On Friday, returning to 11-man on their own for the first time in five years, the Bears won one for Caden.

Sophomore Chase Haglund ran eight times for 94 yards and three touchdowns while also returning an interception 34 yards for another score as Frewsburg shut out Cattaraugus-Little Valley 53-0.

After the Timberwolves returned the opening kickoff to their own 32-yard line, the teams lined up for the first offensive play of the game. The Bears lined up with just 10 players and laid Costlow’s No. 56 jersey in his customary right defensive tackle spot along the line of scrimmage.

“The whole locker room was full of tears, but we wouldn’t have done it any other way,” Frewsburg head coach Terry Gray said postgame. “Our football program came together when he passed away to support their family. They are our family.”

The Bears’ Caleb Stahlman returns a fumble for a touchdown. P-J photo by Scott Reagle

After a moment of silence, the jersey was returned to Coach Gray on the sideline.

” … When you are done playing football. When you are done tackling, when you are done blocking, did you teach the kids anything about life?” Gray added.

“We are displaying character. We are being good people. When you do the right things, good things happen,” Gray said. “Tonight, good things happened for us.”

A pair of Costlow’s teammates along the defensive line provided the first fireworks of the game when Caleb Stahlman sacked Cattaraugus-Little Valley quarterback Payton Bradley and forced a fumble before Frewsburg’s Josh Burch recovered the ball at the 34-yard line.

On the Bears’ first play from scrimmage of the season, Haglund sprint around the right tackle and down the Timberwolves’ sideline for a 30-yard touchdown.

After a three-and-out from Cattaraugus-Little Valley, Frewsburg needed just two plays to strike again. After Patrick Spencer ran for 26 yards on first down, Vincent Sanfillippo powered forward for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 after Kaydan Bush’s second of four successful point-after kicks.

“Chase, Draven (DeJesus), Payton (Dustin), Pat and Vinnie. You pick. … I don’t even have particular plays for particular people,” Gray said. ” … Our line just has to get more experience and catch up. I think tonight was a good start.”

Haglund added touchdown runs of 1 and 34 yards, and Spencer scored on a 5-yard run before Haglund’s interception return made it 39-0 heading into halftime.

On the first play of the fourth quarter — after a scoreless third — Sanfilippo forced Bradley to fumble and Stahlman returned the ball 23 yards for another score. Spencer later added the final score on a 1-yard run and Kealy Caflisch tacked on the PAT.

“They both did a good job. Kaydan beat Kealy out in practice with a good competition,” Gray said. “We were up by enough that they both got a chance.”

Cattaraugus-Little Valley ran 26 times for minus-21 yards and went 0 for 6 through the air with two interceptions. The Timberwolves’ lone first down came on a 6-yard run by Devin Henderson with two minutes remaining in the game.

“When you are a program going through the adversity we are going through, you have to look at the coaches too. I have great coaches who have been with me for a long time,” Gray said. ” … Rob (Collver) has been the defensive coordinator here for a long time. They played a very solid game.”

Frewsburg, which will host Portville next Thursday, finished with 203 yards on the ground.

“We had no idea, with only a two-week camp, what we had. I’m just super proud of them,” Gray said. ” … We didn’t fumble the ball, we didn’t drop snaps, we didn’t miss assignments. We did some good things.”

Cattaraugus-Little Valley 0 0 0 0 — 0

Frewsburg 14 25 0 14 — 53

Fre–Haglund 30 run (Bush kick)

Fre–Sanfillippo 31 run (Bush kick)

Fre–Haglund 1 run (kick failed)

Fre–Haglund 34 interception return (pass failed)

Fre–Spencer 11 run (Bush kick)

Fre–Stahlman 23 fumble return (Bush kick)

Fre–Spencer 1 run (Caflisch kick)