What’s scary is that they may be playing better now than at any other time during that span.

Says who?

Their coach, that’s who.

“Since we’ve been here as a staff, that is the best all-around team win we’ve had,” Jehuu Caulcrick said after the Trojans knocked off rival Cassadaga Valley/Falconer, 47-26, at Bill Race Field. “From all phases of the game. … That’s special and that’s what means the most, especially going into the playoffs.”

Southwestern quarterback Cole Snyder looks for an open receiver during Friday night’s Class C South game in Falconer.

Behind the standout play of quarterback Cole Snyder and wideout Alex Card, Southwestern, ranked No. 3 in the New York State Sportswriters Association Class C poll, improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in Class C South, heading into a first-round playoff game against Gowanda/Pine Valley next Friday at Charles A. Lawson Field. Last night’s win also marked the fourth time in school history that it has finished with a perfect regular-season record.

“No matter what you do in the regular season, going 7-0 doesn’t mean anything next week,” Caulcrick said, “because if you’re 0-1 you’re sitting at home.”

Snyder completed 16 of 24 passes for 224 yards and five touchdowns; and Card caught seven passes for 125 yards and returned a punt for 65 yards for another score.

“(Southwestern) was really good tonight,” Golden Cougars coach Joel Sopak said. “Our Achilles heel has been pass coverage and they just picked us apart. Nothing we could do.”

And it started so promising for Cassadaga Valley/Falconer (4-3, 4-2) as Robbie Penhollow, the electric running back, broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run on the game’s second play to stake the Golden Cougars to a 6-0 lead.

Cassadaga Valley/Falconer’s Noah Abram looks for room to run against Southwestern on Friday night during Class C South action at Bill Race Field. P-J photo by Tim Frank

But Southwestern scored seven TDs in just a little more than 2 1/2 quarters to blow the game open. Highlighting the outburst were Snyder touchdown passes to Mayson Mathews (23 yards and 4 yards), Faizan Munir (3 yards), Garrett Swan (3 yards) and Zishan Munir (40 yards). The strike to the latter came with five seconds remaining before halftime.

For good measure, Swan scored on a 3-yard run and Card showed his speed and shiftiness on his 65-yard punt return to paydirt.

Armed with a 47-12 lead with under a minute remaining in the third quarter, the Trojans had essentially secured their division title and their 22nd consecutive victory in the 91st meeting between the two rivals.

“We thought we were ready, we thought we were prepared, but they’re better than us,” Sopak said. “There’s no way around it. They took it to us tonight.”

Penhollow and quarterback Connor Crabtree provided plenty of resistance, however.

Penhollow rushed for 144 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns; caught six passes for 144 yards, including an 86-yarder for another TD; and, for good measure, made 19 tackles on defense.

“He’s the best two-way player I’ve ever coached,” Sopak said.

Crabtree, meanwhile, completed 11 of 22 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, one of which went to Ryan Stimson from 21 yards in the first minute of the second quarter.

Despite those gaudy numbers, it wasn’t enough against the prolific Southwestern offense.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Sopak said. “They’ve got a great team, they’re well-coached, they’ve been playing a while and they work year-round. We’re trying to build our program. Hopefully, one day we can be elite, but right now we’re not. We’ve got to go back to work.”

Going to work in the offseason has paid dividends for the Trojans.

“There was one point where there was snow on the field (last winter) and (we) had a bunch of kids shovel off the field to go out and play catch,” Caulcrick said. “If you’ve got guys buying in, you’re going to be a successful team.”

“Our goal at the end of the day is to win a state title,” Caulcrick continued. “That’s what we’re talking about. We’re not afraid to say it (and) not afraid to mention it. That’s what we want to do.”

NOTES: Card now has 843 receiving yards this season, which is No. 1 on Southwestern’s all-time list surpassing Jake Swan, who had 753 yards during the 2011 season. … Card is second all-time with 49 catches, behind only Swan, who had 55 in 2011. … Snyder now has six games this season of more than 200 passing yards and nine for his career, which are both school records. … Seth Bennett (10 tackles) and Cooper Pannes (nine tackles) led the Trojans’ defense. … Zishan Munir picked off two passes and Faizan Munir had one. … Zishan Munir rushed for 78 yards on 15 carries. … Falconer, which will travel to Wilson next week, was led defensively by Mack Mikula with 10 tackles and Jordan Dustin with five tackles and an interception. … Southwestern leads the all-time series, holding a 49-33 edge. There have been nine ties.

SOUTHWESTERN 14 20 13 0 — 47

CASSADAGA VALLEY/FALCONER 6 6 8 6 — 26

CV/F–Penhollow 65 run (kick failed)

Sou–Mathews 23 pass from Snyder (Card kick)

Sou–FMunir 3 pass from Snyder (Card kick)

CV/F–Stimson 21 pass from Crabtree (pass failed)

Sou–Swan 3 run (kick failed)

Sou–Swan 3 pass from Snyder (kick failed)

Sou–ZMunir 40 pass from Snyder (Munir run)

Sou–Card 65 punt return (Card kick)

Sou–Mathews 4 pass from Snyder (kick failed)

CV/F–Penhollow 86 pass from Crabtree (Penhollow pass from Crabtree)

CV/F–Penhollow 3 run (run failed)