By Ryan Buck

sports@vindy.com

LIBERTY

A soft drizzle, falling temperatures, and a conference title on the line in a back-and-forth ballgame. Welcome to late-October football in the Mahoning Valley.

After overcoming a 14-0 deficit with 20 unanswered points, Liberty was one play, one second and one defensive stand from an improbable All-American Conference National Division title.

Lakeview quarterback Erich Schmitt lofted a well-thrown toss to the back-right corner of the Liberty end zone intended for receiver Ryan Pishotti amid a swarm of Liberty defenders.

“That final play I was looking at 20 different things,” said first-year Liberty coach Brian Jones. “I was looking at the line, at the quarterback and at the coverage. I just saw the ball go up and I knew he threw it deep or it could go out of bounds. I just saw the ball pop out.”

A well-timed swat from a Liberty defensive back knocked the bobbled 16-yard pass to the turf. Liberty (8-1) had claimed the outright conference title, a year removed from a winless campaign.

“We had a nice turnaround and the kids are playing 48 minutes against tough football teams,” Jones said.

The Leopards weathered a first quarter dominated by the Bulldogs (5-4). On their first drive, Schmitt found Jake Pishotti wide open down the right sideline for a 41-yard TD.

Elijah Henderson, off a direct snap, capped the Bulldogs’ second drive with a 28-yard TD run behind a dominating line for a 14-0 lead.

“That’s where the strength of our team is,” Lakeview coach Tom Pavlansky said. “Their contact ratio is 100-percent on every play. They’ve got to like that contact.”

Running backs Henderson, Michael Mannella and Evan McCollum controlled the game’s tempo and the clock.

Tailback Sherron Walls and the Liberty offense found a rhythm into the second quarter, but miscues and penalties around the goal line cost them. Lakeview stopped Walls on fourth-and-1 with 6:29 to go in the half. Two penalties nullified two apparent scores on their next possession and they went into halftime down 14-3.

“From there, it just clicked in our minds, ‘It’s time to go, it’s time to win,’ ” Liberty’sJohn Helms said.

Asim Peas found Helms on a drag route across the back of the end zone with 3:47 left in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 14-10.

Tyler Evans recovered a Lakeview fumble four plays later at the Liberty 40-yard line.

On second-and-goal from the Lakeview 7, Pleas found Helms open in the flat to his left.

“I saw Asim roll out,” Helms said. “I stayed back, let the ball come to me. Once I got the ball in my hands, it was north-and-south, straight up-field.”

Helms broke a couple tackles before diving over the pylon for the lead 17-14 lead with 10:16 left in the game. Justin House’s 24-yard field goal preceded Lakeview’s final drive.