Quarterback Malik Willis put on a show Saturday night, earning Most Valuable Player honors while passing for three touchdowns and rushing for two more in leading Liberty to a 56-13 win over Eastern Michigan in the LendingTree Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The former Auburn quarterback threw for 231 yards and rushed for another 58. Eastern Michigan started the scoring with a 27-yard field goal during its initial possession. The Eagles were set to go for a first down on fourth-and-2 from the 4, but a false start penalty forced the field goal try.
Liberty responded with Willis tossing a 54-yard strike to a wide-open D.J. Stubbs. Liberty scored again a short time later when Skyler Thomas deflected an Eastern Michigan pass attempt, ran under the deflection and intercepted it, and returned it 27 yards for a Pick Six touchdown. The point-after try failed, leaving the Flames in front 13-3. The Eagles capped a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive when Samson Evans found the end zone on a 2-yard run. The extra point made it 13-10. But the Flames would need only three plays — and back-to-back pass interference penalties against Eastern Michigan — to enhance their lead. After the second interference penalty, T.J. Green ripped off a 34-yard scoring run. Liberty missed the extra-point kick again.
With 6:22 left in the first half, Willis found Johnny Huntley on a 20-yard scoring pass, completing a 12-yard drive. The PAT was good and Liberty moved in front 26-10. With only 16 seconds left in the first half, Willis scored on a 2-yard run, giving Liberty a 33-10 halftime lead.
On its second possession of the third quarter, Liberty tacked on another score when Willis ran for a 35-yard touchdown. And again, the Flames’ point-after try was a disaster. Previous kicking problems aside, Liberty got a 43-yard field goal from Brayden Beck at the 7:08 mark of the third quarter to expand its lead to 42-10. Willis then threw a 3-yard strike to Demario Douglas with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter for another Liberty TD.
Willis was replaced by Johnathan Bennett, who on his first play in the game threw a 64-yard TD pass to Kevin Shaa that gave Liberty a 56-10 lead. Eastern Michigan returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, only to have it called back because of a holding penalty. The Eagles staged a drive that took them to the Liberty 25 where Ryland kicked a 43-yard field goal. Eastern Michigan’s Jeff Hubbard produced a 34-yard Pick Six interception return with 4:29 left to make the final score 56-20.
North wins All-Star game
In the early going it appeared neither team wanted to win, but a second-half back-and-forth game ended in favor of the North in a 14-10 victory in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s North-South All-Star Game at Hancock Whitney Stadium last Friday night.
The game started out as a turnover and punting exhibition — both teams had three turnovers on the night. After a scoreless first half, the scoring drought was broken in the third period when North defensive back Landon Ball of Aliceville intercepted a South pass and returned it 37 yards to the South 28 yard line. Three plays later, Good Hope’s Benny Malin tossed a 31-yard strike in the end zone to a wide-open Sawyer Burt of Ft. Payne for the game’s first points. Spain Park’s Braxton Sumpter was good on the extra-point kick to make it 7-0 with 7:18 left in the quarter.
The South team drove down and had a chance to score a touchdown, but on a third down and goal situation from the 3, they were charged with a false start penalty. The South ended up settling for a 25-yard field goal by Luke Freer, cutting the North lead to 7-3 with 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Jacob Foster of Greenville intercepted a North pass on the ensuing possession and set the South team up deep in North territory. From there, Jackson quarterback Walter Taylor threw a 9-yard strike to Pike Road’s Iverson Hooks for a touchdown with 11:45 left to play. Freer’s kick was good for a 10-7 South lead.
The North regained the lead by marching downfield and scoring on a 4-yard run by Huffman’s Mahki Hughes, capping a 10-play, 60-yard drive. The PAT by Sumpter made it 14-10 with 5:47 to play.
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