SPRINGFIELD – The Frontier football team turned a 22-point deficit into a one-score game, but ultimately fell just short in a 28-20 loss to Commerce in the Intercounty League South opener for both teams on a cold and rainy Friday night on Berte Field.

Coming out the gate hot offensively, Frontier wasted no time as quarterback Aiden Dredge ran the ball for a 65-yard touchdown to put the Redhawks up 6-0 with 6:25 left to go in the first quarter.

It did not take long for Commerce to answer on its second drive however, as the hosts replicated Dredge’s 65-yard rush, tying the game 6-6.

Frontier (2-2) struggled to stay in the game, as Commerce took a commanding 28-6 lead by converting three more unanswered touchdowns off Frontier turnovers.

“[Commerce] played much better in the second quarter,” Frontier coach Scott Dredge said. “The field conditions are what they are, but they’re the same for both teams. We made too many mistakes and that obviously shot us in the foot.”

Despite going scoreless in the second and third quarters, Frontier came charging back.

With 11 minutes, 11 seconds remaining in the game, Kaden James found the endzone in the first drive of the final quarter when he quickly racked up 43-yards from five straight rushing plays – some of which came late in the third. James’ TD brought the visitors within 28-12, but it did not stop there.

Commerce faced fourth-and-19 at its own 40-yard-line leaving the Raiders with no choice but to punt the ball. 

Stepping up with only 8:30 to go, Frontier’s Collin West blocked the punt, scooped up the ball at the 35 and ran it in for a touchdown, bringing his team within 28-20 after they completed a 2 point conversion. 

After an impressive and hard-fought fourth quarter drive, Frontier simply ran out of time and was unable to complete its comeback. 

“We were too little, too late, but it was a good effort in the second half of the game,” coach Dredge said. 

In what looked to be a blowout in the third quarter, Frontier flipped the script and turned it into a nail-biter. 

Looking ahead, Frontier, now 2-2, plans to fix its offensive miscues and get on the same page as the Hawks take on Easthampton next Thursday at home.