Fredonia quarterback Ella Koopman walks into the end zone during a Section 6 Division 2B semifinal game against Depew on Thursday at Fredonia's Orange Bowl.Pajama photo: Ashley Brown
FREDONIA — It only took a minute to realize Thursday was FREDONIA night. On just the third play of the game, Fredonia senior QB Ella Koopman connected with Keiliany Diaz on the far side line for a 56-yard touchdown pass, instantly giving the Billies the lead.
“I said before the game that I was going to be strong and fight hard to take the weight off my shoulders,” Koopman said. “Being that strong on that great first drive gave us the momentum we needed to keep the energy going.”
After another 49 minutes, the Billies reached a foregone conclusion for most of the night.
The Fredonia Billies, where Koopman scored six total touchdowns, showed their determination in their final game of the season in the Orange Bowl. The DePuy Wildcats won 53-0 in Thursday's semifinal game, earning a spot in Saturday's Division 2-B championship Game VI flag football game against the top-ranked Billies.
“Tonight we talked about really enjoying the moment, playing at home one last time, and leaving right away,” Fredonia co-coach Nick Bertrand said. “…For us to come forward and attack really quickly was a big momentum builder for us.”
Fredonia (14-1, No. 1 seed) continued to pull away in the first half, but Depew (4-6, No. 5 seed) had more trouble moving the chains against a disciplined Billys defense. Less than 10 minutes into the game, Koopman connected with Natalia DiPalma for a 7-yard passing touchdown to give Fredonia a 14-0 lead. After a deep ball from Koopman to Makayla Taborn, the Billies got into position.
Then, on Depew's next possession, Fredonia's defense nearly got on the board. When Depew finally ran down the field, Paige Elliott picked off a pass inside her own 10-yard line. Elliott ran down his own sideline and was a yard away from a pick-six. On the next play, Emma Patterson carried the ball across the goal line, scoring Fredonia's third touchdown less than 15 minutes into the regular running clock.
Elliott continued to play for the Billys in the first half and not only intercepted a pass late in the second, but also caught a 6-yard touchdown from Coopman to extend the lead to 27-0.
“Paige has really just emerged all season,” Bertrand said of Elliott, an up-and-coming freshman two-way starter. “…She brings an intensity, athleticism and game awareness that is truly phenomenal for a freshman athlete. We are lucky to have her for a few more years.”
Elliott's second interception gave the Billys their final possession before intermission with 33 seconds left at their own 31-yard line.
Not even the clock could stop the Billys.
A deep ball to Diaz put Fredonia inside its own 20-yard line, but Elliott caught the ball near the goal line with seconds left and the Billies were one yard from the end zone. The Billies called a timeout and were allowed the last play of the first half, but there was no better option than to let Fredonia's senior leader do what she does best.
Koopman kept it himself and dove into the end zone for his fourth touchdown of the first half. The Bills entered halftime with a 33-0 lead on the strength of Koopman's four touchdowns (a buzzer-beating rushing score and three passing touchdowns to three different receivers). .
“I have some really great teammates, and they make my job a lot easier,” Koopman said. “…I’m really happy to be able to shift the ball to different girls. That’s what makes our team so different from other teams. We have a lot of people who can come in and do their jobs right. is.”
Fredonia added three more touchdowns in the second half. First, Koopman's second touchdown of the night to Diaz, followed by Koopman taking a misdirected pitch to Depew's sideline for his sixth touchdown of the night.
Diaz led all Fredonia receivers Thursday with 106 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The Billies also celebrated seventh-grader Michaela Sciarrino's first playoff touchdown, which relieved quarterback Koopman. Sciarrino shrugged off the pressure and took the shot himself from 20 yards remaining.
The Bills gave Koopman the final 10 minutes, but six touchdowns in 80 percent of the game is quite a feat for the Fredonia senior. Koopman completed 11-of-18 for 157 yards and four touchdowns through the air, and ran for an additional 81 yards and two rushing touchdowns on the ground.
“She’s been a huge contributor to this, not just with her play, but with her leadership,” Bertrand said of Koopman. “She is the type of young female athlete that other girls should aspire to. … The way she carries herself, the way she leads her teammates through hard work and desire, and the compassion she has for her teammates, and she carries that into the classroom as well.” … Young girls should really look at her and aspire to be like her.”
Koopman, a member of the Nazareth University women's soccer team, is aiming for a section championship patch as a football player, just like she earned on the Billy's soccer field.
“I'm very excited for our next game, against Bluepatch. This is the culmination of our season. … This is what we were supposed to do all season,” Koopman said.
Both coaches were proud of their defense for a shutout win at home and sending Fredonia into the title game feeling good on both sides of the ball.
“It feels great. I'm happy for the girls,” Fredonia co-coach Tim Kachelmeyer said. “They finished strong tonight.”
But Kachelmeyer, Bertrand and Koopman all emphasized the zero point that was more important to Fredonia's accomplishment: “The Billys didn't lose at home all year.”
“I’m really grateful to our seniors for being able to finish their senior year saying they never lost on this field,” Bertrand said. “…It's special for all of them.”
Koopman added: That's what we've been working on all season. It's a really great feeling to be undefeated on our home turf.”
Fredonia will have a rematch with Iroquois in Saturday's title game. The Billies defeated the Iroquois 28-6 on May 4 at Fredonia. Saturday's contest will be held on the neutral turf at Sweet Home High School at 7:30 p.m.
“We set our goals from day one and have been fighting for the sectional title,” Bertrand said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to do that on Saturday.”
“It's not over until it's over,” Koopman said. “…I just want to stay in the moment and focus on winning one game each game.”
