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Liberty’s run stops here
BY Shan Singh Special to the Enterprise
MESQUITE -- Friday night at Memorial Stadium, Frisco Liberty had a chance to legitimize itself.
Similar to when the Rebel army turned back the British Red Coats at the Old North Bridge or when Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot, Liberty, with a win Friday, could turn its Cinderella story into a serious state title run.
Sulphur Springs, though, brought Liberty’s chase for state to a heartbreaking end with a 33-31 win.
The previous two playoff games for Liberty had been close calls, with the Redhawks escaping with wins each time. Against the Wildcats, the close game theme continued.
With 1:19 remaining, the Redhawks, down 33-31, started the potential game-winning drive. Senior quarterback Brandon Brotzman ran for 12 yards on the first play, instilling hope in the Redhawks.
Unfortunately, the Wildcats defense retaliated with a sack sandwiched between two forced incompletions. This led to a 4th-and-16, which the Redhawks were unsuccessful in converting, resulting in Sulphur Springs moving to the next round.
“We are hurting right now, but I’m proud of these kids for never quitting,” Zimmerman said. “They fought all the way through without giving up.
“This is the third round of the playoffs; this is how two good football teams battle to win and advance.”
The teams battled, and the score remained tight, for most of the night.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was deadlocked at 7-7, with both offenses struggling to execute efficiently. This trend changed dramatically in the second as the teams combined to score 34 points. Wildcats quarterback Colton Lee threw two straight touchdown passes, for 50 and 33 yards, to amp up the team’s score to 27. Matching the ante, Brotzman hooked up with junior Malcolm Hill for two touchdown pass as well, cutting the Redhawks deficit to 27-21 heading into the locker room.
Compared to the other three quarters, the third was the least productive for both squads. Each offense had multiple opportunities to put points on the board, but turnovers dampened their plans.
Liberty went for it on fourth down twice, but failed to convert both times. Those turnovers didn’t leave too big of a scar because Lee threw two interceptions, including one in the end zone, hindering Sulphur Springs’ scoring chances. Just before the third ended, Liberty turned the ball over via an errant snap on a punt attempt.
“Winning and losing in close games comes down to just a few plays,” Zimmerman said. “Down the stretch they were able to put more positive plays together than us.”
Even with the ball at its own 5-yard line, Liberty’s defense didn’t break and held the Wildcats to just a field goal, bumping their lead to 30-24. Hill, on the next possession, scored on a slant from 6 yards out, giving the Redhawks their first lead of the night at 31-30.
That edge lasted only minutes though as the Wildcats covered over 60 yards in little more than two minutes, leading to the game-winning field goal and a trip to the fourth round of the playoffs.
For Liberty, the field goal brought an end to a historic season for the program, one which included the Radhawks’ first postseason victory.
“When we reflect back on the season its going to be a successful one,” Zimmerman said. “We faced a lot of adversity, but we just battled our way through it.”
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