Following at 0-2 start to the season at home the Hays High Indians took off for Liberal on Friday in search of their first road contest of the season. Liberal entered the game at 2-0 with 69-0 and 55-18 victories under the belt.
Hays and Liberal played to a scoreless stalemate for the first 23:19 of the first half before the Indians broke the tie. An eight play 86 yard play drive capped off by a 21 yard touchdown pass from Dylan Dreiling to Hayden Brown made the score 6-0. The extra point failed with :41 left before the half.
The two defenses ruled the field in the first half. Liberal twice drove in to the Hays red zone and once to the 22 yard line but was turned away twice on downs and once on a interception by Dawson VonFeldt. The Liberal Redskin’s defense did not allow Hays inside the forty yard line before the Indian’s scoring drive at the end of the first half.
Highlights
Neither team moved the ball much in third quarter and Hays continued to lead 6-0 going to the fourth quarter. The Indians drove down to the Liberal 13 yard line but could not score to take a two possession lead. Liberal took over at their own fifteen following the Indian’s stall and put together their best drive of the night. Liberal went 85 yards and tied the game at six points with 6:01 left in the fourth quarter. Like Hays the Redskins missed the extra point.
Neither team was able to move the ball in the final six minutes leaving overtime to decide the fate of the game.
Hays moved down to the one yard in overtime on the first drive. On fourth down and one the Indians were penalized five yards before the play. Dylan Dreiling found a leaping Hayden Brown in the back left corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point from Gavin Meyers just snuck over the crossbar inside left upright for a 13-6 lead.
Liberal scored on just two plays by 210 pound Alex Esparza. Esparza received the ball on the two point conversion for the win but was turned away by several of the Indian’s defense.
Coach Tony Crough
Hays moves to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. Liberal drops to 2-1 and 0-1.
Hays returns to Hays next week for a homecoming date with 0-3 Garden City. Hays has won 10 of their last 11 games against Liberal.