Liberty edges rival Heritage in defensive slugfest to remain unbeaten
BRENTWOOD — Points were scarce, but the rivalry felt alive in Brentwood.
In a battle between the East Bay’s top flag football programs, Heritage and Liberty turned a top-ranked showdown into a defensive tug-of-war.
In the end it was the visiting Lions who came out on top, securing a 7-6 win on Wednesday to extend their winning streak to 11.
“This is a huge game for us. It’s really like the most important game,” Liberty sophomore quarterback Elenoa Malu said. “I’m really happy that we left with a win.”
Malu scored the tying touchdown and converted the go-ahead one-point conversion early in the third quarter. Liberty’s defense stepped up in a big way, allowing just one touchdown and intercepting two passes.
Liberty beat Heritage earlier this season in what was a close 13-7 victory. The Lions have handed their rival school their only two losses this year.
“They’re a great team and really well coached,” Liberty coach Matt Malzahn said of Heritage. “We wanted to challenge ourselves and we know they always bring it. I’m glad that it ended up being 7-6 in our favor.”
Heritage looked poised to put up points early.
On their first drive of the game, the Patriots found the end zone when junior running back Payton Ladrido juked her way for a score from 15 yards out. Heritage couldn’t convert its one-point conversion, but took an early 6-0 lead.
For two teams that don’t have any problems putting points on the board, the first half proved its defenses are just as good.
Liberty had a number of scoring opportunities through the first 24 minutes, but Heritage’s defense didn’t break.
At halftime, the home team led by six.
Despite struggling to find a rhythm in the first half, Liberty showed signs of life early in the third quarter.
The Lions’ defense forced a three-and-out and on the ensuing possession, finally found the end zone.
On a crucial third down, Malu kept the drive alive with a big scramble that got Liberty into the red zone. A few plays later, she found room near the right sideline and scored on an 11-yard rush.
Malu then made the biggest play of the game, converting Liberty’s one-point conversion when she threw a pass across her body to senior receiver Nohealani Dillon, who made a stellar catch near the left pylon.
“Honestly, I was panicking. But I knew this was when my team needed the most,” Malu said of the wild play that took the lead. “I can’t stress out. If I stress out, so does everybody else. So I kind of kept cool there. And yeah, I have a lot of confidence in my team.”
Much of the second half was more of the same. Defensive brilliance.
The final 24 minutes of Wednesday’s game included four three-and-outs and six punts total.
With just under two minutes left, Heritage’s offense seemed to have found a spark. The Patriots sliced through Liberty’s defense to get in the red zone to have one final chance at winning the game.
But Liberty had one last clutch play to make as freshman Skylar James made the game-winning sack on fourth-and-long to seal the win for the Lions.
With the win, Liberty is off to its best start in the program’s three-year history. The Lions now have victories over Heritage, Pittsburg, Northgate and College Park.
Liberty has done this with a team that’s mostly made up of underclassmen.
“I’m not surprised,” Malzahn said of his team’s early success. “They’re just young in terms of their experience on the field. But I’m not surprised that they achieved what they did tonight.”