Liberty North beats Rockhurst in OT football thriller. Eagles will play for state title
Liberty North went on the road and beat Rockhurst 28-27 in overtime on Friday night to advance to the Show-Me Bowl state-championship game for Missouri Class 6 high school football.
The Eagles will play Christian Brothers College or De Smet in the Dec. 2 Show-Me Bowl state-championship game at Faurot Field in Columbia. CBC and De Smet play in the other Class 6 semifinal on Saturday at 1 p.m. in St. Louis.
It was 7-7 at halftime Friday night at Rockhurst, with Mayor Quinton Lucas in attendance for the season’s biggest game yet at the Hawklets’ Vincent P. Dasta Memorial Stadium.
The Eagles had scored first, with junior quarterback Tillman Martin finding senior tight end Joe Hall for a 15-yard touchdown midway through the opening quarter.
Tillman Martin to Joe Hall puts Liberty North up 7-0. Eagles go 86 yards on the opening drive. Most of it runs by Micah Jo Barnett pic.twitter.com/2WPOrNNZgf
— WOWKC (@WOWKCfootball) November 25, 2023
Liberty North kept that 7-0 lead through most of the second quarter amid a classic defensive struggle between two 11-1 teams on a chilly night in Kansas City.
The Hawklets answered with 6 minutes, 16 seconds remaining until halftime. Senior quarterback Ethan Hansen connected with senior receiver Jack Bichelmeyer for a 23-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
BICHELMEYER BEAST MODE!!!
Hansen reads the defense and takes Bic in the flat… and the @RockhurstLax stud does the rest for 23 yards!!! That was a 98-yard drive in 11 plays!
Liberty North - 7
Rockhurst - 7
6:16 2Q pic.twitter.com/BtEiA3QZlW— Rockhurst HS Athletics (@GoHawklets) November 25, 2023
The teams traded possessions to open the second half before Liberty North pulled ahead with an 18-yard touchdown run by senior running back Jacorey Love with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter.
JACOREY LOVE adding the second TOUCHDOWN of the night!!! Eagles now lead 14-7 with 4:17 in the third pic.twitter.com/acvCtw7XIn
— KNET News (@KNET_News) November 25, 2023
Hansen connected with Bichelmeyer again, this time for a 72-yard touchdown, on the first play of the Hawklets’ ensuing drive. But Rockhurst’s conversion attempt failed, so the Eagles clung to a 14-13 lead.
ETHAN HANSEN TO JACK BICHELMEYER FOR 72 YARDS ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE DRIVE!!! pic.twitter.com/M3sfY57xH0
— Rockhurst HS Athletics (@GoHawklets) November 25, 2023
Liberty North opened the final period with a drive that culminated in a 16-yard scoring dart from Martin to senior receiver JayShawn Ross, who caught the pass in hands stretched high above the Rockhurst defense.
Jay Ross hauls in an 16-yard pass from Martin to give the Eagles an 21-13 lead with 11:49 left in the game. pic.twitter.com/CZ8Sarqkjw
— Ryan: the Assistant to the Regional Manager (@ReadyRDE) November 25, 2023
Rockhurst fought hard down the stretch, forcing a turnover and forcing an Eagles punt. But the Hawklets couldn’t seem to convert those opportunities into points.
That is, until senior running back took a handoff from Hansen to the left side for a 35-yard Rockhurst TD with 3:37 to go. Hansen then hit Mitch Forbes with a pass for the two-point conversion, knotting the score at 21-all with just over three and a half minutes left.
AIDAN RYAN FOR 35 YARDS!!! pic.twitter.com/w1BIxETu4I
— Rockhurst HS Athletics (@GoHawklets) November 25, 2023
Liberty North did its best to win in regulation with an ensuing drive that brought the visitors to the Rockhurst 15-yard line with 35 seconds remaining. But the Eagles’ 38-yard field goal attempt to win the game sailed wide left as the clock hit zeroes.
So it was on to overtime. Rockhurst won the toss and took the ball first. The Hawklets drove to the Liberty North 2, and Hansen plunged into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown and the hosts’ first lead of the night.
ETHAN HANSEN TOUCHDOWN ON THE QB SNEAK!!! pic.twitter.com/3Z5kbdRwyi
— Rockhurst HS Athletics (@GoHawklets) November 25, 2023
The Eagles blocked the PAT, so it was 27-21 Rockhurst (11-2) as Liberty North’s offense huddled to counter.
And counter the Eagles did, scoring the winning touchdown and adding the extra point for a victory that sends Liberty North (12-1) to the state-title game next weekend.
