Frontier back in Class AA looking to find winning ways again

Photo by Jeff Pataky

Frontier is "back home" in Class AA and the results have been mixed to start the season. After down-to-the-wire battles with Clarence and Orchard Park, the Falcons suffered lopsided losses to Jamestown and Lancaster.

"We played two very good games and then we didn't play two very good games," Frontier coach Rich Gray said. "So we need to get things going again.

The Falcons will look for their first win of the season at 2 p.m. on Saturday against Niagara Falls.

Frontier opened with a 30-27 loss to Class A Clarence, a team that is still undefeated, and followed that with a 36-35 overtime loss to perennial large school contender Orchard Park.

But then came losses to the Red Raiders and Legends by a combined 82-0.

Frontier was a mainstay in Class AA for years, reaching the sectional title game in 2013. But numbers at the school fell and the Falcons moved to Class A starting with the 2017 season.

They’re back with the big boys now.

"Enrollment kind of dropped a bit and we went down to A," Gray said to WNY Athletics' Tom Prince in the preseason. "Now we're back up to Double-A and we're kind of back home. But when you're back home against these teams, you know they're going to be very well-coached and they have tons of great athletes."

In the first two games, quarterback Rob Kibler ran for 233 yards and a TD and also threw for 164 yards. Gregory Walters also ran for 233 yards. Tommy Alleca was the leading receiver with four catches for 84 yards.

David Amuka led the team with 51 total tackles, while Eli Caldwell had 42.