Despite injuries, Liberty Hill football rushes past CC Flour Bluff to reach state semifinals
SAN ANTONIO — With its top two running backs sidelined by injuries, Liberty Hill turned to an unexpected source to pick up the slack in the Class 5A Division II Region IV championship game against Corpus Christi Flour Bluff.
But then again, nothing that Liberty Hill quarterback Reese Vickers surprises Panthers coach Kent Walker.
Vickers, a senior, had a career night with an unofficial 244 yards and three touchdowns rushing to carry Liberty Hill to a 63-43 win and a third consecutive regional championship Friday at Farris Stadium.
“He’s a Liberty Hill kid; he’s a tough kid,” Walker said. “That’s Reese Vickers. He said we’re not going down without swinging, and he kept swinging all game.”
Along with fullback Ben Carter and an inspired defensive effort in the second half, Vickers delivered a knockout blow to a proud Flour Bluff program seeking a second consecutive regional championship. Carter rumbled for 144 yards and five touchdowns, and the Panther defense forced four turnovers in the second half to turn a taut 28-27 halftime edge into a comfortable win.
But the game belonged to Vickers, who took on a heavy offensive load after Noah Long and Joe Pitchford — who have combined for 3,000 yards rushing as well as 30 touchdowns this season — each aggravated shoulder injuries early in the game.
Quarterbacks may run the slot-T offense for Liberty Hill (13-1) although they rarely run the ball. Vickers entered the game with just 325 yards rushing on 53 carries through the first 13 games, but he looked like a natural, swerving and slicing through the Flour Bluff defense.
“I knew that I’d have to pick it up for my team and take on some more responsibilities with those running backs out,” he said.
Vickers had plenty of help from Carter and reserve running backs such as Jaxson Hines and Luke Miller. The Panthers still rolled up an unofficial 545 yards on the ground despite the absence of their top two backs, who may miss next week’s state semifinal against Port Neches-Groves. The defense also stepped up with four takeaways in the second half, including two interceptions by Carlton Schrank.
“We knew if we could get one big turnover or one big stop, our offense would keep rolling even though (Long and Pitchford) went out,” said Schrank, who also blocked a PAT by the Hornets.
That ability to overcome injuries and still win another regional crown defines his football program, Walker said.
“I get chills just standing here talking about how tough these kids are and how much adversity they deal with,” Walker said. “Not too many groups can do what they did; you lose your two best running backs, and they all step up and still have a heck of a game.”
The Panthers needed their grit to hold off Flour Bluff (10-4), which rebounded from three losses in its first four games to reach a third straight regional title game. The Hornets will likely again be a contender next season behind promising sophomore quarterback Jayden Paluseo, who threw for an unofficial 374 yards and three touchdowns despite trying to dodge Liberty Hill pass rushers throughout the second half.
“They brought some pressure and got to him a few times, and nobody has really been able to do that,” Flour Bluff coach Chris Steinbruck said. “He’s got an unbelievable future. He’s just so tough; he’s been playing like a senior all year.
“Especially after we started 1-3, everyone counted us out. But we have kids with great character and super-quality coaches. We made too many mistakes tonight, but I’m super proud of these guys and how they fought all year.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Despite injuries, Liberty Hill football rushes into state semifinals
