Liberty Christian stays unbeaten with a 42-7 win over Amherst County
Amherst County H.S. Amherst, VA – It was senior night for the Amherst Lancers and the team in maroon had the toughest challenge of the season in front of them – undefeated Liberty Christian Academy. The Lancers have had an unusual season to say the least. After an opening week bye, the Lancers had Covid 19 stops for the next two weeks. Despite their atypical start, Amherst has had a pretty good year. But this year’s LCA squad is daunting for anyone.
“We would have had to play an absolutely perfect game to beat them,” Lancer’s Coach Christmas said post game. While their performance wasn’t perfect, Amherst had moments where they stood out. QB/DB 2 Tyleik Brown had a big interception in the first quarter. WR 3 Lawrence Brown pulled in some big receptions along with another interception in the third, and RB 1 Vincent Sweeney scored a TD, triggering the iconic Lancer strobe lights one last time for the seniors. But Amherst’s moments were just that, moments. LCA and their high-powered backs, RB 28 Gideon Davidson, RB 10 Caleb Davidson and WR 1 Jaylin Belford along with a stacked defense including North Carolina commit 50 OT/DE Zach Rice led Liberty Christian to a decisive 42-7 victory. After the game, the Lancers walked the 100 yard field, culminating in a rising wave of claps as the seniors reached the end zone for the last time. “I’m proud of the way our kids fought tonight,” resolved Coach Christmas, “We have a good bunch of seniors that we’re gonna miss next year.”
First Quarter – LCA received the opening kick to begin the game and they got the ball moving picking up three first downs by way of C. Davidson rushes. Liberty Christian moved from their twenty-nine to Amherst’s twenty-nine where QB 7 Davis Lane set up for a TD try. The pass went up and was caught in the end zone. The only hitch was the man in maroon who came up with the pass, “number two” Tyleik Brown. Following the interception, Amherst took control at their twenty but no amount of momentum or cowbell-ringing fans could help overcome LCA’s defense.
Zach Rice burst through the line on third down to sack Brown at the two, forcing a Lancer punt. Liberty Christian took over on Amherst’s forty-six and did what they do best. Score quick. In a couple of Gideon Davidson sprints, one right, one left, LCA was on the board 7-0. Lancer 10 Tyrique Thomas had a decent ten-yard kickoff return but that’s about all the ground Amherst would gain. The second of many Lancer punts followed an incomplete pass from T. Brown to L. Brown. LCA took over and Amherst almost stopped the team in white, but on fourth down G. Davidson picked up fourteen-yards to prolong the drive. With a Lane thirty-six-yard pass to Belford LCA was in the RedZone to end the first.
DL 50 Zach Rice and LB 45 Carson Heckman bring down Lancer RB 1 Vincent Sweeney
Second Quarter – Sure enough, LCA scored in the opening seconds of the second quarter. Lane found FB 20 Thomas Murphy near the right hash for the TD, putting them up two scores. Liberty Christian sent a short kick to Amherst’s 42 Jerry Cashwell who signaled for a fair catch on the Lancers forty for solid field position. 
Unfortunately, field position only matters when your team has the ball and Amherst lost possession immediately. T. Brown again looked for L. Brown on the left side and the Amherst receiver appeared to come down with ball after an athletic diving catch. But LCA’s Belford was diving too and came up with the football after the two landed. No flags, LCA ball. It was all “number twenty-eight” for Liberty Christian this time. In three plays the running back picked up seventy-three yards culminating in a clean TD run. 21-0, LCA.
Freshman RB 28 Gideon Davidson makes a more for LCA
Amherst found no relief on offense, going three and out due to a couple big tackles from LB 18 Dillon Stowers. The problems didn’t end there. K 11 Darren Davenport uncharacteristically shanked the punt off the side of his foot providing LCA great field position at the Amherst’s thirty-eight. Liberty Christian started the drive strong with a Lane pass to Stowers who picked up twenty-six yards, trucking a few Lancers in the process. C. Davidson ran for nine more yards to advance to Amherst’s three but was stopped cold by LB 54 Logan Burnett and NG 63 Caylab Ramsay to bring up fourth down. LCA doesn’t often settle for field goals and they wouldn’t settle here. Lane faked the hand-off to C. Davidson and snuck around the left himself for the score. When it rains it pours. Down by twenty-eight, Amherst began the drive with a high snap that pushed them back twenty-two-yards. After the teams exchanged penalties, Sweeney finally found some daylight and picked up eleven yards before he was stopped by FS 6 Jaden Skates. It wasn’t enough and Amherst punt again. This time Davenport unleashed a fifty-yard bomb of a punt. But Belford was LCA’s man for this drive. “Number 1” rushed for forty-one yards between three carries setting up Lane’s twenty-nine-yard TD pass to Skates to end the first half at 35-0.
