California squad takes down Liberty
Centennial-Corona feasts on Patriots’ first-half mistakes
CORONA, Calif. — Liberty’s football team arrived here Friday night hoping to prove worthy of its national ranking.
Instead, the Patriots learned they still have a ways to go to catch up with one of California’s best teams.
Liberty committed a bevy of mistakes in the first half — four turnovers and two offside penalties at critical junctures — and lost 49-32 to host Centennial-Corona (California) in a game that wasn’t quite as close as the score indicated.
Kenyon Oblad threw for 339 yards for Liberty (3-1), which entered the game ranked No. 21 in USA Today’s Super 25 poll but fell behind 35-6 early in the second quarter.
The Patriots scored two touchdowns in the final 4 minutes, 32 seconds, to make the score more respectable.
“We just didn’t play our best tonight,” Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. “We made a lot of mental mistakes, a lot of physical mistakes, and against a quality team like Centenni-
al-Corona, they’re going to make you
pay, and they did a great job. They jumped on us and we were in a big hole early, so it made it tough.” Centennial (4-1), ranked No. 12 by
USA Today, racked up 519 yards of total offense despite losing starting quarterback Tanner McKee to injury midway through the second quarter.
Miles Reed gained 212 of of the Huskies’ 286 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns, including a 30-yard burst up the middle to put
Centennial on top 49-18 early in the fourth quarter.
The game turned against Liberty during a four-minute stretch in the first half. After the Patriots had a field-goal attempt blocked on their second drive, McKee connected with wide receiver Justin Fisher on a big pass play.
Fisher was caught from behind by Liberty’s Octavion Bell and stripped at the 2-yard line, but the ball rolled into the end zone and Centennial’s Cameron Ashby fell on it for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead with 2:29 to go in the first quarter.
The Huskies then took advantage of good field position after a poor punt by Liberty to go 37 yards in six plays. Reed ran over a defender and scored on a 16-yard run to put Centennial on top 28-6.
The Patriots fumbled on their next possession, and McKee hit Fisher for a 38-yard touchdown that put Centennial ahead 35-6.
Damanhy Whittle blocked a punt and recovered in the end zone late in the first half for Liberty, and the Patriots went 80 yards on their first drive of the second half.
Ethan Dedeaux scored on a 1-yard run to cut Centennial’s lead to 35-18, but Huskies backup quarterback Arturo Herrera scored on a back-breaking 28-yard run on third-and-14 to put Liberty in a 4218 hole with 4:23 left in the third quarter.