Fairley ends their season with a tough fight in Jackson, TN against the #1 team in their playoff bracket, Liberty. Fairley fought hard, but in the end it was not enough. Liberty progresses to the semifinals against Giles on November 27th after defeating Crockett County 41 to 28.
Fairley loses at Liberty, 35-12
* By Matthew Borenstein, Jackson Sun
Liberty easily built a comfortable, three-touchdown lead in the first half of a Class 4A playoff game against Fairley. With that lead, the team got a little too comfortable at halftime, Liberty quarterback Spencer Brooks said.
Fairley scored twice in the second half to make it a nine-point game with nine minutes to play before Liberty closed out the game with two scores for a 35-12 win.
The Crusaders move on to the state quarterfinals and will host Crockett County next week. The Cavaliers beat Sheffield 30-12. "We can’t think we have the game in our hands at halftime like we did," Brooks said. "I think that’s what the problem was."
In the first half, running back Bryson Crowder ran in the three scores, and Liberty was stopped only twice — once on an interception and once late in the half. Crowder finished with 74 yards.
Fairley’s Marcus Holliday broke a 42-yard run on the first play of a drive in the middle of the third quarter following a Liberty three-and-out.
Early in the fourth, he broke another long run on a left toss for a 43-yard touchdown to cut Liberty’s lead to 21-12. Stopping Holliday on the 2-point conversion kept it a two-possession game.
Brooks took over on Liberty’s next drive. He went left on a shotgun keeper for 15 yards and then went 19, breaking two tackles and diving in for a touchdown.
"I didn’t want it to be close," said Brooks, who turned 18 Friday. "We can’t afford to play close right now. We’ve got to show everybody what we’re made of."
When Liberty got the ball back following a three-and-out, Brooks, who finished with 123 yards on nine carries, took a keeper up the middle for 31 yards to set up the final touchdown. Slot Steve Bush came around left for the 15-yard scoring run.
Bush and Tevin Bryant, another slot, both had solid games running from their slot positions. Four Liberty runners finished with at least 50 yards — Bryant, Brooks, Bush and Crowder.
“We’ve got a good problem trying to spread the ball out,” Liberty coach Steve Hookfin said. “And I’ve got confidence whenever I call one of those guys numbers that they can make a play for us.”
After the Crusaders defense allowed the two long scoring runs, it held for a three-and-out and then to end the game. "Our team came together at a rough time," Liberty senior Steve Brooks said. "We had to step it up on defense."
Fairley made an adjustment with the types of toss plays it ran, and Liberty was slow to adjust.
"He’s fast and we were off of our assignments," Steve Brooks said of Holliday. "We figured it out. … We got our energy back."
Liberty also adjusted, going more with Spencer Brooks in the second half as Fairley began focusing on Crowder, Hookfin said. "Spencer does a great job running this offense," Hookfin said. "It’s good to see him have success."
Each win is another first for Liberty. Last week was the school’s first playoff win, and now the Crusaders are in the quarterfinals for the first time.
"Hopefully we can continue it (all the firsts)," Hookfin said. "We know we’re going to have a big challenge coming up this week."
