EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
GARDEN CITY — After building a 33-7 lead late in the third quarter, the Liberal Redskins had to weather a late surge by the Garden City Buffaloes before coming away with a 39-34 win.
Xavier Tafoya scored first for the Redskins to cap a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a one yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.
James Fieser caught a six yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter for a 13-0 lead before the Buffaloes responded with a touchdown drive to cut the lead to 13-7.
Tevin Cotter threw to passes on the next drive for a total of 64 yards including an 18-yard touchdown pass to Max Holman for a 19-7 lead.
Cotter found Fieser for another touchdown as time expired on the half and Liberal led 25-7.
Holman caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, but the Buffaloes responded with a kickoff return for a touchdown to cut the lead to 33-14.
Fieser caught an 11-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 39-14 early in the fourth quarter before the Buffaloes responded with a 61-yard, two play drive to cut the lead to 39-20.
Garden City intercepted a Cotter pass with 6:16 to play and put together a seven-play scoring drive to cut the lead to 39-28.
Liberal attempted to convert a fourth-and-two and its own 28 yard line and came up short. Garden City scored four plays later to cut the lead to 39-34, but the Redskins recovered the onside kick and kneeled out for the win.
Liberal moved to 5-0 including four straight road wins.
The Redskins will travel to Great Bend Friday for a battle of unbeatens for the fifth straight road game.
Liberal will then return home for the final two regular season games of the season.
