Trick play propels Eagles past Panthers
Tue, 10/03/2023 - 2:03pm
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With 5:50 left in the fourth quarter, the Liberty Eagles football team held a narrow 29-26 lead over the Mountain Grove Panthers. With 4th and Goal from the Panthers 6-yard line, the Eagles were faced with a crucial play-call. Punch it in and likely seal the victory. Come up short and give the ball back to the potent Panther offense with just enough time to steal the victory.
Quarterback Carter Pruett took the shotgun snap and sprinted to his right, lateraling the ball to Eagle "do-it-all" Gavin Reese. Instead of running, like had been called twice in the game, Reese looked to pass. He was met by Grove defenders immediately, rendering him unable to throw forward. Reese kept the play alive by tossing the ball back to Pruett right before being taken down. Pruett rolled back to his left and found the waving arms of Chris Scharr in the end zone. Touchdown Eagles!
Pruett would go on to seal the game for Liberty on a goal line interception with just under 3 minutes remaining. Final score Liberty 35, Mountain Grove 26.
The game started out looking more like a track meet than a football game. Both offenses seemingly moved the ball at will against their opponent. Liberty received the opening kickoff and in just a few plays Reese scored on a 20-yard pass from Pruett.
Grove responded quickly with a 66-yard run by Quarterback Aden Estep. The kick by Brayden Haughey gave the Panthers a 7-6 lead. Estep added a one-yard push into the end zone moments later to extend the Panther lead 14-6.
Liberty's Eli Moore answered with a fingertip 32-yard touchdown catch from Pruett. The two-point conversion pass to Eddie Rodriguez evened the scoring at 14. Estep scored again for Grove, this one from 23 yards away. The two-point conversion failed. Pruett would finish scoring in the first half with a 5-yard plunge. Reese's kick gave the Eagles a slim 21-20 lead.
Liberty's defense played much better in the second half, only allowing one Grove score, a 26-yard run from Daiton Hook. Scharr, for the Eagles, would catch two touchdown passes in the second half, one for 32 yards and the other was the razzle dazzle trick play on the goal line to claim victory for the Eagles.