WOODROW— Before taking the field for their home contest against Idalou, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty head coach Joe Sexton spoke of redemption. In the Patriots’ previous meeting with the Wildcats, held last year at Taylor/Reddell Field in Idalou, which ended with a 33-27 defeat.
On a rainy night at Patriot Stadium at First United Liberty Park, the Patriots earned that absolution by starting strong and locking down the Wildcats for a favorable 55-12 outcome. Lubbock-Cooper Liberty built up a 21-12 lead by halftime, before finishing with a 34-0 run in the second half.
By improving to 2-0, the Patriots not only developed their first winning streak for the first time in the school’s fledgling history, but also equaled their win total from last season.
According to Sexton, he provided his team with some whiteboard material earlier in the week.
“Last year, we were up 27-13 with 6:52 left,” Sexton said. “We showed the kids that clip of (last year’s) scoreboard on Monday, and we just made it a point to talk about it. We came in at halftime, which was still a close game, and just challenged our kids to finish.”
Liberty senior quarterback Colton Bichard helped spur the offense, going 9-of-15 for 123 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 119 yards and another score on eight carries. Junior running back Talon Wilcox amassed 106 yards and one TD on 20 carries, while Liberty compiled 518 yards of total offense.
To Bichard, the offensive line set the tone for the game.
“This one feels great,” Bichard said. “We’ve never won two games in a row in this varsity program. I don’t think our offensive line gets enough credit. They were just absolutely pounding the rock, and they made things easier for us — especially in the rain.”
The Patriot defense also held Idalou to just 98 yards of total offense, along with forcing two turnovers in the second half.
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“We had to make sure that we were going to tackle,” said Sexton. “I believe they did a pretty good job.”
Lubbock-Cooper Liberty continues its opening stretch by welcoming in Monahans for a 7 p.m. kickoff next Friday at home. The Loboes (0-2) were handed a 58-0 setback from Randall on Friday at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon.
To Idalou, the drop to 0-2 stung. However, head coach Clay White and the Wildcats understand that plenty of football is yet to be played.
“There’s a lot of football to be played, and we got a tough schedule here,” White said. “Kudos to coach Sexton and the Liberty program. They’re exactly what we thought. They were a tough team. We hung around for a half with some big, explosive plays, but made some mental mistakes. A good team will make you pay for that. So, we’re just going to take 12 hours (to reset) and turn the page.”
The Wildcats resumes their season opening road stretch, facing off against Levelland at 7 p.m. next Friday at Lobo Stadium in Levelland. The Lobos (1-1) evened out their record by thumping Pecos, 41-21, on Friday at home.
Liberty dominated the first quarter, jumping out to a 14-0 lead. A 12-yard touchdown connection between Bichard and senior wideout Levi Walker and a 36-yard scoring scamper from Wilcox provided the Patriots with the advantage.
Idalou responded early in the second stanza by way of some trickeration. From 32 yards out, senior quarterback Kamdon Lutrick tossed a screen to junior running back AJ Huddleston. With Liberty senior safety Jaxon Thomas closing in, Huddleston chucked the ball downfield to a wide-open man in senior wideout Caleb Hollingsworth.
Hollingsworth then trotted into the endzone for the score. The two-point conversion failed, leaving Liberty with a 14-6 lead with 9:32 left until half.
The Patriots were unfazed, with Bichard connecting with Walker with a 31-yard touchdown soon after. Idalou scored before intermission, with Lutrick finding Kole Lutrick for the 24-yard touchdown pass.
As Liberty held a 21-12 lead going into the break, the heavens opened up to further dampen the already soggy conditions. Returning to the field, the Patriots opened up their own floodgates.
It was Bichard who helped jumpstart the Patriots’ dominant second half, punching into the endzone from one yard out. At 8:47 in the third quarter, the Patriots completed five play, 49 yard drive.
“I was a little hot,” Bichard said of the play, which saw him bulldozing over a defender en route to paydirt. “I was getting some good yards (on the ground). Once I got in, I let out a little scream.”
Patriots continued to pour on the points, with a six-yard score from senior running back Colin Chadwick before the end of the stanza. Despite the two-pointer failing, the Patriots commanded a 31-12 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.
Sophomore running back Kaiden Joseph got in on the action, taking the ball to the outside before sprinting into the endzone for a 59-yard touchdown. The Patriots then recovered the ensuing kickoff, leading to a 21-yard score from sophomore quarterback Cy Leach.
Before the final horn, senior Nash Gonzales snagged a 57-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jamison Gonzalez to seal the Patriot victory.
Gonzales finished the night with 71 yards on two receptions, followed by Walker’s four catches for 53 yards and two endzone trips. Junior receiver Pierce Fioroni hauled in three passes for 40 yards.
On defense, Thomas produced six tackles with one tackle for a loss. Junior Becton Hogg picked up three tackles for a loss. Sophomore safety Reed Hutson and junior cornerback Chris Sheppard each recovered one fumble.
Lutrick paced Idalou by going 5-of-15 for 83 yards and two touchdowns.