Liberty Christian marches on to state
finals with 56-13 win over Abingdon
Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Va –State Semifinal Saturday in Class 3 saw LCA and Abingdon looking to make history as both teams were seeking their first berth into a VHSL football championship. These teams came into the game fresh off region championship wins and knowing that a victory would mean that they would be right back in Williams Stadium to face the winner of Brentsville and Phoebus for the state title. LCA came into the game having not been tested through their first twelve contests and early on Abingdon looked as if they were the team to finally do so. However, to test LCA, mistakes must be kept to a minimum, something Abingdon was unable to do. 
The Bulldogs capitalized on it. Liberty Christian scored on big plays on both sides of the ball, ultimately Bulldog RB 8 Gideon Davidson follows his block from TE 18 Dillon Stowers Abingdon RB 22 Malique Hounshell picks up yards cruising to a 56-13 victory against the Falcons and earning that first VHSL state championship berth. LCA Coach Frank Rocco was pleased with his team’s performance. “I think we played a really good game against a really good team, really well-coached.” Liberty Christian will face Phoebus, a 43-0 winner, in the Class 3 State Championship next Saturday while Abingdon’s most successful football
Freshman RB 8 Gideon Davidson heads for six
First Quarter – LCA won the coin toss and elected to receive, sending out their highly touted offense to begin the game. Abingdon came out of the gate firing on the defensive side of the ball as they forced a quick ‘3 and out’ as Abingdon took over on offense. Abingdon put together a nice drive as they drove to the LCA seventeen-yard line before electing to kick a field goal on a short fourth down. The field goal by K 42 Toby Reid would go wide left and would eventually be a turning point in this ball game. The very next play WR 1 Jaylin Belford took a hand-off on a jet sweep 85 yards to the house putting LCA up 7-0 with 5:38 remaining in the quarter Abingdon seemed unfazed on the next drive as they picked up where they left off before the missed field goal and moved down the field with ease. However, Jaylin Belford would once again make a big play by intercepting QB 1 Cole Lambert and returning it for a touchdown putting LCA up 14-0.
Second Quarter – The second quarter began with LCA forcing Abingdon to punt. On the punt, LCA was able to get back to the punter and tip the kick. The great special teams play set LCA up with excellent field position starting their next drive on the Abingdon thirty-five-yard line.
Bulldog TE 18 Dillon Stowers scores on a pass from QB 7 Davis Lane
QB 7 Davis Lane would quickly hit TE 18 Dillion Stowers on a 24-yard touchdown pass as LCA would take a commanding 21-0 lead with 10:02 remaining before halftime. Abingdon’s struggles would continue their next drive as they were forced to punt once again. On the punt, Jaylin Belford looked to return the punt but the ball would bounce right off him, and Abingdon would jump on it. The recovery not only gave Abingdon a great field position but got their fans back in the game. RB 21 Malique Hounshell took the first handoff on the next drive and simply refused to go down ripping a twenty-six-yard run in which he showed off his agility juking out defenders and then his power by running over tacklers before he was tackled by a pack of Bulldog defenders. RB 21 Malique Hounshell wasn’t finished as ran in a 9-yard touchdown on the next play to put Abingdon on the board.
Abingdon RB 22 Malique Hounshell finds room to run up the middle
LCA didn’t allow the Abingdon momentum to continue much longer as they went on a long, time-consuming drive. This drive was highlighted by runs from RB 10 Caleb Davidson and RB 8 Gideon Davidson. Ultimately, the drive would end with RB 10 Caleb Davidson scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run to put LCA up 28-7 heading into the halftime break.
RB 10 Caleb Davidson finds the goal line
OL 50 Zach Rice and TE 18 Dillon Stowers double team a Falcon D-lineman
Second Half – The second half saw LCA continue to play complementary football and really break the game scoring on plays of 38, 25, 31, and 17 yards in the third quarter. On the defensive side of the ball, LCA continued to suffocate Abingdon’s offense as they hauled in another interception and forced a fumble while holding Abingdon to just one more score to win the game 56-13 and advance to the Class 3 State Championship. 
Celebrations began shortly after the final whistle was blown and lingered on for quite a while as LCA will play for their first VHSL Football Championship in school history and in a day and season where everything has gone right for the LCA Bulldogs, Coach Rocco was choked up with emotion when he began to discuss what it meant to get one more week with this talented group. “This a great group of kids, I don’t want to see them go.” LCA will face the Phoebus next Saturday at 4:30 p.m. – Josiah Elmore
QB 7 Davis Lane cuts off a good block by WR/DB 1 Jaylin Belford for good yardage
Offense:
Rushing:
LCA – J. Belford 5/125 2 TD, C. Davidson 7/111, 2 TDs, G. Davidson 7/85, TD, D. Lane 3/39, J. Lewis 2/7
Abingdon – M. Hounshell 32, 120, TD, B. Cook 1/6, TD, G. King 2/0,
Passing: LCA – Lane 6/6, 99, 2 TD
Abingdon – G. KIng 11/24, 144, 2 INT
Receiving: LCA– D. Stowers 4/72, 2 TD, D. Jones 1/18, C. Davidson 1/9
Abingdon – H. Carter 3/65, P. McClanahan 3/54, M. Hounshell 4/24, B. Cook 1/4
Scoring:
1st Quarter
• LCA: J. Belford 85-yard rushing TD, Dupin PAT (5:38)
• LCA: J. Belford 63-yard interception TD, Dupin PAT (1:15)
2nd Quarter:
• LCA: D. Stowers 24-yard TD catch from D. Lane, Dupin (10:02)
• Abingdon: M. Hounshell 9-yard rushing TD, PAT Good (7:01)
• LCA: C. Davidson 5-yard rushing TD, Dupin (3:01)
3rd Quarter:
• LCA: G. Davidson 38-yard rushing TD, Dupin (10:00)
• Abingdon: B. Cook 6-yard rushing TD, Dupin (7:05)
• LCA: D. Stowers 24-yard TD catch from D. Lane, Dupin (4:28)
• LCA: J. Belford 31-yard rushing TD, Dupin (1:27)
• LCA: C. Davidson 17-yard rushing TD, Dupin (0:02)