game’s lone scoring drive of the second half. It was all done on the ground, with DeForest picking up chunk gainers of 15 and 23 yards to put the Hawks in the red zone. The senior signal caller finished the drive with a touchdown toss to Hoffman, finding him for a 19-yard score with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter for a 14-8 edge.
Frontier’s defense stepped up from there, forcing back-to-back Greenfield three-and-outs. The Green Wave defense also rose to the occasion, as Carlos Cardenales stopped a Frontier drive with an interception, and the hosts held firm on fourth down with 6:36 left in the fourth quarter when they sacked DeForest to end a drive and keep things within reach.
That set up Greenfield’s final bid, and the Wave picked up three first downs to march all the way to the Frontier 12. Quarterback Jake Sak hit Jared Hart twice on the drive for 35 yards, and he also ran for a first down to keep his side moving. Frontier shut down any hopes of a comeback however, with DeForest pressuring Sak and Hunter Wolfson ultimately nabbing the sack on fourth down with 36 seconds remaining to seal the deal.
“We swarmed to the ball,” said Hoffman of the late defensive stand. “Garrett stepped up and made a couple big tackles late. It was a whole team effort.”
Greenfield actually took the lead in this one, using a 13-play, 80-yard drive in the opening quarter to set the tone. Sak finished off the six-minute, 27-second waltz down the field with a 15-yard touchdown run, and he also bulled in for the two-point conversion to give the hosts an 8-0 lead with 1:40 left in the frame.
Frontier answered on its next possession, running the ball on 12 of the drive’s 13 plays to get on the board. DeForest powered across for a 1-yard score, and Ito McMillan’s two-point conversion made it 8-8 with 7:40 left before halftime.
A potential turning point came with 3:07 remaining in the second quarter, as Frontier regained possession at its own 19. On first down, the Greenfield defense managed to knock the ball free for a fumble, and Cardenales scooped it up and ran it back for a Wave touchdown that appeared to give the hosts the lead yet again. But after a long delay and conference between officials in the middle of the field, the play was ruled dead by an inadvertent whistle, meaning Frontier regained possession and the down was replayed.
Greenfield coach Mike Kuchieski, who vehemently argued the ruling on the field, declined to comment on the game-changing call, but lauded his team’s effort in the loss.
“I thought the kids did a really nice job,” he said of his club, which nursed injuries throughout the week by holding non-contact practices in preparation for Friday. “We had kids in spots that … let’s just say, we had kids step up in places we didn’t think they’d be and they know who they are.”
Sak finished the night with 33 yards rushing on five carries and the team’s lone touchdown. Shane Kilgour was Greenfield’s leading rusher, going for 72 yards on 21 totes.
McMillan went over the century mark yet again for the Red Hawks, totaling 101 yards on 20 carries. DeForest added 66 yards on eight attempts, while Josh Semaski caught two passes for 23 yards and ran for 35 yards on 11 carries.
It was the third year in a row that the Greenfield-Frontier contest came down to the game’s final possession. The Green Wave in overtime back in 2017, while the Red Hawks have now won back-to-back tilts.
“It’s a rivalry, it’s an Intercounty League game,” DeForest said. “Frontier-Greenfield, Frontier-Easthampton … always tough games when you play against teams like this. We knew it was going to be tough.”
Frontier continues its league slate next week when it hosts Franklin Tech, while Greenfield takes to the road to play Mahar.