Liberty makes sure Tahquitz gets no kick out of this one
Liberty's Elijah Campbell (32) and Dylan Ornelas (far right) save the game by blocking a field goal with five seconds left. (Photo b...
Liberty's Elijah Campbell (32) and Dylan Ornelas (far right) save the game by blocking a field goal with five seconds left. (Photo by Rick Rowell)
By Paige Mendez, Correspondent
Liberty High struck again Thursday night – in the most dramatic way yet. In a game full of mistakes, whiplash-inducing scoring drives and simply wild, all-out football, it came down to the final seconds for the Bison to preserve a 42-41 victory over the Tahquitz Titans in Hemet.
In a back-and-forth scoring spree, the Bison got the chance to show off their offense in improving to 9-1 overall with the CIF playoffs looming next week. But it was a special teams play that saved the game for Liberty.
Liberty led by a single point – thanks to their stop of a Tahquitz two-point conversion try – when, with five seconds left in the game, Dylan Ornelas and Elijah Campbell blocked a Tahquitz field goal attempt that would’ve won the game for the Titans.
“It felt amazing to block that,” Ornelas said. “It means a lot to help us keep our momentum and get the win that way.”
It was clear from the start that the game would be one to remember.
The first score of the night came from Liberty’s Anthony Ruelas, finishing off a drive he tag-teamed with teammate Andre Skelton. The Bison were up for just over two minutes, though, with an answer given quickly by the Titans. Tahquitz’s Jemarcus Clemons brought that touchdown in, as well as the other five touchdowns his team scored on the night.
Ruelas accounted for one more touchdown on the night and 208 total yards, Skelton picked up three touchdowns and 102 yards and Eddie Smith picked up one touchdown and 129 yards for Liberty.
And nearly every one of the answering touchdowns from the Titans came within two minutes of a Bison score throughout the game, making it a tie game for nearly one-third of the total playing time.
With two fumbles and 10 penalties called against them on the night, there was some frustration on the Liberty sideline, but coach Kraig Broach said he feels like all of those mistakes are “coachable,” and that his team has something precious that isn’t so easily taught.
“We made a ton of mistakes; that’s part of the maturation process,” Broach said. “But one thing you kind of can’t coach is the drive to keep playing, and that’s what they did tonight.”
That drive to keep playing is, perhaps, what kept them going until Tahquitz was set to tie it yet again at 42, but instead went with a two-point conversion attempt that was stopped by the Bison defense.
“Without that [stop], we’d still be playing,” said Broach. “A lot of the momentum shift was from our defense.”
The win puts Liberty in second place in the final league standings going into the playoffs. In Broach’s inaugural varsity season at the school, a mere winning record is enough to applaud, let alone a playoff spot. But for him, that’s not even the best part.
“In high school football, you’re not given too many of these [games], even though we’re a young team,” said Broach. “To get the opportunity to play with them one more week is really all I could ask for.”
That next week of play will be announced Sunday when playoff brackets are released.
Eddie Smith leaps over a defender to pick up extra yardage in Thursday's game. (Photo by Rick Rowell)
Defensive back Zach Velasco intercepts a pass for the Liberty High defense. (Photo by Rick Rowell)
