Southwestern’s Aidan Kennedy fights for a yard during Friday’s Class C South football game against Fredonia at the Orange Bowl. P-J photo by Justin Goetz

FREDONIA — Nick Whitfield ran for three touchdowns, Simon Davis returned a kickoff for another score and the Fredonia Hillbillies ended an extended losing streak to Chautauqua County rival Southwestern on Friday night.

But it wasn’t easy.

Armed with a two-touchdown lead and the ball with just under three minutes remaining, the Hillbillies nearly gave it all back, but their defense stuffed Trojan quarterback Aidan Kennedy on a two-point conversion run on the game’s final play to post a thrilling 27-25 victory in a Class C South showdown at the Orange Bowl.

The win improves Fredonia’s record to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the division. Meanwhile, Southwestern, which has lost three games by a total of four points, falls to 3-3 and 2-2.

It certainly didn’t appear as if this game, played on a unseasonably balmy fall night, would come down to the final play.

The Hillbillies led 21-7 at halftime, courtesy of Whitfield TD runs of 38 and 2 yards, and Davis’ 76-yard scamper on a first-quarter kickoff return.

Southwestern’s lone score before intermission came on Kennedy’s 1-yard keeper in the first quarter.

And when Whitfield tacked on his third TD run — this one from 23 yards — less than two minutes into the second half, the Hillbillies appeared in control, leading 27-7.

To the Trojans’ credit, they didn’t quit.

In fact, Southwestern scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, thanks to Kennedy’s heroics.

“I thought the majority of the game we were solid defensively,” Fredonia coach Greg Sherlock said, “but you can never count Southwestern out.”

Kennedy had plenty to do with that.

“He’s not going to shy away from anybody,” Trojans head coach Jake Burkholder said. “I love watching him play and love coaching him. He gave us an opportunity tonight.”

The Trojans’ first score of the final period came on his 18-yard strike to Jameson Walsh to cut the lead to 27-13, but the point-after kick was wide left. Fredonia was forced to punt on its ensuing possession, but the Hillbillies got the ball back a short time later when Ethan Fry picked off a Kennedy pass with 2:49 remaining.

Game over, right?

Hardly.

Southwestern forced another punt and Kennedy directed the Trojans on a 67-yard scoring drive, capped by his 13-yard scramble to paydirt. The two-point conversion pass fell incomplete — Southwestern only converted one PAT all night — and Fredonia’s lead stood at 27-19 with 18 seconds remaining.

At that point, the raucous Hillbillies’ student section gathered at one end of the field, preparing to celebrate the program’s first win over the Trojans in years.

Except, Southwestern wasn’t quite done, as it successfully recovered an onside kick, giving Kennedy the ball at the Fredonia 34 with 13 seconds left.

“We knew they were going to onside (kick) it,” Sherlock said. “We practice it so much, but they got us.”

On first down, Kennedy connected with Ashton Mathews for a 17-yard completion, stopping the clock with 5 seconds left. On second down, he eluded the rush and took off around left end, diving into the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown run with no time remaining.

On the ensuing two-point conversion try, however, Fredonia’s defense came up huge, stopping Kennedy on the designed quarterback keeper. Sherlock credited Matt Lotter, Owen Rush and Alex Paluch for the tackle.

“I’m not going to say it was another game, because it wasn’t,” Sherlock said. “It’s something we’ve looked for for a long time. They’ve had our number for a quite a few years.

“To be honest with you, for three and a half quarters (the defense) was playing lights out, they were playing really good ball. It seemed like things got away from us really, really quick.”

Added Burkholder: “We had some mistakes in the first half, but to fight back to have an opportunity to win with no time on the clock is all you can ask.”

NOTES: Kennedy finished the night with 133 yards rushing and three TDs, and completed 15 of 31 passes for 259 yards. … The Hillbillies’ statistics weren’t immediately available at press time.

Southwestern 7 0 0 18 — 25

Fredonia 14 7 6 0 — 27

Fre–Whitfield 38 run (Tabone kick)

SW–Kennedy 1 run (Hoose kick)

Fre–Simon Davis 76 kickoff return (Tabone kick)

Fre–Whitfield 23 run (kick fail)

SW–Walsh 18 pass from Kennedy (kick fail)

SW–Kennedy 13 run (pass fail)

SW–Kennedy 17 run (run fail)