Click Here for Full Gallery of Clovis at Liberty by Henry Barrios
BY STEPHEN LYNCH
There isn’t any doubt that the Liberty High School football team can win games relying on its stellar defense. They’ve done it several times already this season.
It turns out that the Patriots also have an offense that can carry them to victory when needed. They demonstrated that for the first time on Friday night.
Liberty nearly doubled its highest point total of the season in claiming a 43-34 non-league victory over visiting Clovis.
Haden Mann passed for 214 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 30 yards and another score to help the Patriots (4-1) down the Cougars (3-2) for a fourth consecutive time.
Last year Liberty beat Clovis 48-10 during the regular season and then 42-20 in the Central Section Division I quarterfinals.
“I thought our kids adjusted well,” Nixon said. “They played well…Our kids played for 48 minutes tonight. (Clovis) is good football team. We had some injuries tonight. And we had some kids step up. So, I was really pleased with that.”
Friday night’s win didn’t come easy for the Patriots. They trailed 13-0 at the end of the first quarter before pulling ahead for the first time, 16-13, with 24 seconds left in the first half when Mann capped off a seven play drive, that featured two pass interference calls against Clovis, with a 7 yard touchdown run.
Liberty, which had just 116 net yards in the first half, including only 5 yards passing by Mann, was nearly unstoppable on offense after intermission.
“We just talked (at halftime),” Liberty coach Bryan Nixon said. “We had to make some plays. We had to be able to throw the football. I thought our kids did a good job.”
Early in the third quarter Mann connected with Nathan Krauss for touchdown passes of 30 and 67 yards within one minute and 25 seconds of each other.
Sandwiched in between the those two quick-strike scores, was a 74-yard touchdown run by Clovis’ Tristan Risley that cut Liberty’s lead down to 22-20.
Midway through the fourth quarter Risley powered his into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown run that pulled the Clovis within two points of the lead once again (36-34). However, the Cougars opportunity to tie things came up empty when Isaiah Robles threw an incomplete pass attempting the two-point conversion.
Moments later Ramon Henderson fielded the ensuing kickoff and raced 82 yards for a Liberty touchdown, essentially ending Clovis’ comeback attempt for good.
The Patriots special teams had a big role in the victory. Kicker Brayden Blevins kept Liberty in the game early on, with field goals of 40, 25, and 20 yards during the first half.
Blevins’ second field goal was setup by a Jojo Montecino 70-yard punt return.
Despite the slow start on offense, Liberty finished with 378 yards. Clovis had 410 yards but was out gained by the Patriots 262-241 in the second half.
All six of the Patriots plays of 20 or more yards came in the second half.
Mann’s arm was responsible for five of them. Junior running back Prentice Boone ran for the other.
Boone was Liberty’s most consistent offensive weapon. He had 88 yards rushing in the first half and finished with 167 yards from scrimmage (26 rushing attempts for 124 yards and three receptions for 43 yards).
However, it was Krauss that was the Patriots most dynamic offensive performer. The senior wide receiver, who came into the game with just two catches for 21 yards, had three receptions for 113 yards.
“I just did what I do,” Krauss said. “I caught the ball and did my best…It feels great (to get the win). I feel like I played a big part in this game.”
Robles finished with 191 yards passing, 91 yards rushing, and had a 7-yard touchdown reception.
However, it wasn’t enough for Clovis, which allowed its highest point total for a game this season.
“I’m proud of the physicality our kids played with, and how hard they played,” Clovis coach Rich Hammond said. “Liberty is a benchmark program in our section. So, for our guys to come down here and have a chance to tie the game in fourth quarter; I’m really proud of the way our guys battled.”
Liberty 43, Clovis 34
Clovis 13 0 7 14-34
Liberty 3 13 20 7-43
First quarter
C-Robles 2 run (Rocha kick)
L-Blevins 40 FG
C-Robles 43 run (kick failed)
Second quarter
L-Blevins 25 FG
L-Blevins 20 FG
L-Mann 7 run (Blevins kick)
Third quarter
L-Krauss 30 pass from Mann (kick blocked)
C-Risley 74 run (Rocha kick)
L-Krauss 67 pass from Mann (Blevins kick)
L-Harless 12 pass from Mann (Blevins kick)
Fourth quarter
C-Robles 7 pass from N. Johnson (Robles run)
C-Risley 3 run (run failed)
L-Henderson 90 kickoff return (Blevins kick)
Individual statistics
RUSHING-Clovis: Risley 9-114, Robles 15-91, Hilford 7-12, Chavira 2-3, N. Johnson 1-(-3), Grant 1-(-5); Liberty: Boone 26-124; Mann 9-30, Shores 1-6, Mariscal 1-1, Team 1(-2),
PASSING-Clovis: Robles 8-22-0-191, N. Johnson 1-1-0-7; Liberty: Mann 11-26-0-219.
RECEIVING-Clovis: 5-169, N. Johnson 3-22, Robles 1-7; Liberty: Krauss 3-113, Harless 5-63, Boone 3-43.
JV-Liberty 47, Clovis 7.
