Liberty vs Lakeview

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Liberty vs Lakeview Oct. 3. 2008.

By Joe Scalzo

Lakeview committed four turnovers and surrendered 250 yards to the speedy back.

CORTLAND — His jersey was dirty and his body was sore and all he wanted to do was sit down. But as the rest of his team trotted back to the locker room, Fitzgerald Toussaint had to stay behind.

As always, reporters were waiting.

“I’m not sure I can stay,” he said. “I might get yelled at.”

Not likely. Not after running for 250 of the toughest yards of his career to keep his team undefeated, no small feat considering 11 guys had spent the last two hours following his every move.

“That’s the most aggressive team I’ve ever played against — ever,” said Toussaint following the Leopards’ 20-16 win over Lakeview Friday. “They came out hard. They came out with a speed I’ve never seen before.

“I thought I was fast, but they were fast.”

They were also desperate. The Bulldogs (4-3, 0-2 All American Conference White) entered the game in a must-win situation and played like it, finding ways to stay in a game that could have been over much sooner.

But after the Leopards (7-0, 3-0) forced three fumbles and started stuffing Lakeview’s top weapon, running back Ben Moody, Bulldogs quarterback Justin Clark put the team on his 5-foot-10 frame and starting making plays.

With just under two minutes left, it looked like he’d make enough.

Then, on first-and-10 at the Liberty 28, Clark made the only mistake of his night, lofting a pass into the end zone that was picked off by Liberty defensive back Brandon Martin.

It was Lakeview’s fourth turnover and it was fatal.

“In big games like this, turnovers are usually the backbreaker,” Lakeview coach Tom Pavlansky said. “Justin put the ball where he needed to put it [all game]. I know he wants that last one back, but Justin is not the reason we lost this football game, that’s for sure.”

Toussaint was. The Michigan recruit did his damage on 30 carries, scoring two touchdowns and a two-point conversion while helping his team rally from a 14-6 deficit. And he got better as the game wore on. His first 16 carries went for 85 yards. His last 14 went for 165.

“I think we were kind of wearing them down a little bit,” Toussaint said. “You know, I give it up to the line most importantly. The played their hearts out.”

Toussaint’s breakthrough run came two plays after Lakeview took the lead midway through the third quarter. On second-and-10 at his own 29, Toussaint finally found the cutback lane he’d been waiting for all night and (almost) did the rest, scooting 62 yards down the right sideline before slipping and falling at the 9 on a juke attempt.

“I thought we kept him contained except for that one play,” Pavlansky said. “I think he ran three left turns and three right turns [on that play].

“He’s a great, great back and our kids hit him. I think he’ll be sore tomorrow.”

Toussaint admitted as much.

“I’m feeling like a mug,” he said.

(That’s a bad thing, by the way.)

Clark finished 7-of-14 for 119 yards, while Moody had 74 yards on 19 carries and blocked an extra point, forcing Liberty to take an intentional safety with just over two minutes left. Michael Graham added three receptions for 64 yards.

Other than a 24-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Cleveland to Isaiah Bell in the first quarter, Liberty’s other offensive weapons didn’t do much. But they protected the ball on offense and the Leopards’ special teams forced three Lakeview fumbles — all on kickoff returns.

“I don’t think they [Lakeview] put the ball on the ground by themselves,” Liberty coach Jeff Whittaker said. “We feel really good about coming up here on their homecoming and winning a football game. That’s special.

“Yeah, they made us work for it, and they made us work for it because they’re a good football team.”

scalzo@vindy.com