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By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Teams may not squib kick to Zeb Cornman anymore.
But as he showed on Friday night, he can still find the ball.
Mountain View-Birch Tree/Liberty’s do-everything linebacker made an impact in all three phases – offense, defense and special teams – to lead the Eagles to a district championship.
Cornman had two picks, returned a kickoff for a touchdown for the second straight game and even caught a two-point conversion on offense.
Liberty’s dual quarterback tandem of Tyler Watts and Carter Pruett took care of the rest – combining for 318 yards and four touchdowns on 51 carries – as Liberty defeated Fair Grove 44-20 in the Class 2 District 3 championship game.
It’s Liberty’s first district title since 2016.
“It feels good to come out here and start the tradition again,” Cornman said.
Up next for Liberty is a familiar foe: Lamar. The teams play at 1 p.m. next Saturday (November 21) in Mountain View in the Class 2 quarterfinals. Lamar has gone 6-0 against Liberty in the state playoffs since 2010.
This year, Liberty (10-2 overall) turned its season around after a 1-2 start.
Liberty fields a young starting lineup that includes six sophomores and two freshmen.
“(Winning districts) feels really good, considering how far we’ve come since the beginning of the season,” said Liberty first-year head coach Brock Kenaga. “We kind of took our lumps early and to see it progress like this, man, it feels really good.
“I have to credit my coaching staff because they’ve helped the kids stay positive, keep learning and keep getting better.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Liberty scored 24 points off three Fair Grove turnovers. Cornman’s interceptions sparked Liberty after Fair Grove had drawn within 28-20 on Kade Gallion’s 49-yard touchdown run to start the second half.
Cornman’s first pick, late in the third quarter, stopped a potential game-tying Fair Grove drive inside Liberty territory. Liberty scored on its ensuing drive to go up for good, 36-20.
But Cornman’s biggest play came on special teams, when he returned a squib kick 65 yards for a touchdown with 21 seconds remaining in the first half. Liberty led 28-12 at half time.
It was almost déjà vu.
Last week, Cornman returned a similar kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown to open Liberty’s 32-22 win at Springfield Catholic.
“I’m honestly not expecting teams to kick it to me anymore,” said Cornman, who was also the recipient of a hook and ladder play that set up a Liberty touchdown. “I’m just enjoying having a chance to run right through (the coverage). I just visualize in my head and go for it.”
After losing 58-38 at Fair Grove in Week 2, Liberty’s defense was much improved the second time around.
Liberty’s game-planned focused on Fair Grove junior quarterback Kody Stacye, who sliced and diced the red-and-white Eagles in the regular season meeting.
“We worked extremely hard on building a wall around (Stacye),” Kenaga said. “He’s a really good football player, not only with his arms but with his legs. He extends plays.”
Said Cornman: “Stopping (Stacye) was the biggest thing we had to do. (First) game, he had 200-300 yards rushing on us. When we stopped him, that’s their whole team right there.”
Liberty’s offense also played keep-away for much of the night, tallying three scoring drives of 10 players or longer.
Pruett had a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jentry Acklin and a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to help Liberty pull away.
Fair Grove finishes 8-4 overall. It’s the sixth straight season that Fair Grove has ended with a loss in the district championship game.
Liberty 44 , Fair Grove 20
Liberty 14 14 0 16 — 44
Fair Grove 0 12 8 0 — 20
First quarter
Liberty – Watts 1 run (pass failed)
Liberty – Watts 25 run (Cornman catch from Watts)
Second quarter
Fair Grove – Gallion 15 catch from Stacye (kick failed)
Liberty – Pruett 1 run (pass failed)
Fair Grove – Schaffitzel 2 run (run failed)
Liberty – Cornman 65 return (Pruett run)
Third quarter
Fair Grove – Gallion 49 run (Stacye run)
Fourth quarter
Liberty – Acklin 27 catch from Pruett (Jester catch from Watts)
Liberty – Pruett 2 run (Ripko catch from Watts)
76u
Stat leaders (unofficial)
LIBERTY
Passing: Pruett 3-for-5 for 56 yards, one touchdown; Watts 7-for-13 for 55 yards, 1 INT
Rushing: Watts 26 carries for 176 yards, two touchdowns; Pruett 25 carries for 142 yards, two touchdowns.
Receiving: Jentry Acklin 2 catches for 46 yards, one touchdown
Fair Grove
Passing: Stacye 11-for-21 for 136 yards, one TD and two INTs
Rushing: Stacye 18 carries for 86 yards
Receiving: Sublett 5 catches for 71 yards; Gallion 3 catches for 45 yards, one touchdown
