FRYEBURG — This is new territory for the Fryeburg Academy football team.

Aside from a Class C state championship awarded in 1963, the Raiders do not have a long history of gridiron accomplishments. But now Fryeburg is headed to a regional championship game for the first time in program history.

Calvin Southwick scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 59-yard run just 18 seconds into the game, and the second-seeded Raiders went on to a 26-7 win over No. 3 Gardiner in a Class C South semifinal Saturday.

“Aside from a state championship in 1960-something, we’ve never been this far. The fact that we’re going to the (Class C) South final says a lot about these kids,” Fryeburg Coach David Turner said.

Fryeburg (9-1) will face either No. 1 Leavitt or No. 4 Cape Elizabeth next weekend. Gardiner ends the season 4-6.

Fryeburg set the tone on its first play from scrimmage, when Southwick cut to the right and raced to the end zone.

“We were expecting dive on the first play, and they ran that counter, and we all got sucked in and they ran it outside of us,” Gardiner Coach Joe White said.

Fryeburg beat Gardiner 36-6 in late September.

“We knew the first game against them didn’t matter at all. Getting ahead quickly was big,” Turner said.

Fryeburg made it 12-0 lead with 2:27 left in the first quarter when quarterback Oscar Saunders sneaked in from the 2.

After going three and out its first two drives, Gardiner found some rhythm on its third possession. The Tigers went 68 yards in seven plays, scoring on Garrett Maheux’s 15-yard run to cut the deficit to 12-7.

That was the only sustained drive for Gardiner against the tough Fryeburg defense, led by defensive lineman Tucker Buzzell. Nate Malinowski was held to 33 yards, a week after rushing for 381 yards in a quarterfinal win over Morse.

“They’re shooting gaps every time. They know we like to pull and run trap and belly stuff,” White said. “They were just sitting right in the hole, and it’s tough to break those.”

Most of the second half was played in a steady rain. Southwick (19 carries, 154 yards) scored on a 15-yard run with 8:26 left in the third quarter after the Raiders took over on the Gardiner 33 following a failed fake punt.

With 1:02 left in the game, Liam Chisari’s 1-yard run capped the scoring.