Nov 12, 2025
Frewsburg senior Trent Lewis wasn’t sure if he and his fellow Bears would have a season this year, but on Thursday with merged Southwestern/Frewsburg they will play at Highmark Stadium for the Section VI Class C title. Photo courtesy of Shelly Phillips
ORCHARD PARK — When Trent Lewis and Henry Eckert celebrated following their second straight Section VI 8-man football championship last fall at Veterans Memorial Field in Salamanca, they didn’t know where their high school football journeys would lead next.
In fact, they didn’t even know if there would be another stop.
Come Thursday, they’ll be playing for a Section VI Class C championship at Highmark Stadium.
“It’s been a dream come true for those kids because they have won two sectional titles in 8-man, but not here at the stadium, which is everybody’s goal,” former Frewsburg head coach Rob Collver said Tuesday inside the M&T Club. Collver is now the defensive coordinator for Southwestern/Frewsburg. “To see those kids get here, meet that goal, and to have goals past the stadium is something that is engrained in Frewsburg football. That’s something that Southwestern brings to us as well. You combine two strong-willed programs to win every single week, and you get a pretty good, undefeated team.”
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Eight-man football never really took off in Section VI like coaches at Frewsburg, Allegany-Limestone and in other districts had hoped.
The Bears and Gators played each other in the 2023 and 2024 sectional finals because they were the only two schools participating. The Section V league that they were a part of was also beginning to fold. It was clear changes were needed and the administrations at Frewsburg and Southwestern began working toward a solution.
As spring arrived, Lewis, working with quarterback coach John Kinder, began throwing with some student-athletes from Southwestern, but still wasn’t sure if he or his Frewsburg teammates would have a team to play for come fall.
Finally, Southwestern and Frewsburg came to an agreement to share several athletics programs, including football.
“Merging programs, declining populations, it’s all a reality of our world right now. We had tried to push the 8-man thing to keep your school pride, your school colors and all that stuff, but it never took on here in Section VI. The merging process is just something that everybody has to kind of embrace in certain sports,” Collver said. “The right situation is always key. We came in with Southwestern: neighboring districts, quality coaching staffs … and similar philosophies. There was never any real abrasion between the two districts. It all kind of meshed together pretty well.”
Lewis, Eckert, Branden Francis and Aiden Cusimano were the four Frewsburg student-athletes who benefited at the varsity level, joining the Trojans over the offseason for 7-on-7 passing leagues, and eventually the new season late this summer.
“It was really scary at the beginning. Last year we didn’t have very many guys. Coming into this season we were really hoping to get more. We didn’t see a big turnout,” Eckert said Tuesday. “Being able to have this opportunity to join a bigger community has just been awesome.”
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Fast-forward 10 games — all wins — and there stood Lewis and Eckert on Tuesday morning in the M&T Club at Highmark Stadium, overlooking the field as they answered questions from the gathered media in attendance ahead of Thursday’s game against Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton.
“When the whole thing happened, there were a lot of people saying they didn’t want it. If they didn’t want it, there was no season. There was no more 8-man league. I don’t know what would’ve happened,” Lewis said Tuesday, looking back at the merger process. “It’s been a great opportunity. We have a program again and here we are at the Bills stadium.”
The 8-man championship games took place in Salamanca — a state-of-the-art complex, but a high school facility nonetheless.
“I’m glad I got the chance. In 8-man you are always told it’s not football. You don’t get to do the things 11-man players do,” Lewis added. “I finally got the opportunity to finally be able to make it here.”
Now, the Frewsburg players will join their Southwestern teammates at the home of the Buffalo Bills. All four Frewsburg players have made an impact with the Trojans.
Lewis, the starting quarterback, has thrown for 835 yards and 13 touchdowns with just one interception, while rushing for 905 yards and 16 touchdowns. Defensively, he is fifth on the team in tackles and has intercepted three passes. Lewis has even contributed on special teams with a 62-yard kickoff return to go along with a pair of punt returns for 93 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown.
“The kids came together really, really well,” Southwestern/Frewsburg head coach Jake Burkholder said. “It’s bigger than football, learning how to overcome adversity and changes; it couldn’t be going better.”
Eckert is a tight end and linebacker who is sixth on the team in tackles, has caught seven passes, and has even rushed for a touchdown. Francis has a pair of tackles for a loss, including a drive-ending sack in last week’s sectional semifinal win over Eden/North Collins. He has also returned a fumble 41 yards for a touchdown. And Cusimano has contributed 13 tackles while maybe being tested the most in last week’s game. The Trojans defense held the Raiders to just 21 points even though they entered the game averaging more than 42 points per game.
“They are great kids and we love having them around,” Burkholder added. “They’ve had a lot of success at Frewsburg at the 8-man level and I think bringing that mentality over as well helped put some confidence into our kids.”
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This week’s games will be the final high school championships held at the current Highmark Stadium as the Bills move across the street to their new home next fall.
The last time Frewsburg was represented in Orchard Park came back in 2015 when the Bears lost to Franklinville/Ellicottville in the Class D sectional final, the last of a three-year run of trips to then-Ralph Wilson Stadium.
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