Liberty handles Mountain Ridge for 5th Consecutive Win

The Liberty Lions defeated the Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions 35-14 in a must-win region matchup.

Even though it was a region game, the important thing for Liberty 2028 quarterback Marlie Phillips was that it was just another game.

“This win means a lot to the girls,” Phillips said. “I personally am not big on rivalries; I think every game is just another game, but they (Liberty) really take this one to heart.”

While the Lions may have won the game, it was the Mountain Lions who got out to a fast start.

On their opening drive, Mountain Ridge marched down the field with authority.

Leading the charge was 2028 quarterback Amiya Tice, who used her arm and legs to move the chains.

Capping off the drive, Tice called her own number on a bootleg and scampered in for a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

After trailing early, Liberty would match the score after a great drive of their own.

The Lions faced a fourth-and-goal scenario and relied on heroics from Phillips to get in the end zone.

Phillips danced around in the pocket and connected with Nebraska 2027 commit MaKenna Johnson for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game.

Liberty’s defense stepped up in the second quarter and was able to get multiple stops to get the ball back for the offense.

Right before halftime, the Lions got back into scoring position and took the lead.

For the second time in the half, Phillips and Johnson connected on a touchdown, this time from 15 yards out.

At halftime, Liberty led 14-7.

Coming out of halftime, the Mountain Lions were able to put together another great drive down the field and tied the game up.

2028 wide receiver Azul Mondragon-Lopez was the X-factor during the drive as she had multiple crucial catches.

Getting down to the 1-yard line, Tice once again was able to use her legs to score a rushing touchdown and make it anyone's game.

The game was tied at 14, but Liberty started to fire on all cylinders rounding out the third quarter.

Phillips connected with multiple receivers to get the Lions back near the end zone and a chance to secure the lead.

Liberty did just that as Phillips fired a pass over to 2029 wide receiver Ariana Baker for an 8-yard score.

The touchdown gave Liberty a 21-14 lead after three quarters.

Both teams needed a strong fourth quarter to finish out the contest.

Liberty would be the team to do so as their defense came through multiple times to force the Mountain Lions to punt the ball away.

With around five minutes left in the game, Liberty’s offense was able to ice the game with a pair of scores.

Getting the ball back after a stop by the defense, Liberty was not only able to extend their lead, but also chew most of the clock after running the ball.

Then a few plays later, Phillips tossed her fourth touchdown pass of the night to 2029 wide receiver Anahlee Sifuentes on a go ball that was good for a 27-yard touchdown.

After another stop by the defense, Liberty iced the game with another touchdown. Phillips and Sifuentes connected one more time, this time from 20 yards out, to put the game out of reach.

With the big victory over Mountain Ridge, Liberty now sits at 9-6 on the season with one last regular season game to go before the playoffs.

Now at full strength with all their transfers eligible, Liberty is locked in and ready for a playoff push.

“I think it definitely put us on the map,” Johnson said. “We’ve been overlooked, not having our full team together. We’re just ready to make a strong run in the playoffs.”

Next up: 9-6 Liberty looks to close out the regular season strong when they take on 9-3 O’Connor. 11-3 Mountain Ridge looks to cap off their regular season back in the win column when they take on 6-6 Valley Vista.