Liberty runs roughshod over Emmaus

FROM THE MORNING CALL

Emmaus spent the first half of the football season unmatched in its ability to generate turnovers.

The Green Hornets felt the sting of giving the ball away Friday night.

Liberty turned a fumble recovery and an interception in the final 3 minutes, 45 seconds of the first half into two touchdowns and a 21-point lead. The Hurricanes used an overpowering running attack to keep Emmaus from threatening their lead, cruising to a 34-21 Lehigh Valley Conference win at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.


Lugging a three-game losing streak into Friday, Liberty (3-3 overall, 2-3 LVC) needed a win to stay in the District 2-4-11 Class 4A playoff hunt. The Hurricanes delivered by overwhelming the Green Hornets (4-2, 3-2) with their speed.

Liberty quarterback Jim McCarthy took the second play from scrimmage 55 yards for a touchdown, setting the stage for a night in which the Hurricanes ran for 409 yards and averaged 10.48 yards per carry. McCarthy finished with a game-high 179 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

Michael Harris added 112 rushing yards on four carries, while Devon Jones had 81 rushing yards on six attempts.

"All those kids offensively, I've said it before, they're not only great football players, they're great kids," Liberty coach Dave Brown said. "They're great students and have great character. That has a lot to do with why we're able to do what we're doing."

Added McCarthy: "We knew with three losses already it was going to be hard to get into the playoffs. We just have to keep winning and just rolling. This was a big game."

Emmaus entered play Friday riding a three-game winning streak in large part because its pass defense had picked off passes by the bunch. The Green Hornets intercepted at least three passes in each of their first four LVC games.

Liberty's run-dominated attack never gave Emmaus a chance to produce picks Friday. The Hurricanes attempted just one pass all night. It came with 49 seconds left in the first half and capped a sequence that gave Liberty command of the game.

The Hurricanes had opened a 14-6 lead with 5:35 left in the first half when Harris raced 77 yards for a touchdown. Emmaus drove to Liberty's 35-yard line on its ensuing possession, but a botched reverse led to a fumble the Hurricanes recovered. McCarthy scored his second touchdown of the night five plays later.

Anthony Orlando gave the Hurricanes possession again moments later when he picked off Emmaus quarterback Nate Fick on the Green Hornets' next play from scrimmage. McCarthy then finished off a four-play drive by tossing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jones to give the Hurricanes a 27-6 lead.

"They took it to us," Emmaus coach Joe Bottiglieri said. "We just didn't get off blocks on defense, and offensively we didn't sustain blocks."

A 61-yard touchdown run by Jones three plays into the third quarter ended any chance for drama but not Liberty's domination. The Hurricanes used a 14-play drive to take nearly eight minutes off the clock before a lost fumble gave Emmaus the ball with 5:11 to play in the game.

"I'm thrilled to death," Brown said. "This is what we've been saying for months. If we play together and do what we're coached to do, we can be a very dangerous team this year. We've said that from the beginning – we're not playing for next year. We're very young, but we've got enough.

"If we just do what we're supposed to and stay focused, who knows what can happen?"

http://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/mc-football-liberty-1008-20101008,0,2909984.story