Kansas football state championships
CLASS 6A
Sub-state:
Gardner Edgerton 35, Blue Valley 3
Derby 29, Washburn Rural 28
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 at Emporia St.
Gardner Edgerton (11-1) vs. Derby (11-1), 1 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Sub-state:
Mill Valley 48, Blue Valley Southwest 47
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 42, Eisenhower 39
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 at Pitt State
Mill Valley (10-2) vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (11-1), 1 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Sub-state:
St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Tonganoxie 14
Andover Central 26, Wamego 7
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 at Hummer Park, Topeka
Aquinas (9-3) vs. Andover Central (9-3), 1 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Sub-state:
Topeka Hayden 42, Holton 14
Cheney 28, Andale 24
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 in Hutchinson
Topeka-Hayden (12-0) vs. Cheney (12-0), 1 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Sub-state:
Nemaha Central 17, Sabetha 7
Hoisington 30, Norton Community 21
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 in Salina
Nemaha Central (12-0) vs. Hoisington (12-0), 1 p.m.
CLASS 1A
Sub-state:
Conway Springs 34, Medicine Lodge 19
Jefferson County North 20, St. Mary’s Colgan 13
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 at Fort Hays St.
Jefferson Co. North (11-1) vs. Conway Springs (10-2), 1 p.m.
EIGHT-MAN, DIV. I
Sub-state
Lyndon 52, Cair Paravel 6
Wichita County 64, Ell-Saline 28
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 at Newton
Lyndon (12-0) vs. Wichita County (12-0), 11 a.m.
EIGHT-MAN, DIV. II
Sub-state
Axtell 52, Frankfort 6
South Central 52, Victoria 20
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 at Newton
Axtell (12-0) vs. South Central (10-2), 3:30 p.m.
SIX-MAN
Sub-state:
Cunningham 52, Tescott 6
Cheylin 66, Ashland 27
State-title game:
Saturday, Nov. 25 in Dodge City
Cunningham (11-1) vs. Cheylin (12-0), 1 p.m.
Missouri football state championships
CLASS 6
Quarterfinals
Christian Brothers College 35, Jackson 23
Liberty North 38, Oak Park 7
Rockhurst 38, Nixa 14
De Smet Jesuit 23, Columbia Rock Bridge 16
Semifinals
Liberty North 28, Rockhurst 27, OT
CBC vs. De Smet, 1 p.m. Saturday
CLASS 5
Quarterfinals
Webb City 49, Grain Valley 35
Cardinal Ritter 68, Ft. Zumwalt North 14
Central (Cape Girardeau) 32, Eureka 29
Republic 28, Helias Catholic 21
Semifinals: Saturday, Nov. 25
Central at Cardinal Ritter, 1 p.m.
Webb City at Republic, 1 p.m.
CLASS 4
Quarterfinals
Hillsboro 48, Pacific 35
Lutheran North 70, Hannibal 61
Kearney 35, Nevada 0
Jefferson City 31, McDonald County 28
Semifinals: Saturday, Nov. 25
Kearney at Jefferson City, 1 p.m.
Lutheran North at Hillsboro, 1 p.m.
CLASS 3
Quarterfinals
Seneca 56, Ava 8
Blair Oaks 47, Westminster Christian Academy 29
St. Pius X 42, Odessa 7
Central (Park Hills) 50, St. Francis Borgia 28
Semifinals: Saturday, Nov. 25
St. Pius X at Seneca, 1 p.m.
Central (Park Hills) at Blair Oaks, 1 p.m.
CLASS 2
Quarterfinals
Bowling Green 50, East Buchanan 22
Lamar 41, Lafayette County 7
Valle Catholic 47, Lift for Life Academy Charter 14
Fair Grove 27, Father Tolton Regional Catholic 13
Semifinals: Saturday, Nov. 25
Bowling Green at Lamar, 1 p.m.
Fair Grove at Valle Catholic, 1 p.m.
CLASS 1
Quarterfinals
Milan 13, Penney 12
North Platte 42, Windsor 6
St. Vincent 45, Crystal City 14
Marionville 17, Portageville 14
Semifinals: Saturday, Nov. 25
St. Vincent at Marionville, 1 p.m.
Milan at North Platte, 1 p.m.
EIGHT-MAN
Quarterfinals
South Holt 60, Plattsburg 58
Archie 82, Lockwood with Golden City 42
Braymer with Breckenridge 84, St. Paul Lutheran 51
Worth County with Northeast Nodaway 70, Schuyler County 16
Semifinals: Friday
Worth County with Northeast Nodaway at South Holt, 3 p.m.
Braymer with Breckenridge at Archie, 7 p.m.
For playoff brackets, stats, recaps, online broadcasts and more, visit 810Varsity.com.
