Fredonia’s Pauly Tabone attempts to bring down Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove’s Jacob Roth during Friday’s Class C South football game at the Orange Bowl in Fredonia. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

FREDONIA — With a bonfire waiting to be lit atop the hill and a homecoming dance on the horizon, the Fredonia football players did not waste any of their dance moves on the field Friday night.

Homecoming weekend did not start off the way Fredonia fans had hoped, as the Hillbillies offense did not score a point in a 21-0 loss to the Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove Herd in a Class C South game at the Orange Bowl.

“Their defensive line was very dominant against our offensive line. I didn’t think that would happen. That’s probably the first time that a team has dominated us like that, maybe since I’ve been here,” said Fredonia head coach Greg Sherlock. “They controlled our offense the entire game.”

Following a 3-0 start to the season, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove (4-1, 3-1) was humbled a week ago with a blowout loss to Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton. The Herd needed to get back on track without two of its key starters, wide receiver Mathis Baehr and running back Roger Markham, who both were unavailable for Friday’s game. Two starting offensive linemen also missed the game.

“We are decimated right now,” Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove head coach Curt Fischer said. “The injuries have really hurt us this year, without a doubt, but the kids came out and played really hard. They had a purpose tonight. I’m really proud of the way they came back.”

While their absence was felt offensively, with just three touchdowns the entire contest and the third coming in the final two minutes, the Herd’s defense stepped up.

“I think they bonded together quite well tonight,” Sherlock said.

Throughout the entire first half, the Hillbillies (1-4, 1-4) had more punts than first downs, as the Herd stacked the box to prepare for the run.

“We put six people on the line and we ran something we usually don’t run, and they played well doing it,” Fischer said.

Coupled with the defensive dominance from the visitors, the offense did just enough to never have the game’s result seem in doubt.

“We’re not in sync passing-wise, and teams know it. That’s why you can put eight in the box and get away with it,” Sherlock said.

Charlie Reichenbach put the Herd ahead on its first drive of the game with a 15-yard touchdown run off left tackle with 7:11 left in the opening quarter. The Herd doubled its lead on a 37-yard catch and run over the middle of the field by Grant Zahm with just under three minutes left in the second quarter.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove nearly added a third touchdown in the final seconds of the half, but Kevin Brown came down with an interception for Fredonia with just a few seconds left on the clock to end the threat.

Fredonia failed to execute an onside kick to begin the second half, but the Herd did not capitalize with points. In fact, Fredonia’s defense nearly shut out the Herd in the second half, as the third and final touchdown of the game, a Jacob Roth 13-yard run, came with 1:35 remaining in the game.

“Defensively, after the first quarter, they were pretty locked down. That’s the best I’ve seen them play all year, easily,” Sherlock said. “I told them I was very happy with that, and that’s a positive I’ll take away from tonight.”

The Hillbillies had two red-zone opportunities late in the third quarter, but both times, Fredonia was unable to punch it in.

“We had some kids make some big plays down there, for sure. I’m really proud of them,” Fischer said.

The first opportunity was an incomplete pass on fourth down, while the second time, Luca Gullo was hit in the backfield on a pitch off right tackle, a play call that Sherlock wished he had back after the game. From that point on, the game was firmly in the Herd’s grasp.

“When you get down to the 2-yard line and you can’t put it in … with our line, I would’ve said any time yes, we’re going in,” Sherlock said. “We just didn’t get guys off the ball.”

Following Fredonia’s season-opening victory over Silver Creek/Forestville, the Hillbillies have now lost four straight games, including last week’s 49-7 loss to Salamanca on the same Orange Bowl field as Friday’s contest was held.

Up next, Fredonia travels to take on Portville in another Class C South contest next Friday, while the Herd will host first-place Salamanca.

“The sun will come up tomorrow,” Sherlock said. “I told them to go home, be happy, and enjoy homecoming.”