For the first time this season, the Liberty Hawks football team was able to play on campus in its own stadium on a brand-new turf field, and made sure to open with a victory.
Liberty totally dominated the Mendota Aztecs on Friday with a 60-14 victory to head to Friday’s regular-season finale against Chowchilla with a chance to tie for a league championship.
The 60 points was the most points scored against Mendota in the program’s history, and the 46 point differential was the second highest between the two teams.
The Hawks rushed for 539 yards against the Aztecs, the third highest total in school history, and just one yard behind the 540 they gained earlier this season against Hoover.
Liberty junior running back Henry Bilskey continued his trek in the Liberty record books. He rushed for 255 yards, and six touchdowns against Mendota. He did that on just nine carries, and averaged more than 28 yards per carry. The rushing total was the sixth highest in Liberty history and Bilskey’s third 200-plus yard rushing game this season.
Bilskey has 1,728 yards rushing this season, and is ranked No. 3 all-time. He also has 25 rushing touchdowns, also tied for third. He has scored 174 points this year, third most all time.
Tyler McCamey rushed for 138 yards on nine carries, averaging 15.3 yards per carry. The Hawks also had two other backs with 60 or more yards — Tristan Ruiz with 77 yards on seven carries and Boston Wood with 62 yards on five carries.
The Hawks gained 609 yards of total offense, and averaged 14.5 yards per play. Liberty scored on all nine possessions.
The defense held Mendota to just 178 yards, and 4.3 yards per play. The Hawks had a fumble recovery, an interception and nine tackles for loss.
However, the Hawks committed 14 penalties for 128 yards while the Aztecs did not have a penalty called against them.
The Hawks took the opening kick-off, and marched down the field. Brody Wilhelm took the opening kickoff 34 yards to the Liberty 49, and it took just four plays to find the end zone.
Bilskey gained 16 yards on the first play. Two plays later, Von Flue hit Bilskey for a 20-yard gain to the eight. Bilskey finished the drive with his first touchdown just 1:13 into the game for a 7-0 lead.
The Liberty defense, led by Austin Graham, forced a Mendota punt. The Hawks then drove 68 yards on six plays to add to their lead. McCamey opened the drive with a 14-yard run.
Von Flue completed a 21-yard pass-and-run to Bilskey to the Mendota 33. After a five-yard gain by Ruiz, McCamey carried for seven, and a first down.
Bilskey finished the drive with a counter off the left side for a 21-yard touchdown run and a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Mendota answered with a 12-play, 70-yard drive to cut the lead in half. Liberty helped with two penalties for 23 yards that led to a one-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds left in the first quarter.
It didn’t take the Hawks long to answer. McCamey started the next drive with a 14-yard gain to close the first quarter. Bilskey opened the second quarter by breaking though to the Mendota secondary for a 47-yard touchdown run, and a 21-7 lead just eight seconds into the second quarter.
The Hawks forced a punt, and drove 81 yards on just four plays for a score. McCamey gained 38-yards on the first play. Tristan Ruiz broke off a 21-yard run, his longest of his career. McCamey gained 19, and Ruiz finished the drive from 13 yards out for a 28-7 lead with 8:47 left in the half.
Mendota converted and third-and-four, and completed a 45-yard pass on a post pattern up the middle for a touchdown to cut the Liberty lead in half.
The Hawks answered the Mendota score on just four plays. Von Flue completed an eight-yard pass to Wilhelm on third-and-four. On the next play, Bilskey went off the left side, and outran the Mendota defense for a 50-yard touchdown run to give the Hawks a 34-14 lead.
The Aztecs returned the kick-off to near midfield. Three passes gave the Aztecs a first down to the Liberty 34. On the next play, Mendota tried a long pass over the middle, but Bilskey picked off the pass, and returned it to the 38.
McCamey gained 16 yards on the first play. After an incomplete pass, Bilskey broke off a run off the right side, and went right up the middle for a 57-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left in the first half for a 41-14 halftime lead.
Two plays into the second half, Deegan Shandor forced a fumble, and Ruiz recovered.
McCamey and Ruiz gained 31 yards on two plays. Then, Von Flue hit McCamey on the right on a screen pass. McCamey cut across the field and found Brody Sisco blocking a Mendota defender. McCamey followed Sisco who engaged the defender all the way to the end zone for a 47-14 lead.
Mendota got another return to near midfield. On fourth-and-eight, Bilskey stuffed Mendota for a two-yard gain. Two plays later, Bilskey went around the right side, and down the sideline for a 43-yard touchdown run for a 54-14 lead to put the game away.
After a Mendota punt, the Hawks went on a nine-play, 48-yard drive highlighted by a Wood 56-yard run after a Liberty holding penalty. On fourth-and-goal from the seven, Wood got the carry off the right side, and found a running lane into the end zone for hist first touchdown of the season with five minutes left in the running clock fourth quarter.