All goes well in Liberty's first football game -- a 38-21 victory

Coach Kraig Broach had nothing but good things to say about Liberty High School’s first football game Thursday – a 38-21 victory over the JV team at JW North High in Riverside.

“The boys had a lot of fun,” Broach said. “They did some good things, they made some mistakes, but most of all, they had a lot of fun. We tried to get as many kids in the game as we could.

“We were a little late getting there. The bus rolled up and we had about 15 minutes to get ready. They went out there and did a great job.”

The Bison took an 8-0 lead, led 16-15 at halftime, and added to their lead in the second half. Broach said running backs Eddie Smith and Anthony Ruelas each scored two touchdowns. He also praised the work of Elijah Connor and Johnny Phillips on the offensive line, Troy Thompson Jr. at cornerback, and Edwin Machado at linebacker.

The Bison will play another JV team next Thursday, although the opponent has not yet been announced. Liberty begins playing varsity competition Sept. 10 at Escondido Charter.

“We’re focusing more on us than worrying about who we’re playing,” Broach said. “This is a three-year process. It was great for our players to have their first major contact.”