Liberal outlasts Panthers, 21-14
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
LIBERAL – Liberal quarterback Brooks Kappelmann is the premier Western Athletic quarterback with 1,280 yards and 14 touchdowns.
But it was Liberal halfback Xavier Parros and the Redskins’ offensive line that powered past Great Bend 21-14 for the game-clinching touchdown. The Redskins scored on a 60-yard, 11-play drive to snap a 14-14 tie.
Parros rushed for 45 yards on the scoring drive and gained 105 yards. Kappelmann delivered the game’s signature play with a 21-yard completion to Xavier Tafoya to reach the Panther 18-yard line.
The Panthers tied the score at 14 shortly after Cody Miller’s 15-yard touchdown was nullified on a holding penalty. The Panthers started their next drive at their own 1-yard line thanks to a perfect Liberal punt. Quarterback Daxton Minton was nearly trapped for a safety. Punter Trenton Kern saved the Panthers with a solid punt out of his end zone.
Liberal led 14-7 on a Zaydon Martinez 8-yard touchdown reception from Kappelmann. Liberal was held to 85 yards passing thanks to Maddox Spray’s excellent man-to-man defense on Martinez, who has 10 touchdowns and 720 yards receiving.
Cooper Ohnmacht kept the Panthers alive down 14-7 when he blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt by Liberal’s Marco Alonzo. Miller escaped several tackles on a drive-starting 16-yard reception. The Panthers eventually moved 63 yards for the tying score on Maddox Spray’s 2-yard scoring reception from Daxton Minton and Diego Soto’s extra point with eight minutes left.
Liberal answered with eight runs and Tafoya’s crucial 21-yard reception on the 60-yard drive. The Panthers were unable to move for a first down on their final drive.
Liberal scored on an opening 68-yard drive. The Redskins’ Aidan Schmidt caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Kappelmann on 4th-down and 16.
Maddox Spray swung the momentum with a 20-yard return after an interception. The Panthers drove 29 yards in five plays for a 7-7 tie. Daxton Minton scored on a 2-yard run after a dazzling 9-yard Miller run. Minton finished with 112 yards passing and 76 yards rushing.
Panther Dee'Onn Jones sparked the defense with four tackles and six assists. Trenton Kern contributed one tackle and nine assists. Liberal’s Aidan Schwindt keyed the Redskins’ pass defense with an interception and a crucial pass breakup that prevented a first down.
Liberal (6-0, 3-0 WAC) clinches a share of the Western Athletic football title heading to a home showdown with Hays High (4-2, 2-1 WAC) next week. Great Bend (3-3, 1-2 WAC) needed a victory to force a potential 3-way tie for the WAC title.
Great Bend 7 0 0 7 – 14
Liberal 7 7 0 7 – 21
L—Aidan Schwindt 22 pass from Brooks Kappelmann (Marco Alonzo kick); GB—Daxton Minton 2 run (Diego Soto kick); L—Zaydon Martinez 8 pass from Kappelmann (Alonzo kick); GB—Maddox Spray 2 pass from Minton (Soto kick); L—Parros 1 run (Alonzo kick)
RUSHING—GB—24-122; Minton 10-76; Miller 18-49; Cooper Ohnmacht 1-(-3); team 1-(-4); L—41-168; Porras 26-105; Kappelmann 13-53; Ivan Moreno 1-13; team 2-(-5).
PASSING—GB—Minton 13-24-1, 112; L—Kappelmann, 7-14-1, 85.
RECEIVING—GB—Ian Premer 3-31; Jacob Hall 2-25; Miller 2-24; Colton Brack 2-19; Spray 3-9; Ohnmacht 1-4; L—Schwindt 2-22; Xavier Tafoya 1-21; Martinez 2-16; James Fieser 2-13; Anthony Argonez 1-13.
Liberal 3-0 6-0
Hays High 2-1 4-2
Garden City 1-1 4-2
Great Bend 1-2 3-3
Dodge City 0-3 2-4
10-20—*Garden City at Great Bend; Ulysses at Garden City; Dodge City at Wichita Southeast; Topeka High at Hays High
10-13—Great Bend at Ulysses; *Dodge City at Garden City; *Hays High at Garden City
10-6—*Liberal 21, Great Bend 14; Garden City 42, Ulysses 11; *Hays High 40, Dodge City 20
9-29—*Great Bend 28, Dodge City 0; *Liberal 28, Garden City 21; Hays 48, Ulysses 7
9-22—Great Bend 55, Wichita Southeast 0; *Garden City 24, Hays High 21 (OT); *Liberal 21, Dodge City 7
9-15—Buhler 20, Great Bend 14; Garden City 35, Wichita West 6; Dodge City 27, Wichita South 20; Manhattan 49, Hays High 7; Liberal 51, Topeka High 13
9-8—*Hays High 28, Great Bend 27; Liberal 47, Emporia 14; Junction City 52, Dodge City 35; Garden City 70, Wichita North 15
9-1—Great Bend 29, McPherson 16; Liberal 23, Holcomb 17; Hays High 21, Junction City 15; Wichita Heights 20, Garden City 19; Dodge City 13, Wichita West 8
