WOODROW – With the top spot within District 3-4A Division II on the line, there was some anticipation for the showdown between Lubbock Estacado and Lubbock-Cooper Liberty. Unbeaten records, prolific offenses, sharpened defenses, strong fan support and big game atmosphere – the Patriots and the Matadors brought all of those qualities.
When the two teams collided on the turf, the game quickly turned to favor the home side.
Liberty leaned heavily on its ground game, and quickly ran away from Estacado in a lopsided 63-18 decision on Friday at Patriot Stadium in First United Liberty Park.
Due to racking up 389 rushing yards and five touchdowns, Liberty commanded the game from first snap to final buzzer.
According to Liberty head coach Joe Sexton, the favorable result came from good preparation and a game plan that focused on running the football. The Patriots responded appropriately, specifically the offensive and defensive lines.
“We’ve got such a great group,” Sexton said. “They love what they do, they love being around each other, and you can tell that it was going to be a good night. We talked to our linemen all week long about running the football. We wanted to assert our dominance, with all of those running backs we have. They all had a good night. It was a good night right off the bat.”
Senior running back Talon Wilcox set the tone, rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. On the first play from scrimmage, Wilcox quickly found open real estate and struck paydirt from 66 yards out.
“It just opened like the Red Sea,” Wilcox said, crediting his teammates up front. “It was wide open. Our offensive line is amazing, each and every one of them. They do a great job at practice and they work so hard. They’re awesome.”
Junior teammate Kaiden Joseph found similar success, churning out 152 yards and one score on 13 carries. Junior quarterback Cy Leach was efficient, going 6-of-9 for 95 yards and three TDs.
The Patriot defense was able to contain Estacado’s stellar offense, which included a crucial redzone stand before intermission before senior defensive back Cam Colley converted an interception to a 32-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Once Colley reached the endzone, he put the exclamation mark on the play with a backflip.
“I was just chilling, and when I looked up, the ball was coming to me,” Colley said. “I just get it and I run. My buddy and I told each other that when we get a pick six, we’re going to hit a backflip. We’ve been talking about that for a while.”
Even though the game quickly grew out of reach for Estacado, the Matadors did see sophomore quarterback Jayric Ward make six completions for 178 yards and two touchdowns. His top target, junior wideout Chrishod Dial, reeled in five catches for 168 yards and two TDs. Senior running back Gary Brooks finished the game with 102 yards on six carries, including an 86-yard house call in the opening stanza.
The Patriots kept their perfect record intact, improving to 8-0 with a 2-0 record in District 3-4A Division II. Liberty will take the relatively short trip to Hockley County to face Levelland at 7 p.m. next Friday at Lobo Stadium in Levelland.
Levelland (6-2, 2-0 in district) thumped Borger via a 41-18 final score on Friday at Bulldog Stadium in Borger.
“We’ve got our sights set on a district championship, just like the other guys that we’re about to play,” Sexton said of the upcoming matchup against the Lobos. “We’re going to do whatever we have to do. If we have to run the ball like we did (against Estacado), we’ll do it. We also have the capability to throw it 50 times. We’ve got weapons across the board, so it’s kind of like ‘pick your poison.'”
The Matadors moved into their bye week at 8-1 overall with a 2-1 district mark. Estacado will wrap up their regular season with a matchup against Levelland, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Lowrey Field at Plains Capital Park in Lubbock.
It didn’t take long for Liberty to put points on the board, as Wilcox broke free for a 66-yard scamper to the crib. At 11:44 of the opening period, the Patriots jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
“Once you get Talon out in the open, he sure is hard to catch,” Sexton said. “When he was a freshman in our very first year here, I was looking at him and thinking, ‘gosh, this guy is not very big, but he does hit the hole faster than a lot of backs I’ve been around.’ Once he makes his mind up on where he’s going, he’s gone. He just does a really good job.”
Then, within the final two and half minutes of the quarter, came a burst of scoring from both Liberty and Estacado.
With 2:15 on the clock, Leach connected with junior receiver Koleman Hendrix for a seven-yard score. The Matadors replied with an 86-yard touchdown scamper from Brooks with 1:26 remaining, before the Patriots blocked the ensuing PAT. With 34 seconds left in the stanza, Wilcox broke a few tackles and scored from 68 yards out.
“That one was a little harder to break free,” Wilcox said of his second TD. “I believe I broke a tackle or two, had to get off a guy, but it was the same thing. It was just about the same play.”
Going into the second quarter, the Patriots held a 21-6 advantage. Liberty didn’t let up, either.
Joseph got in on the action, producing a 57-yard touchdown run at the 7:52 mark.
No longer able to establish a variation of the spin offense, Estacado took to the air. With 3:17 on the board, Ward found an open Dial for a 30-yard touchdown. Liberty was able to prevent the two-point conversion, holding a 28-12 lead.
With 1:51 left until intermission, Leach lofted a nice touch pass to senior wideout Pierce Fioroni for a 56-yard touchdown. With time winding down in the first half, Estacado marched down the field and got as close as the Liberty 10 yard line.
However, the Patriots stood firm, with two quarterback sacks in three plays to prevent the Matadors from acquiring some second half momentum. Over the course of the first half, the Patriots’ defensive unit hauled in five quarterback sacks.
“We’ve had that situation several times this year,” Sexton said of the stop. “They go driving the ball, and then, somebody on the other side makes a great play. It’s never the same guy twice. It can be (senior defensive lineman Isaac Rodriguez). It can be (junior Rylan Thomas). Or, it can be (senior defensive lineman Braxton Bitar). It can also be any one of the secondary guys.”
At halftime, Liberty led by a 34-12 margin.
Returning from the locker room, the Patriots continued to apply pressure. At the 7:43 mark of the third quarter, Leach tossed a pass to Fioroni, who powered his way toward the endzone for a 16-yard score.
Fioroni ended the night with two catches for 72 yards and two TDs.
Then came Colley’s pick six with 7:02 remaining in the third period. Sexton was quick to praise his senior defensive back.
“Anytime you get a defensive score, it sure does make the odds a little bit better for a win,” said Sexton. “I’m so happy for Cam in getting that. He’s so quiet, but man, he works his tail off and does exactly what he needs to do.”
By the end of the third, the Patriots extended their lead to 49-12.
The Matadors did score in the final stretch, as Ward connected with Dial for a 59-yard touchdown pass with 11:14 on the clock. However, the Patriots again prevented Estacado from acquiring a two-point conversion.
Liberty then wrapped up the game by chewing up time and yardage, leading to a 21-yard touchdown run from junior Jamison Gonzalez at the 8:55 mark and a 14-yard scoring scamper from sophomore running back Brecken Wilcox with 4:02 remaining in the game.
Gonzalez had 32 yards and his score on three carries, followed by sophomore quarterback Campbell Sansom’s 25 yards on two attempts, and Brecken Wilcox’s 22 yards and a TD on two carries.
Liberty racked up 484 yards of offense by game’s end.
Photos by Tyler Anderson:
