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[Rocketcorner News]

By Eric Lessig

Findlay: When Liberty-Benton took a 7-0 lead after Huron's Tyler Graham fumbled the opening kickoff, things were looking bright.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, they could not maintain their good fortune.

Huron utilized its team speed and big plays to run away from Liberty-Benton and gain a 28-14 victory in the teams' Region 16 matchup on Saturday night at Liberty-Benton High School.

"We have some team speed, you know," long-time Huron head coach Tony Legando said. "You think we're coming out of nowhere, but the people in our league know what we have to offer.

"We knew we had the explosiveness, but we didn't know what was going to happen because film lies to you a little bit about speed and everything."

That explosiveness was on display on the Tigers' opening possession. On the fifth play of the drive, Spencer Maddox took the handoff around left end, made it to the second level of the Liberty-Benton defense, and raced 52 yards for a touchdown to knot the game at 7-all at the 7:18 mark of the first quarter.

Liberty-Benton moved the ball into the red zone on the ensuing possession, but could not score. A 13-yard scramble by sophomore quarterback Nathan Craft would have given the Eagles a 1st and goal at the 5-yard line, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty. The Eagles eventually gave the ball back to Huron after Craft's fourth down scramble came up short of the first down marker.

Having success moving the football, but being unable to cash in, was very frustrating to Liberty-Benton head coach Tim Nichols.

"For us offensively, we had some things and we could move the ball, but then we'd get down there toward that red zone, and found things a little bit tougher," Nichols said. "It seemed like we would struggle, maybe put together nine or ten plays, whatever would come of our drives, and then they (Huron) would cover the field in two or three."

Huron made Liberty-Benton pay for its inefficiency on the following drive. Tommy Bogden's 2-yard run gave the Tigers a 14-7 lead, one that they would never relinquish, at the 10:41 mark of the second quarter.

The score was set up by senior quarterback Cody Thompson's 75-yard run on 3rd and 4.

"He's a special athlete, that's why he's going to Toledo. He's a good football player. He uses his tools well," Legando said.

It was not until late in the third quarter that Liberty-Benton showed signs of life and got back into the ball game. Austin Combs's 1-yard run cut Huron's lead to 21-14, but the momentum was short-lived. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Cody Thompson connected with Nick Stauffer deep down the left sideline for a 43-yard gain and then snuck over from 1-yard out with 10:55 remaining to give the Tigers a much-needed two touchdown cushion.

"I'm proud of our seniors, proud of our kids," Nichols said. "I think we had a mindset that we really wanted to try to make a run similar to last year, but that's why they call them the playoffs. And the better team won tonight."

Liberty-Benton ends its Blanchard Valley Conference championship season with a 9-1 record. Huron, now 8-3, advances to play Loudonville (10-1) next Saturday night at Ken Dukes Stadium in Medina. The Redbirds defeated West Salem Northwestern 20-8.

Score by Quarters

Huron -- 7 14 0 7 -- 28

L-B -- 7 0 7 0 -- 14


Scoring Summary

First Quarter

L-B -- Combs 2-yard run (Fowler kick), 9:25
H -- Maddox 52-yard run (Zeck kick), 7:18


Second Quarter

H -- Bogden 2-yard run (Zeck kick), 10:41
H -- Souter 12-yard pass from Thompson (Zeck kick)


Third Quarter

L-B -- Combs 1-yard run (Fowler kick), 1;44


Fourth Quarter

H -- Thompson 1-yard run (Zeck kick), 10:55


Team Statistics

First Downs: Huron – 11, Liberty-Benton - 16

Rushes-Yards: Huron – 37 for 271, Liberty-Benton – 37 for 156

Pass Attempts-Completions-INT: Huron – 7-6-0, Liberty-Benton – 30-18-1

Passing Yards: Huron – 98, Liberty-Benton – 148

Total Offense: Huron – 369, Liberty-Benton – 304

Penalties-Yards: Huron – 6 for 37, Liberty-Benton – 6 for 65


Individual Statistics

Rushing

Huron: Maddox 3-109,TD; Thompson 14-108, TD; Harris 8-36; Dowell 5-10; Bogden 3-7, TD; Team 3-(minus-6)

Liberty-Benton: Combs 19-96, 2 TD; Craft 13-38; Bell 4-18; Webb 2-4

Passing

Huron: Thompson 6-7, 98 yards, TD

Liberty-Benton: Craft 18-29, 148 yards; Combs 0-1, 0 yards, INT

Receiving

Huron: Stauffer 2-58; Maddox 2-27; Souter 1-12; Dewey 1-1

Liberty-Benton: Cook 7-57; Lawson 4-41; Combs 3-28; Bell 3-14; Webb 1-8