CHOWCHILLA — With an undefeated season on the line, the Chowchilla Tribe took advantage of a late Liberty Hawks fumble to score the go-ahead touchdown for a 22-21 victory to complete an undefeated regular season.
The Hawks had a chance to win the game late after a long kick-off return by Henry Bilskey. However, the Hawks were forced to attempt a 40-yard field goal, and it went wide.
The Tribe jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but the Hawks scored three straight touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Chowchilla drove to the Liberty one, and was stuffed. The Hawks tried to drive their way down the field, but fumbled, and the Tribe recovered. It was only Liberty’s third lost fumble of the year, and its fifth turnover.
Chowchilla quarterback Tristan Beardsley scored on the next play, and ran in the two-point conversion to give the Tribe the win.
In a battle of No. 9’s, Liberty’s No. 9, Bilskey, came out on top in a battle against Chowchilla’s Nathan Fuentes. Bilskey rushed for 152 yards, and a touchdown. He caught two passes for 40 yards, and a touchdown. He made nine tackles, and returned a kick 54 yards to set the Hawks up for a winning score.
Chowchilla’s No. 9, Fuentes, had 15 carries for 76 yards, and scored a pair of touchdowns.
Liberty outgained the Tribe, who were the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Div. IV playoffs, 319-252. Quarterback Brody Von Flue also threw for 117 yards.
The Tribe took the opening kick-off, and drove 67 yards on 11 plays to get on the scoreboard. The Tribe only faced one third down on the drive.
The Tribe scored from a yard out for a 6-0 lead after the point after was missed with seven minutes left in the first quarter.
The Hawks started to drive down the field. Von Flue found Bilskey for 17-yards on third-and-nine. Austin Graham caught a deflected pass for 14-yards on third-and-six. Von Flue found Graham, again, for an 18-yard gain to the Chowchilla 25.
However, the drive stalled. Von Flue’s pass to Tyler McCamey went for five yards on fourth-and-nine.
Chowchilla then went on a nine-play, 81-yard drive to find the end zone, again. The big play was a 29-yard pass play to get into Liberty territory. Beardsley converted a third-and-three with an eight-yard run. Three plays later, Fuentes found the end zone, and ran in the conversion for a 14-0 lead with 10:31 left in the half.
The Hawks answered the Chowchilla touchdown three plays later. Bilskey got the ball up the middle, and broke through the middle of the Tribe defense. He outran Fuentes to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown run. Carter Imperatrice hit the extra point to cut the lead in half.
The Hawks defense forced a three-and-out, but the Hawks also went three-and-out.
After an initial first down, the Hawks defense forced a turnover on downs. Benni Lounbandith stuffed the Tribe for a loss of one on fourth-and-three.
With time running out in the first half, Von Flue gained two on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-one. He ran for 11 yards two plays later.
Von Flue then sent a pass down the right sideline. McCamey went over a defender to make the catch at the 18-yard line for a 31-yard gain with 14 seconds left in the half.
After a false start penalty, Von Flue threw a ball to the back of the end zone. The ball went over the Chowchilla defender’s hands, and into the arms of a diving Bilskey in the back of the end zone. Imperatrice’s extra point tied the game at 14 at the half.
The Hawks were stuffed on fourth down to open the second half.
Chowchilla got a first down on fourth-and-one to start its next drive. Bilskey and McCamey came up with back-to-back pass break-ups to force a punt.
But, Von Flue was sacked twice, and had to punt. A holding penalty led to a Chowchilla punt, and the Hawks took the lead after a punt that went for negative one yard.
Bilskey gained five on third-and-four. Bilskey gained nine for another first down.
McCamey got the carry off left tackle. He went through the first line and bowled over two defenders at the 10, and kept his feet for a 21-yard touchdown run 33 seconds into the fourth quarter for a 21-14 lead.
The Tribe marched down the field on the legs of Beardsley. He gained 41 yards on three straight carries. He took the ball to the eight for a first-and-goal.
Felipe Chavarria and Bilskey stopped Fuentes at the three. Beardsley tried to run, but Blayze Ketchum and Deegan Shandor stopped him for no gain. On third down, Levi Marsh got the call on a jet sweep, but McCamey and Tye Davis stopped him at the one.
Beardsley got the call on fourth-and-goal, and tried to find running room to the right. He tried to get to the corner of the end zone, but McCamey was there for the stuff for no gain, and turn the ball over on downs.
The Hawks got a first down run by McCamey. But, two plays later, Liberty fumbled, and the Tribe recovered.
Beardlsey scored on the next play, and ran in the two-point conversion for a 22-21 lead with 3:27 left in the game.
Bilskey returned the ensuing kick-off 54 yards to the Chowchilla 22. Von Flue threw incomplete on the first play of the drive, but the Tribe was hit with a roughing the passer penalty to move the ball to the Tribe 27.
The Hawks only gained four yards from there, and Imperatrice was called for a 40-yard field goal with 1:37 left in the game, but he missed wide left.
The Tribe had to get a first down to end the game. On third-and-four, Liberty jumped offsides to, essentially, end the game.