Liberty shuts out Basic, wins third consecutive league title

Liberty’s football team spent the entire Class 4A Southeast League season making strong statements, and Thursday night was an emphatic exclamation point.

The second-ranked Patriots scored on their first four posessions and rolled to a 50-0 home win over Basic to claim their third consecutive league title and seventh in eight years.

Kenyon Oblad completed 10 of 16 passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns for Liberty (8-1, 5-0), and teammate Cervontes White caught three passes for 126 yards and two TDs.

“I was super happy with the way we came out tonight,” Patriots coach Rich Muraco said. “It was senior night, so I was worried about emotions and focus, but we probably played our best game right out of the gate.”

Liberty needed just one play to nab the lead, going ahead 7-0 on a 76-yard Zyrus Fiaseu TD sprint up the middle.

The Patriots’ second score also required just one play, as Oblad connected with Terris Hamilton for a 47-yard TD pass to make it 14-0 with 10:14 left in the first quarter.

Oblad hit White and Marquez Powell with 30-yard scoring passes before the end of the quarter, giving Liberty a 28-0 lead. The senior quarterback wasn’t quite finished, as he completed an 86-yard pass to White just before halftime to give the Patriots a 36-0 lead at the break.

Liberty’s defense had little trouble with the Wolves, allowing just 88 yards on the night while forcing four turnovers. It was the second consecutive shutout for Liberty, which outscored opponents 92-0 in its final two regular-season games.

“That’s sort of a goal for us,” Muraco said of the shutout. “We want to show that we’re one of the best defenses in the state, if not the West Coast.”

Basic’s only sustained drive started late in the first quarter, going 14 plays and 64 yards. A fumble at the Liberty 14-yard line ended the threat, which was aided by a key fourth-down penalty by the Patriots.

Penalties were the one problem for Liberty, which drew 13 flags, including pass interference calls on three consecutive plays late in the fourth quarter.

“It’s hard because you want the kids to play with emotion,” Muraco said. “It’s hard to fault the kids because they were just playing hard. It’s something we’ll have to address.”

Basic nearly broke the shutout on its final drive, moving the ball to the Liberty 3-yard line in the closing seconds. But an incomplete pass ran out the clock, marking the beginning of the Patriots celebration.

Fiaseu finished with 134 yards on four carries to help the Patriots, and Powell added 72 yards on three receptions.

Paul Myro completed 9 of 19 passes for 38 yards to lead Basic (3-6, 2-3).