Hot or cold, rain and thunder, Liberty will never go under.
After a two-hour plus delay due to strong storms and lightning in the area, the Eagles opened their season with a convincing 35-19 victory against Francis Howell Central late Friday night.
Running back Jaylen Mack (11) led the way with three touchdowns, including the go-ahead highlight-reel 76-yard run to give his team a 15-13 lead late in the first quarter. The Eagles never looked back as Mack rushed for 124 total yards in the game.
“It felt great to get three touchdowns but it is a team effort, everybody in the line blocking up front for me, receivers doing their job,” Mack said.
In the first quarter, the adrenaline started running when quarterback Cody McMullen (12) kicks us off. The Spartans took over on the 22-yard line and got on the scoreboard on their first drive to take a 7-0 lead.
The Eagles marched right back. Riley Decaro (12) returned a kick allowing the Eagles to take over on the 36-yard line. Two handoffs to Jaylen Mack and a penalty on the Spartans helped move the offense. McMullen completed a pass to Jadaan Leach (11) and then Mack finished the drive with his first touchdown of the night. A successful two-point conversion made by Caiden Galati (11) gave Liberty a 8-7 lead.
The Spartans countered with a scoring drive of their own. They retook a 13-8 lead on a 3-yard touchdown run, however, they missed the extra point.
Although it looked cloudy, the Eagles have never been a team to give up so easily. Galati made a return ending with a flag on the Spartans.
The Eagles took over on their own 16-yard line. That’s all they needed to make the thunder come back before the end of the first quarter with a touchdown made once again by Mack. Mack broke free and zig zagged his way into the end zone. McMullen made the extra point kick ending the first quarter 15-13, Liberty.
“I think my favorite (touchdown) was the second one, getting outside the hashes felt great,” Mack said.
The second quarter started off with a flash and bang. A complete pass to Camden Cooper (11) leads to a Liberty first down. The next play is full with multiple flags on the pay. Pass interference on defense and bench warning to the Spartans gave the Eagles some yards and another first down.
Shorty after, McMullen passes to Cooper, who scores a 24-yard touchdown followed by an extra point by McMullen, bumping the score to 22-13, Liberty. That would result as the only score by either team in the second quarter.
Following halftime, a kick returned by Galati resulted in him being down and carried off the field injured. Galati is later seen on the sideline up and walking better. This all led to the Eagles taking over on the 18 yard line.
A hand off to Spartan running back Ashton Payton, who was tackled by Jeremiah Safari (11). Safari and Jack Ryan (12) tackled a Spartan right before the goal line giving the Eagle time to intercept a pass by the Spartans and take over on the 10-yard line.
After a flag and incomplete pass from the Eagles, we see an astonishing 50-yard punt by Matthew Mauck (12). Unfortunately though, this high doesn’t last for long as Howell Central responds with a 32-yard scoring pass to Don Thornton leading to one more Spartan touchdown followed by a failed extra point attempt, leaving the score at 22-19, Liberty.
The home crowd then sees their team respond with a touchdown by the Eagle that is no good, but not to fret because soon after we see a third thundering touchdown made by Mack, this time a 26-yard touchdown pass by McMullen followed by a yet another extra point extending yet another quarter for Liberty with a score of 29-19.
Last, but definitely not least, the fourth quarter does not disappoint. Carson Struttmann (11) gets the student section rumbling with his interception that leads to a flashy 47-yard dash. The Eagles take over on the 47-yard line. Following his fellow teammate, McMullen makes a 14-yard run. Rain is still spitting, a Spartan pass is broken up by Leach letting Liberty take over on downs. Despite the high spirits, Mack is carried off the field after an injury in the play before.
But in true Eagles’ fashion, yet another touchdown was made, this time by Ryan to give Liberty a 35-19 lead with 2:44 left in the game. There’s a flag on the extra point and the Eagles had the re-kick, which turns out no-good, but that doesn’t matter. The Eagles, still in the rain, past midnight, and under pressure, win the game with a booming score of 35-19, Liberty. Now that’s what we call, a slippery slope.
“I think we performed phenomenally, we got the job done,” Ryan said. “Defense made plays, offense made plays, There were a few mistakes we have to correct but other than that, we played a great game.”
LIBERTY 35, FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL 19
Francis Howell Central 13 0 6 0 – 19
Liberty 15 7 7 6 – 35
First Quarter
F: Ashton Payton 3 run (Eric Brock kick), 7:56
L: Jaylen Mack 6 run (Caiden Galati run), 4:54
F: Jackson Maricic 3 run (kick failed), 1:17
L: Jaylen Mack 76 run (Cody McMullen kick), 0:22
Second Quarter
L: Camden Cooper 24 pass from Cody McMullen (Cody McMullen kick), 7:30
Third Quarter
F: Don Thornton 32 pass from (kick failed), 1:59
L: Jaylen Mack 26 pass from Cody McMullen (Cody McMullen kick), 0:18
Fourth Quarter
L: Jack Ryan 1 run (kick failed), 2:44
