SOUTH DEERFIELD — In the dying seconds of the third quarter, Frontier Regional School’s Ian Burt burst up the middle, was wrapped up by a defender six yards from the end zone and coughed up the ball reaching for the goal line – his second turnover inside the 10-yard line.

Instead of backing down, the junior running back – with the support of his team and the faith of his coach – dug deep. Burt punched in the game-winning touchdown on fourth-and-goal with six minutes left to play in the fourth quarter, earning the Redhawks a hard-fought 14-8 independent win over Palmer on Friday night.

“They supported me. I was a little upset, especially after the second one,” Burt said of his teammates. “They rallied around me and I have them to thank for the bounce back.”

Frontier head coach Scott Dredge said Burt – and the rest of his team – are growing as players and learning how to keep their composure after mistakes.

“One of the things I think the kids are doing a lot better job of is bending and not breaking. They know how to come together and rally,” Dredge said, adding that Burt’s continued effort after a few mistakes is the epitome of that mentality. “That’s exactly what we’re talking about… have some composure, have a short memory … he knows I’m going to give the ball back to him. I have faith in him.”

Burt scored both Frontier touchdowns and finished with 54 yards on 15 carries, while fellow junior running back Bray Arsenault tallied 41 yards on 11 rushes. While yards were at a premium in Friday night’s tussle, Dredge said that tandem will be effective for the Redhawks as they continue to improve throughout the season.

“We like what he (Burt) does with it, and I’ve got to say, Bray Arsenault is a nice complement to that,” Dredge said. “We’re fortunate to have two kids who can take care of the football.”

It was a test of defense in South Deerfield as the Redhawks and Panthers alternated physical drives. While Frontier lost the turnover battle, 3-1, its defense hung its hat on four sequences to outlast Palmer.

The first came after Burt scored on a second-and-goal touchdown with 7:19 left in the first half. The Panthers received the ball and drained the rest of the clock on an elongated 14-play drive that Frontier survived, as it ended with a mishandled snap on fourth down at the Redhawks 14. Prior to the turnover on downs though, it was Frontier junior Wyatt Edes that recorded a sack for a 4-yard loss.

Frontier’s second defensive stand came after Burt fumbled – his first of the game – at the 6-yard line with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter. A 1-yard loss backed the Panthers up to their own 5, and on second-and-11, the Hawks sprung into action on a bad snap and swarmed the Panther backfield to force a safety, which tied the game, 8-8.

Finally, the Frontier defense came up strong twice in the fourth quarter. On the Panthers’ first possession, they elected to go for it on fourth and one at their own 26. On a sweep to the right, junior Aiden Dredge got his hands on Palmer running back Dylan Doherty long enough for a flock of Redhawks to swarm and stuff the Panthers for a turnover on downs.

On Frontier’s ensuing possession, Burt scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to put the hosts up 14-8 with six minutes left to play. After giving up a fourth-down conversion, the Frontier defense buckled down and forced another fourth down. The Panthers elected to pass and on the throw, senior defensive lineman Eathon Bryant threw his arm up into the air, deflecting the ball into fellow senior Sean Kirkendall’s hands.

A horse collar penalty later, and the Redhawks kneeled out the clock to seal the victory.

Frontier remains in South Deerfield in Week 3 as county rival Greenfield comes to town on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m, a game that Dredge and his team have been looking forward to.

“I know our kids are very excited to play Greenfield. That’s become our regional rivalry and they love that game,” Dredge said. “They’ve had that circled for a long time. They’ve beat us two years in a row and you know, I’m being honest, we want to get them.”

“On to Greenfield,” Burt added, rapping his helmet.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.