(Merle Bertrand Photo) LHHS Junior Varsity players Andrew Jackson (64), Robert Salvatierra (#76) and Alec Hersberger (#11) run down the Lampasas QB during action at Panthers Stadium.
By Merle Bertrand, Sportswriter
It finally felt like football weather Thursday night (Oct. 27). With temperatures dropping sharply and blustery winds blowing intermittent spits of rain -- and the occasional punted football –- sideways, Panthers Stadium would not have been a hospitable locale for a pass-happy spread offense.
Fortunately the autumnal conditions scarcely affected the ground-oriented Liberty Hill JV Panthers, as they eased to a workmanlike 30-8 victory over the similarly grounded Lampasas JV Badgers.
The Panthers went right to work on the opening possession, as Nick Barrios, Will Fromme, and Bradley Noel tag-teamed a 12-play, 80-yard drive that consumed nearly half the opening quarter. Barrios eventually plunged across the Goal Line from 3-yards out. Tyler Vickers’ conversion pass to Drew Martin – the only completion by either team the entire night – staked the Panthers to an early 8-0 lead.
Liberty Hill’s defense forced a quick three-and-out on the Badgers, but a muffed punt placed the Panthers in harm’s way on their own five. They failed to move the ball and the snap on Liberty Hill’s punt attempt sailed through the End Zone for a Badgers Safety.
After the Badgers mounted their only sustained drive of the night following Liberty Hill’s free kick to tie the score at eight apiece, the freezing folks in the grandstands settled in for a nerve wracking duel.
However, the Badgers would never threaten again.
Instead, the Panthers embarked on an 11-play, 51 yard drive that chewed up most of the second quarter. Barrios powered in from the 1-yard line for his second TD run of the night and Noel found the Goal Line on the conversion to put the Panthers back on top, 16-8.
After a scoreless third quarter, Cody Maupin joined Fromme and Noel on a 14-play, 72-yard slog across the not-quite-frozen Panther tundra. Fromme finished off the drive with a punishing 12-yard run to stake Liberty Hill to a safe 22-8 bulge.
Just over four-minutes later, the same threesome was at it again, this time with Maupin bulling into pay dirt and adding a conversion run for the final 30-8 score.
The Panthers piled up 274 yards on the ground behind their fearsome foursome, with Fromme cracking the century mark for the second week in a row.
The Panthers defense surrendered only 204 yards of total offense and kept Liberty Hill in good field position throughout the night.
Liberty Hill’s JV squad closes out the season on the road against archrival Burnet Thursday night (Nov. 3).
