After several come-from-behind wins this season, Liberty North led from start to finish as they beat Blue Springs South 34-10 Friday night in Liberty.
The Eagles built a 10-point lead by the start of the second half and removed any doubt by the end of the third quarter.
Zac Willingham-Davis punched it in from 10 yards out to make it a 20-3 lead with 9:10 left in the third. The Eagles' fumble recovery at the South 36, led to a 12-yard rushing score by Cayden Arzola and a 24-point advantage.
Willingham-Davis notched his second rushing TD of the quarter at the 3:38 mark and it was 34-3 heading into the fourth.
"I don't know what it is, but we don't come out and play the first half very well," Liberty North head coach Greg Jones said. "I think they save everything for the third quarter. I've got to figure out a way to make us come out and perform better in the first half."
North stopped South on downs on the first drive of the game and quickly put up points.
A completion to Kaidan Armmstead moved the Eagles into the red zone and set up a 35-yard field goal by Blake Craig to give the home team the early lead at 7:38 of the first.
The North defense remained stout, but the Eagles again stalled deep in South territory early in the second quarter.
Craig connected on his second field goal – this one from 38 yards – to make it 6-0 with 10:32 left in the half.
North’s defense was again the catalyst, recovering a fumble just two plays later at the Jaguars’ 23-yard line.
A conversion on fourth-and-15 kept the ensuing drive alive, and Willingham-Davis, who finished with 112 yards on 13 carries, ran it in from 7 yards out moments later to put the Eagles ahead 13-0.
An interception by D'Avion Stokes allowed Blue Springs South to get on the scoreboard before the end of the half. The Jaguars converted the turnover into points when Drew Penniston booted a 26-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 13-3 at halftime.
The Eagles head into the postseason at 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the Suburban Big Eight, having won six in a row.
"We tell the kids, just keep believing and keep working to get better," Jones said. "Hats off to these kids for having that mindset and doing it. Last year we went through the year 11-0 and didn't face adversity, but now we've had to face adversity and deal with it. It's like life, we always deal with adversity. These kids are learning life lessons on and off the field."
MJ Overstreet scored on a 3-yard run with 15 seconds left for Blue Springs South’s lone touchdown.
Zander Dombrowski filled in at quarterback for South for the injured Luke Fellers and ran for 76 yards on 21 carries. Overstreet finished with 63 yards on 17 carries for the Jaguars, who finished the regular season 1-8 and 0-7.