Second Half – Amherst got the ball to start the third and they put together their best drive yet, all due to one play. It was a Brown to Brown pass for thirty-five-yards, bringing the Amherst fans to their feet for the first time since T. Brown’s interception. The bleachers wouldn’t have time to get cold as the next play resulted in a funky snap, a fumble, and LCA’s C. Davidson coming up with the ball. The Lancer’s then put together their best defensive effort with another big tackle in the backfield for Burnett. What goes around comes around. Lane targeted Belford for the pass, but Belford tripped, and the ball sailed directly into the hands of Lawrence Brown. No flags, Amherst ball. The Lancer’s rode the hype and Sweeney booked it forty-one-yards upfield before he was chased down by CB 24 Caleb Seers at LCA’s thirteen, preventing the Amherst TD. After Sweeney’s sprint, the drive fell apart and the Lancer’s turned it over on downs after losing eleven yards on their fourth down try. Liberty Christian strung together three big plays for their sixth and final TD of the night. First, Lane found Seers for a nineteen-yard reception. Next, Gideon Davidson picked up a first down on a ten-yd rush. Last, Belford slipped through the Lancer defense for an all too easy forty-three-yard TD. The score inflated to 42-0 and Amherst decided they had had enough
Amherst County RB 1 Vincent Sweeney breaks into the end zone
In the next drive, Sweeney picked up forty-five yards over five carries to will his team on to the board. The strobe lights engaged, the cowbells rang out and K 14 Liam Rodes punched in the extra-point to make it 42-7. The rest of the contest was more of a learning experience for LCA’s second squad. They picked up six penalties and some yardage to boot while holding back Amherst’s last ditch attempt for another score. The clock expired, and the two teams prayed together at midfield before the Lancer’s and notably Lancer seniors walked their home field for the final time. Despite the loss, Amherst’s squad seemed to know what’s really important about high school football. As cliché as it sounds, it’s the bonds between teammates and all the blood, sweat and tears spilled in practice and games over the years. They may not have won tonight, but as the team in maroon’s claps echoed across the emptying stadium, it was obvious that they had gained much, much more than a simple “W” on a record book. Next week the Lancers will face another tough challenge against Heritage and LCA will take on Glass to decide who really is the king of the Seminole district.
Offense:
Rushing: LCA – Gideon Davidson 7-140yds 2 TD’s, Jaylin Belford 6-98yds 1 TD, Caleb Davidson 9-37yds, Davis Lane 3-6yds 1 TD, Jahvon Lewis 4-5yds, Jeb Moon 1-(-8)yds
Amherst Co – Vincent Sweeney 14-104 yds 1 TD, Jamerius Stewart 2-5 yds, Jor’dyn Whitelaw 2-4yds, Tyleik Brown 4-(-14)yds
Passing: LCA – Davis Lane 8/10-137yds 2 TD’s 1 INT, Jeb Moon 1/2-7yds Amherst Co – Tyleik Brown 2/5-46yds 1 INT
Receiving: LCA– Jaylin Belford 2-46yds, Dillon Stowers 2-32yds, Jaden Skates 1-29yds 1 TD, Caleb Seers 2-29yds, Jonathan Thompson 1-9yds, Thomas Murphy 1-1yd 1 TD
Amherst Co – Lawrence Brown 1-35yds, Jor’dyn Whitelaw 1-11yds
Punting: LCA – 1/63avg. Amherst – 4/35avg.
Scoring
1st Quarter
• LCA: G. Davidson 11-yd run: Dupin PAT 6:09
2nd Quarter
• LCA: Murphy 1-yd pass from Lane: Dupin PAT 11:54
• LCA: G. Davidson 29-yd run: Dupin PAT 10:13
• LCA: Lane 3-yd run: Dupin PAT 5:26
• LCA: Skates 29-yd pass from Lane: Dupin PAT 0:39
3rd Quarter
• LCA: Belford 43-yd run: Dunn PAT 1:40
4th Quarter
• Amherst Co: Sweeney 1-yd run: Rodes PAT 9:18