[wpbvideo id=”830832″]
By Jeff Kessinger (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After a 7-2 regular season, including a six-game winning streak, MV-BT/Liberty got stuck with the fourth seed in Class 2 District 3. That didn’t really sit well with the Eagles.
“It was frustrating, but we overcame it,” junior quarterback Tyler Watts said. “We showed them that we deserved it. It motivated us.”
Watts and the 10th-ranked Eagles channeled those frustrations into a 32-22 win over top seed Springfield Catholic at Swisshelm Field Friday night in the district semifinals.
“We felt a little slighted,” Liberty coach Brock Kenaga said. “But you can’t control that, of course. We talked about it. But as crazy as this season has been, not knowing who you’re going to have week to week, it’s been a next-man-up mentality for us all year. Our kids have responded well.”
Liberty set the tone with the opening kickoff. Zeb Cornman corralled the ball at the 20, broke a tackle, found a lane and ran away from the crowd. His 80-yard touchdown gave the Eagles a 6-0 lead just 13 seconds into the game.
“I just saw an opening,” Cornman said. “Honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it. I thought I was down on the first hit, but I kept going. It felt great to help the team out like that.”
The Eagles defense followed with a stop and, after a low snap forced the Catholic punter to scramble, gave the offense great field position. They cashed in, with Cornman striking again. This time it was as a receiver, catching a 7-yard strike from Tyler Watts for a 12-0 edge.
“We thought a couple of our heavy sets would really work against them, and we were able to hurt them with it at times,” Kenaga said. “Catholic is well coached and they adjusted quickly, but we were able to get a few points before they could get adjusted.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Catholic stayed close, capping a long drive with Will Squibb’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Liam O’Reilly to make it 12-7. But Liberty made it three touchdowns in three possessions when Pruett kept the ball around left end and snuck inside the pylon for a 3-yard score and an 18-7 Liberty lead.
Catholic tailback Matthew Schmittling had the immediate answer, carrying the ball off left tackle and weaving through the Eagles secondary for a 69-yard touchdown run to help the Irish keep pace.
The defenses took over in a quiet second quarter before the half ended with a little bit of craziness. With 43 seconds left before the break, Catholic had 1st-and-10 at the Liberty 45 with a chance to take a lead into halftime.
But the Irish fumbled the ball on their next snap and Liberty’s Watts connected with Drew Ripko for a 65-yard catch-and-carry to set up another Eagles score. Watts used his legs this time, powering in from 4 yards out to push Liberty in front 26-14 at the break.
“We got back into the game, but we didn’t finish the half,” first-year Catholic coach Rich Rehagen said. “That sequence was really big in this game.”
Liberty cushioned that lead early in the third quarter. With receivers bunched left, Pruett rolled that way then threw back right to a wide open Noah Jester for a 20-yard touchdown and a 32-14 lead.
Catholic tried to rally in the fourth quarter. Schmittling powered in from 2 yards out to cut the deficit to 10 points, but that was as close as the Irish could get. It was a tough end to a tough season for Catholic. The Irish opened the year 0-3, then lost three weeks of their season to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Rehagen and his crew righted the ship, however, winning their last three games and capturing the first seed in the district. The Irish finish 2020 3-4. More importantly, they got to finish it on the field. Not every team in Missouri was able to do that.
“Ending the season doesn’t feel very good, but when you think about it that way it feels a little better,” Rehagen said. “I’ve got a ton of high-character kids. They worked hard and did everything I asked. As the new guy coming in you never know how things are going to go, but it was an awesome group to work with – led by our senior class.”
Liberty’s two-headed monster at quarterback put up some big numbers. Watts was 7-for-10 passing for 140 yards and a score. He also carried the ball 18 times for 109 yards. Pruett was 2-for-3 passing for 35 yards and another score. He rushed 17 times for 45 yards. Cornman caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Catholic’s offense was led by Schmittling’s 154 yards on 16 carries. Squibb was 13-for-24 passing, for 205 yards. Liam O’Reilly caught six of those passes for 114 yards.
Liberty will visit third seed Fair Grove next Friday in the District 3 championship game. Those teams squared off back in Week 2, with Fair Grove winning 58-38 on its home field.
“We’re feeling good,” Watts said. “We want another shot at (Fair Grove).”
