[Baltimore Sun] Anthony Rodrigues scores game-winning touchdown as South Carroll football defeats Liberty, 34-28, in overtime thriller
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Once again, the South Carroll-Liberty matchup had it all.
Liberty came in undefeated in county play, armed with one of the area’s most dangerous offensive weapons in Tristan West and a quarterback that loves to throw, not just to him, but to the others that find themselves open due to the extra attention No. 0 commands.
Their challenge Friday? A pesky and persistent Cavaliers squad, featuring two hard-working running backs that refuse to be tackled by just one person, an opportunistic defense and an offensive unit coming off a great performance in a losing effort.
Both teams brought it all to the “Lions Den” as the Cavaliers and Lions refused to let up. In the end, one man made the ultimate play: Anthony Rodrigues.
The Cavaliers’ workhorse, Rodrigues’ 25th rush of the night was the second one he took to the house. This one, a 10-yard touchdown, ended the game in overtime, capping off the 34-28 overtime victory for South Carroll on Friday night.
“I just saw the gap and hit it,” Rodrigues said. “Cut to the outside, made a man miss and took it to the pylon.”
Deadlocked at 28 and with its back against the wall to start overtime, the South Carroll defense forced a Liberty field goal attempt. After the snap went over everyone’s head, the Cavaliers successfully held the Lions scoreless and the offense took over, only needing one play to finish the game off and head back home victorious.
“At the end of the day, they made one more play than us and that was the difference,” Liberty coach Lawrence Luthe said. “When these two teams play it’s always a battle.”
A one-play touchdown drive was most fitting way for the Cavaliers to end the game as quick strikes were the staple of the South Carroll offense early in the game.
After Liberty opened the game with an eight-play drive capped off by a David Akinboye touchdown run, the Cavaliers responded with a three-play drive where after a 60-yard Rodrigues run, quarterback Caleb Evans found Brayden Yeager to match Liberty’s opening drive score with one of their own.
“I’m just proud of the way we executed tonight,” South Carroll coach Chris Sturdivant, who filled in for an absent Mike Crumley, said. “Offensively, we wanted to keep the ball on the ground and really grind it out, it’s what we do best.”
From there an intense back-and-forth started and everyone in attendance was ready for the wild ride.
Liberty matched the hard-nosed, tough running style of Rodrigues their own running back, Kevin Poole. The senior did a little bit of everything for the Lions offense, even hauling in screen passes for big gains as he scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown in front of his raucous home crowd.
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Even the quarterbacks engaged in one-upsmanship as Miller’s lone touchdown pass to Poole was matched by Evans, who threw for one score and ran for another as both guys gave it their all and ran their units.
However, when the two defenses decided to put their stamp the game, both secondaries took advantage despite being tested often, combining for six interceptions.
The Lions picked off Evans twice and not to be outdone, Cavaliers got Miller three times and wide receiver Colin Martin once after a blown trick play in the fourth quarter.
“We had a great defensive game plan the whole week,” Brayden Mazalewski, who intercepted two passes, said. “We knew they ran a pass-heavy offense so, we played them well and had great communication the whole game.”
Coming through with a huge road win, the Cavaliers left Liberty with a newfound confidence after seemingly shocking the area with the upset victory.
After a slow start, the Cavaliers are rolling and with two weeks of great offensive showings, the emergence of a playmaking defense and homecoming next week, the Cavaliers are ready to go on a run as they look to finish up the county slate strong and ensure that they are playing their best football when it matters the most.
“Last week was a wake up call for us,” Sturdivant said. “Tonight we came out, had a strong, solid game plan and were just solid all around. I think this shows the future is really bright for us moving forward the rest of the season.”
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