Missed Pendleton extra point provides difference

By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports

jkirby@thepccourier.com

Pendleton — In a game where offense was absent, a missed Pendleton PAT was the difference as Liberty came away with a 7-6 season-opening victory against the Bulldogs.

Both teams had trouble executing, as neither squad was crisp offensively. The absence of big plays by both teams provided plenty of energy for both defenses.

Brandy Karr/Photo
The visiting stands go wild after Seth Dover’s second-quarter touchdown catch from Nick Reeves in Liberty’s win at Pendleton on Friday night. The touchdown and Austin Kemp’s extra point proved to be enough in the 7-6 victory.

The Bulldogs had one last-gasp drive with 2:32 remaining in the game. It was their longest drive of the game, covering 63 yards, but ended with an interception by all-region Liberty linebacker Aaron Bates at the Red Devils’ 16-yard line.

The Bulldogs gained a total of 137 yards of total offense compared to the Liberty’s 100 yards.

Devils coach Kyle Stewart said following the game that his players stated the obvious that they would correct the mistakes this week in practice to get the offense going.

Asked if he could have foreseen the Red Devils winning a game with only 100 yards of offense, Stewart said the scoreboard is the only thing that matters.

“The main thing is we came out ahead on points at the end of the game — that’s all I am concerned about,” he said.

The Bulldogs caught a break in the first quarter when Austin Huey mishandled a perfect punt snap that slipped through his hands and was tackled by Semaj Anderson at his own 32-yard line. The field conditions

Brandy Karr/Photo
Liberty’s Shaun Karr gets to the edge during the Red Devils’ 7-6 season-opening road win over Pendleton on Friday night.

were not sloppy, but there was a heavy downpour several hours before the game to make it very humid on the field.

Pendleton then went 32 yards in five plays as Jadon Hagood took the read handoff from Collin Bunch and went straight up the middle to score the first points of the season for either team.

Tate Griffin’s PAT then sailed wide right, and that made the difference in the game as the Red Devils won for the first time against the Bulldogs since the 2002 season, when Liberty topped Pendleton 30-7. The 2002 win completed a four-year stretch of wins for the Red Devils over the Bulldogs.

The Red Devils got in on the scoring for the first time in the second quarter when Nick Reeves found Seth Dover on a short three-yard scoring toss. The bootleg action by the Red Devils came following a two-yard loss on the previous play. Reeves gave Liberty a first and goal at the one-yard line before Cavaugio Butler was stuffed back to the 3-yard line. The touchdown pass completed a 13-play, 59-yard scoring drive for the Red Devils.

Kicking for the first time in varsity action, Austin Kemp connected on the all-important PAT to give the Red Devils the slimmest of margins possible, which proved enough for the opening victory of the season. Shaun Karr had the biggest run of the drive, good for 12 yards to the Bulldog 38-yard line.

The Red Devils had a chance to put a little distance on the scoreboard when Kevon Tabron recovered a Jamal Blakley fumble at the Pendleton 30-yard line and returned it three yards to the Bulldog 27-yard line with 7:47 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Red Devils turned the ball back over to the Bulldogs when Clay Lollis fumbled at the Pendleton 13-yard line. John Ammons recovered the loose ball to give it back to the Bulldogs. That was the deepest penetration by the Red Devils other than their scoring drive.

The Liberty defense kept the Pendleton offense in check most of the game, as the Bulldogs could only get to the Red Devil 34-yard line on a drive in the third quarter and the last drive of the game that ended at the Liberty 16-yard line on the interception by Bates.

The Liberty defense was led by Bates, who had seven tackles to go with his interception. Austin Miller had five tackles, a tackle for loss and one sack, while Jacob Herman was disruptive, with four tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.

The Red Devils maintained pressure on the Pendleton quarterbacks, as Jamal Blakley was 3-for-14, while Collin Bunch was just 2-of-6 through the air, and both tossed an interception.

The Red Devils were led in rushing by Kevon Tabron, who had 30 yards on five carries. Lollis had eight carries for 28 yards, and Shaun Karr had seven carries for 25 yards.

Nick Reeves finished 3-of-5 passing for 14 yards and one touchdown.

The Red Devils will hit the road again this week as they take on the Walhalla Razorbacks in their new stadium. The Red Devils shut out Walhalla in a 21-0 game last season, but the Razors blasted rival West-Oak 33-13 last Friday in their first game under new head coach Padgett Johnson.