All Saints avenges shutout loss to Liberty Christian, knocks Warriors out of playoffs
In a turnover-plagued game, Fort Worth All Saints upset Argyle Liberty Christian, 37-20, at Birdville Fine Arts Athletic Complex Friday night in a TAPPS D2 regional playoff.
All Saints (6-5) advances to the regional final to face the winner of Midland Christian (6-4) and Fort Worth Christian (6-3), which will kick off at 2 p.m. Saturday in Brownwood.
Liberty, which shut out All Saints 31-0 on Oct. 28, ends its season at 10-2.
Both teams turned the ball over particularly early on. Each fumbled away twice.
Liberty was intercepted twice and All Saints once.
The difference was All Saints capitalized on their opponents’ miscues while Liberty wasn’t able to do so.
All Saints built a 24-0 lead early in the second half all after turnovers on Liberty’s side of the field. The Saints’ scoring drives began on the Warrior 28, 6, 17, and 36-yard lines. Neither team was able to generate much offense for the better part of three quarters.
The first score was a 35-yard pass to Jayvont Williams from quarterback Jaylen Spriggs on All Saints’ first possession. It came three plays after an attempted punt by Liberty was hiked over the head of Brady Janusek. He recovered but at his 28-yard line and the Saints took over there.
The second score, early in the second quarter, came after an attempted lateral by the quarterback to a running back in the backfield and was recovered by the Saints’ Cavin Chumley at the Liberty 6-yard line. After advancing the ball only three yards in three plays, the Saints had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Cole Sorokilit and a 10-0 lead.T
The third score was a touchdown after an interception by Robert Sanders. The Saints went 17 yards in four plays capped by Spriggs’ 1-yard off-guard run.
It gave All Saints a 17-0 halftime lead.
Midway in the third quarter, Aundre Minnified rushed 35 yards up the middle to up the lead to 24-0. It came two plays after Chumley’s second fumble recovery at the Liberty 36. Two plays prior to that, Janusek had blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt and teammate Gage Lawson returned it to his 36-yard line. But on the first play from scrimmage, the Warriors turned it right back over.
Finally, Liberty got on the scoreboard with 4:56 left in the third quarter to make it 24-6. Janusek, who had two of Liberty’s three touchdowns, ran 12 yards to climax a three-play, 33-yard drive. He was aided by teammate Quinton Brown’s 44-yard kickoff return.
All Saints, however, replied with a perfectly thrown pass by Spriggs 48 yards to Chris Palfreeman, who caught it in stride at about the 15. It came late in the third quarter for a 31-6 lead as the two teams alternated touchdowns for the remainder of the game.
In the first half, Murphy Ren, a junior defensive lineman for Liberty, had two fumble recoveries. But his team was unable to convert a fourth down at midfield. On the second one, the Warriors turned it right back over on the first play with the errant and mishandled lateral.
Also in the first half, Blake Werner intercepted at the goal line for Liberty and returned it to his 35-yard line. But again Liberty turned it over on downs at the All Saints’ 40.
Liberty was held to 27 yards on 24 carries forcing Jacob Vaughan, who alternated with Janusek, to have to go to the air often. Vaughan was 19 of 38 with two interceptions for 184 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns.