Flashes give Liberty a scare

Champion had Liberty on the ropes until the Leopards pulled out a 16-10 win to stay unbeaten.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CHAMPION -- When your football program has won once since 2003, being competitive in any game is a thrill.
So imagine the sensations that were charging a squad that has lost 21 of its past 22 games when Champion High had perennial Trumbull Athletic Conference powerhouse Liberty on the ropes in the fourth quarter.
With time ticking down and the score tied at 10, the teams were well aware that the next big play could be a game-changer.
Rescuing the Leopards was defensive back-wide receiver Donovan Fletcher.
The senior's interception, followed by a 30-yard reception from quarterback David Ferrell, set up Dania Gillam's 10-yard touchdown run with 2:01 remaining to keep Liberty unbeaten with a 16-10 victory.
Observation
"They are much improved from last year," Fletcher said of the Flashes (1-3, 0-1 TAC). "They came out with a lot of heart and a lot of pride, and they came out ready to go tonight."
The Flashes had one last chance, but the Leopards (4-0, 1-0) chased quarterback Chad Kinkead into three incomplete passes and a sack to seal the victory.
"It was a delight," Champion coach John Gibson said. "I hope this gives them some belief in themselves because we realize we played an excellent football team.
"It also should give them a bond as a team because we knew we didn't have a shot without a great team effort," Gibson said.
John Humphrey's 23-yard field goal on the Leopards' first possession gave Liberty a 3-0 lead.
But the Flashes held on the next series and David Hofmeister's block of Humphrey's punt sparked Champion to a lead.
Kinkead's 1-yard plunge capped Champion's 37-yard drive and Ron Fularz's extra-point kick put the Flashes ahead, 7-3, early in the second quarter.
Quick response
Liberty responded quickly after Chris Harden's 51-yard kickoff return. Five plays later, Ferrell scored from the 1. Humphrey's extra-point gave the Leopards a 10-7 lead.
Late in the half, Liberty's Robert Hightower fumbled at midfield and Champion's Greg Woodyard recovered. Kinkead marched the Flashes to the 16 where Fularz kicked a 32-yard field goal as time ran out.
"We were in a dogfight," said Liberty coach Jeff Whittaker. "Those kids played with a tremendous amount of heart and confidence. They were hungry for a win."
In a seesaw second half, the Leopards had the only decent scoring chance in the first 20 minutes.
Liberty nearly scored on what would have been a 99-yard drive when Ferrell tossed a long pass to Fletcher near the Champion goal line.
"I went for it but I think the DB [defensive back Tom Conrad] deflected it," Fletcher said. "I went up but the ball was batted down. I kind of felt like I let the team down when I didn't catch it but you have to suck it up and keep playing."
A fumble on the next play ended the Leopards' threat.
Tackling good
"We didn't make many spectacular plays, but until we got tired, we tackled better than we've tackled all year," Gibson said.
With time running down, the Leopards defenders flushed Kinkead into a pressured throw at midfield. Fletcher picked it off and ran 58 yards, but a holding penalty negated the score.
Moments later, Ferrell hit Fletcher over the middle for a 30-yard gain. Three plays later, Gillam scored on a trap run.
"I thought we played physical in the second half," Whittaker said. "We had to get over the idea that we were just going to come out and everything was going to be easy for us.
"We made a lot of mistakes and they were very aggressive and physical," Whittaker said. "It was extremely good for us to have a team play us physical like that. It made us grow up a lot on both sides of the ball."
Some stats
Ferrell completed 3-of-6 passes for 50 yards and rushed for 73 yards on 12 runs. Gillam had 49 yards on 13 carries.
For Champion, Matt Popadak rushed 15 times for 56 yards and Kinkead completed 3-of-12 tosses for 39 yards.
"Offensively, we're not pleased," Gibson said. "We can't win unless we maintain the ball and we were sporadic tonight.
"Defensively ... hopefully, we've found our niche," Gibson said. "This is the first time we've been able to match up with a team with as much speed as Liberty."
williams@vindy.com