The Spartans were fed to the Lions last Friday night at Liberty High's Ohmstede Field. The 28-12 victory over Vallejo's Hogan High was due in large part to the strong running of Nate Humphrey, who scored three TDs, and a tenacious D that made itself known from the start.
The Lions sacked the Spartan quarterback on the first play of the game, which immediately led to Hogan's first timeout. Whatever was said during that timeout wasn't very effective, however, because the Lions sacked their quarterback on the second play of the game as well, leading to a three-and-out.
The Lion offense came out roaring with a 53-yard drive featuring several Humphrey runs up the middle, including a four-yarder for the score. A two-point conversion gave Liberty an 8-0 lead they would never relinquish.
Hogan regained its footing on its next possession, using up much of the rest of the quarter marching 68 yards for the score. A missed extra point gave Liberty an 8-6 lead.
The highlight of Liberty's next possession, a 63-yard drive, was a 31-yard bomb from quarterback Jordan Smith to Nolan Roe. Smith then ran it in on a keeper from the one-yard line. With no further scoring in the rest of the quarter, it was Liberty 14-6 over the Spartans at the half, prompting a loud lion's roar from the loudspeakers.
Liberty's Josh Deitz returned the kickoff that opened the second half back to the Hogan 41. On the drive, Humphrey broke away from a tackler up the middle and ran down the left sideline to the 12. He scored three plays later, giving the Lions a 21-6 lead.
Liberty put it on ice in its next possession, a 74-yard drive spotlighting the running of Adam Leines, who gained nearly 100 yards on the night. Humphrey, who ended up with more than 150 yards, then punched it in from three inches out.
The Spartans' last conversion came on a quarterback run on first and goal from the 26 after having been pushed back by double penalties. The two-point conversion failed, providing the final 28-12 score after the Lion defense kicked into high gear again to shut down the Spartans in the fourth quarter.
After the game, head coach Nate Smith complimented his team for taking control in the first quarter and stepping it up in the second half. I thought we did a real good job up front, said Smith. Offensively, I thought we put together our most complete game tonight. Overall, I was pleased with the offensive performance. As far as controlling the line of scrimmage, I thought we did a good job tonight.
Liberty's win brought them up to 2-2 on the season, while Hogan dropped to 1-3. The Lions will have their paws full tonight as they take on 4-0 Oakland High in Oakland.
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