Leopards come up short against Carthage, 48-38
CARTHAGE, Texas—It's doubtful Liberty-Eylau will see the same caliber teams it's faced the first two weeks for a while.
After being edged by No. 2 Gilmer last week, the Leopards came up short against Class 4A's top-ranked Carthage, 48-38, Friday at Bulldog Stadium, the Bulldogs pulling away late.
The Leopards piled up 371 yards of total offense but saw a first-half lead dissipate on the final play of the half and played catchup the rest of the game.
Carthage (2-0) finished with 389 yards of total offense, with Gunner Capps connecting on 17 of 32 passes for 240 yards, four touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
Texas-commit Keaontay Ingram, who had five rushes for 137 yards and two TDs last week, was limited to 80 yards on 19 carries by the Leopards, scoring once.
Liberty-Eylau running back Ralph Crabtree finished with 100 yards on 16 carries and scored three times—twice in the second half after the L-E run game was almost non-existent in the first 24 minutes.
Crabtree had a third-quarter TD run of 23 yards and a 5-yard plunge around the left end in the waning minutes. The Bulldogs recovered the ensuing on-sides kick and were able to run out the clock in victory formation.
Leopard quarterback Decorian Phillips was 18 of 35 for 235 yards, two interceptions and rushed for 63 yards and a score. Isaiah Cross caught seven balls for 115 yards.
Dewaylon Ingram hauled in eight catches for Carthage, finsihing with 100 yards and a pair of TDs, and Dee Bowens had five grabs for 101 yards and a touchdown.
What started as the makings
of a back-and-forth shootout, settled down in the second quarter.
After L-E's turnover on downs in its own territory on the game's opening possession, the Bulldogs marched 39 yards on eight plays, Dewaylon Ingram pulling in a 1-handed grab in the end zone from 10 yards out.
It took the Leopards two minutes to cover 67 yards on seven plays, with Kelston Joseph bulling his way in from the 1 for the touchdown with 5:24 left in the first. Steven Goben's PAT tied the game.
Just two plays later Mekhi Colbert caught a middle screen from Capps and darted 34 yards to paydirt to regain the lead for Carthage at 4:57.
Liberty-Eylau responded with a 13-play campaign that ate up 3:56 of the clock. Phillips connected on 7 of 10 passes on the drive, Cross picking up 14 yards just prior to Dazawion Cooper's 16-yard gain to get the Leopards inside the red zone.
A pair of false starts stalled the drive, and Goben booted a 35-yard field goal to make it 14-10.
Marzavin Riles picked off Capps on the third play of the ensuing Bulldog possession and returned it 25 yards to set up L-E at the Carthage 22. On third-and-8 the Bulldogs forced a fumble and Quinton Owens recovered for the home team at the 37.
The Leopards forced a threeand-out, as did Carthage to get the ball back. Colbert's 42-yard return was wiped out by a block in the back penalty, and Riles forced and recovered a fumble on the next play.
Liberty-Eylau didn't waste the great field position a second time.
Phillips hit Cross for a
22-yard gain to the 1, and Crabtree punched it in to give L-E a 17-14 lead with 5:03 left in the first half.
Phillips intercepted a Carthage pass at the Leopard 1 and returned it 23 yards to thwart a scoring opportunity, but Liberty-Eylau was unable to move the chains.
Carthage had a high snap on fourth down to turn the ball over in the final minute, but Rayvon Ingram got the ball right back for the Bulldogs with an interception at midfield.
It took nine plays to cover 52 yards in 52 seconds, Keaontay Ingram running over left left tackle on the final play to regain the lead for the Bulldogs. Liberty-Eylau 10 7 14 7 — 38 Carthage 14 7 13 14 — 48 First Quarter
CAR-Dewaylon Ingram 10 pass from Gunner Capps (Alberto Sigala kick), 7:32. LE-Kelston Joseph 1 run (Steven Goben kick), 5:24.
CAR-Mekhi Colbert 34 pass from Capps
(Sigala kick), 4:57.
LE-Goben 35 FG, 0:55.
Second Quarter
LE-Ralph Crabtree 1 run (Goben kick), 5:03. CAR-Keaontay Ingram 1 run (Sigala kick), 0:00.
Third Quarter
CAR-Dee Bowens 10 pass from Capps
(Sigala kick), 6:49.
LE-Crabtree 23 run (Goben kick), 4:57. CAR-D. Ingram 8 pass from Capps (kick failed), 2:34.
LE-Decorian Phillips 12 run (Goben kick),
0:28.
Fourth Quarter
CAR-Tucker Smith 7 run (Sigala kick),
10:34.
CAR-Mykel Gates 2 run (Sigala kick), 3:20. LE-Crabtree 5 run (Goben kick), 1:24.
L-E Carthage First Downs 20 21
Yards Rushing 31-136 40-149 Yards Passing 235 240 Passes A-C-I 35-18-2 32-17-2 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 4-1 Penalties 5-30 5-60 Punts-Avg. 3-34.3 1-44.0 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Liberty-Eylau, Crabtree 16-99, Phillips 10-63, Joseph 3-4, Isaiah Cross 1-(minus 2). Carthage, K. Ingram 19-80, Smith 12-44, Kelvontay Dixon 3-31, Colbert 1-3, Gates 1-2, team 4-(minus 11). PASSING—Liberty-Eylau, Phillips 18-35-2235. Carthage, Capps 17-32-2-240. RECEIVING—Liberty-Eylau, Cross 7-115, Dazawion Cooper 4-64, Mahleik Darty 3-33, Crabtree 2-12, El-Amin Greer 2-11. Carthage, Bowens 5-101, D. Ingram 8-100, Colbert 2-45, K. Ingram 2-2, Dixon 1-(minus 8).