By EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

The Liberal Redskins scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough to pull the upset in a 33-14 loss at Hays.

Liberal finished the regular season 3-5 and the 13th seed in the Class 5A West Division. Liberal will play No. 4 Bishop Carroll (7-1) in Wichita Friday in the first round of the playoffs.

The Redskins held Hays to one touchdown in the first quarter but struggled to move the ball against the Indian defense. Pressure from the front line made it difficult to run the ball, and quarterback Darian Denton had pressure throughout the game.

Hays added two more touchdowns before half to take a 20-0 halftime lead.

Hays tacked on two more touchdowns in the third quarter before making substitutions, and the Redskins were able to add two fourth quarter touchdowns including a 33-yard Denton run and a 34-yard touchdown pass to Max Holman, and the Redskins cut the lead to 33-14. Hays kept tow scoring drives alive with fourth down conversions.

But Hays kneeled on the next possession to run out the clock and move to 7-1.

"We struggled offensively," Liberal coach Marc Svaty said. "That's the story of the game. If we could have moved the ball a little bit. We had five possessions and five three and outs."

Liberal has been battling through key injuries including at the quarterback position as well as facing a tough three-game stretch against some of the best teams in Class 5A. With the playoffs starting next week, Svaty said the post season is a one-game season to earn another one-game season.

"Our kids know what we've been facing," Svaty said. "They've been battle tested. They have faced adversity. Will we be able to move the football next Friday night? If we can move the football, we will be a lethal team. If we struggle, it will be tough."

The Redskins relied more on passing  after falling behind early.

"Instead of running right at the teeth of the defense we had to test it and get people in the box," Svaty said. "We had some smokes and bubbles that worked early. Any time you get a first first down of the series it leads to more. It was just a struggle."

The Hays defense used designed stunts most of the night including blitzes and adding a fifth lineman right before snaps.

"We expected a bear front most of the time," Svaty said. "They were more variant tonight than they were a week ago. This team has things schemed up a little bit more to be more multiple front and multiple coverage-oriented."

And Svaty said his offense is struggling to get the ball to his playmakers.

"We have athletes on the perimeter," Svaty said. "We have to do a better job of getting them in one-on-one situations and then getting them bubble and smoke match-ups. We did not hit any of our shots until the fourth quarter."