EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
James Fieser scored three touchdowns and had 173 yards receiving, but the Angry Red defense couldn’t slow down the Hays running game in a 49-28 loss.
Liberal allowed Hays to get off to a 28-0 start midway through the second quarter before getting the offense on track despite injuries that decimated the running backs.
The Redskins put together a five-minute, 15-play drive that covered 20 yards and ended with a four-yard pass from Tevin Cotter to Fieser to cut the lead to 28-6.
The Redskins mishandled a snap on a punt attempt with a wet ball on a foggy night at Redskin Field in the third quarter, and Hays took advantage of the short field to take a 35-6 lead. But the Redskins responded with another sustained drive that took seven minutes and 17 plays to move the ball 70 yards and ended with a six-yard pass to Fieser for a touchdown to cut the lead to 35-12.
The two teams continued to trade touchdowns, with Hays pushing out to a 42-12 lead before the Redskins answered with a 79-yard drive on only four plays including a 38-yard reception by Fieser followed by an 18-yard touchdown run to Cotter to cut the lead to 42-20.
Hays recovered an onside kick and took advantage of the short field with a 43-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 49-20, but the Redskins finished the game with a 14-play, 80-yard drive to score a touchdown on a six-yard pass to Fieser for the 49-28 final.
The loss dropped the Redskins to 6-2 on the season while Hays improved to 6-2.
Despite the two teams being tied by record and Liberal having the point differential advantage, Hays earned the tie breaker by head-to-head and was awarded the fifth seed in the Class 6A playoffs.
The Redskins (6-2) earned the sixth seed and will host Topeka Seaman (3-5) at 6 p.m. Friday at Redskin Field.
“They’ve seen good athletes like Great Bend, but not this type of physicality,” Liberal coach Trevor Powers said. “We had a bunch of injuries. At one point we had two sophomores and a freshman at linebacker. We continue to fight our guts out. I’ll coach a team like that every day. We keep playing like that, we will be a tough out.”
Liberal played without running back/linebacker Xavier Tafoya.
The winner of the Liberal/Topeka Seaman game will face the winner of the Andover (6-2) vs. Salina South (1-7) game.
