Liberty upends top-ranked Staley in football showdown

If the Staley Falcons are to repeat as the Missouri Class 5 state champions in football, it will require a bounce-back performance.

Liberty shelled top-ranked Staley 31-7 in Friday’s regular-season finale, throwing a wrench into its pursuit of its second straight Class 5 title on the eve of its commencement.

When the postseason begins next week — the brackets will be released over the weekend — Staley (7-2) will have a pair of blemishes on its record after having navigated 2017 without one on its way to the second championship.

And Liberty (6-3) will carry the oft-desired momentum into the Class 6 race. The Blue Jays have won four of five heading into district play. A victory in the opening round would give them seven-plus wins for the third consecutive year.

Win No. 6 comprised a dominant final three quarters. In search of a second straight unbeaten conference season, Staley, ranked No. 1 in the Missouri Class 5 state poll, opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Dawson Parks.

It was all Liberty after that. Liberty scored the final 31 points of the game on its home field. As it approached the goal line, it kept it simple.

Handoffs to Nate Gray.

Gray scored on runs of 1, 2 and 3 yards. Quarterback Alex Roush added a 24-yard touchdown pass to Blake Fordyce to take a 21-7 lead into the halftime locker room.

The defense didn’t need any more support. Only weeks ago, Liberty put up 47 points but lost at Lee’s Summit West when the defense surrendered 52.

A turnaround has ensued, with Liberty allowing just seven points in each of its past two victories.

This story was originally published October 19, 2018 at 10:00 PM.