Liberty Christian muscles its way past Byrd, 49-14, to return to Championship
“We had a group of guys make big plays, and we came out really locked in and focused. We played great defense.”–LCA Coach Frank Rocco
Liberty Christian Academy, Lynchburg, VA – In a 3A state semifinal repeat of last year, Liberty Christian knocked off William Byrd again, this time 49-14. LCA Coach Frank Rocco was happy with the Bulldogs performance, “We had a group of guys make big plays, and we came out really locked in and focused. We played great defense. They (Byrd) have an outstanding passing game, and we just took them out of it today.”
Liberty took the opening kickoff and wasted little time finding pay dirt. QB/WR/OLB 5 James Deyo (3/74,3TD rush, 1/43,TD rec) took the Bulldogs third play from scrimmage in from 60-yards, less than a minute into the contest. Deyo, who plays all over the field, touched the ball four times on the afternoon and scored on all three carries, and once on a reception. LCA quickly made it 14-0 after a Byrd turnover. Again, it was Deyo, this time on the receiving end of a QB 9 Tyler Jackson (2/3,52,TD pass; 1/7,TD rush) 43-yard touchdown pass with 4:33 left in the quarter. The Bulldogs added two more scores seconds apart just before the quarter ended. Jackson scooted in from the seven yard line after RB/S 8 Gideon Davidson (15/112) delivered it down to the doorstep.
Twenty seconds later, the LCA defense delivered a score, on a DE/TE 47 Austin Trembley ‘pick 6.’ The Senior took it back 26 yards to make it 28-0 LCA. Deyo picked up where he left off in the second quarter. This time the hard running Senior scored on the ground from 3-yards out. The final score of the first half was another interception and return for a TD. DB/WR 21 Henry Maier got the theft and took it back 58-yards for six points. The Bulldogs led 42-0 at the break. The third quarter was a stalemate with neither team scoring. It’s no mistake that William Byrd has been in this state semifinal two years in a row.
RB/DB 22 Jarrett Shepherd (11/83 rush; 4/4,14,TD pass) and Freshman RB/DB 42 Gray Matthews (9/31,TD) ran hard all afternoon, but the Bulldogs were just too much in this one. Byrd QB 9 Cannin Lutz had a tough afternoon as the Bulldogs harassed the Junior signal caller all day. Coach Rocco noted the challenge the Byrd QB, “We have the ability to show a lot of different things that ends up changing into something else (after the snap). It makes it tough on a young QB.” Lutz was 6/12,38, 2INTs passing and 6/(-34) rushing. In the final quarter, Deyo added his third rushing touchdown and fourth of the day on an eleven yard run.
Byrd continued to battle, scoring twice in the fourth. Shepherd hit RB 3 Jalen Toler on a 6-yard pass with 8:38 left. Matthews finished it up with a 20-yard TD on the ground. LCA advances to the State Championship game next Saturday against Kettle Run, a 27-7 winner over Lafayette. LCA beat Lafayette 28-14 to win the championship last year. – Wilson Andrake
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