Footballl: Liberty’s passing, rushing attacks in high gear in opener
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VACAVILLE – Liberty’s offensive attack looked fine-tuned in the first half of its 49-24 victory Friday over Vacaville in the opening night of high school football this season.
The Lions had 200 total offensive yards in both the first and second quarters, as they held a comfortable 35-7 halftime advantage.
“First half was awesome. We came out, we smacked them in the mouth and connected on some passes,” Liberty coach Ryan Partridge said. “Got a little complacent in the second half, but overall we’re happy with a win against a really tough Vacaville team.”
Liberty quarterback Jay Butterfield, who is Oregon-Bound, showed why he is rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports. Butterfield completed 14 of his 26 passes for 306 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was 11-of-17 for 242 yards and one TD in the first half.
“Put up big numbers in the first half, everyone did,” Butterfield said. “We controlled the first half. The second half, we came out very slow.”
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Cody Muth had an outstanding game at receiver for Liberty. The senior caught a game-high six passes for 190 yards, including a 65-yard pass in stride for a touchdown that gave the Lions a two-touchdown lead early in the second quarter.
Liberty’s Brenden Bell had touchdowns in both halves. The senior scored on a pair of 3-yard runs in the first half, then scampered 98 yards on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter. He finished with a game-high 143 yards rushing.
Darrion Bartley was also explosive for the Lions. He rushed for two touchdowns in the first half on 18- and 29-yard runs, then caught a 24-yard pass from Butterfield in the left corner of the end zone in the third quarter.
The closest Vacaville got after that was 42-24 with a little over three minutes left in the game. But Bell’s kickoff return gave Liberty a quick answer with another touchdown.
Liberty was playing without lineman Akili Calhoun, who has 11 scholarship offers. Calhoun tweaked his knee a week-and-a-half ago. Partridge said that Calhoun should be back in a few weeks.