EL DORADO, CA (MPG) - The Liberty Ranch Hawks soared to a commanding 37-8 victory over Union Mine on Friday night, showcasing a balanced offensive attack and stifling defense that controlled the game from start to finish.

Liberty Ranch jumped out to an early 15-8 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, adding eight points in the second quarter to take a 23-8 halftime advantage. The Hawks continued their dominance in the second half, scoring touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters while shutting out Union Mine completely.

 

Joe Lara keeps the ball on a quarterback keeper during Liberty Ranch’s dominant win over Union Mine.

The story of the night was Liberty Ranch’s devastating ground game, which churned out 318 yards on 37 carries for an impressive 8.6 yards per attempt. Junior Andrew Quinn led the charge with a monster performance, rushing for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, including a 59-yard scoring run. Quinn also contributed on defense with a team-high 15 tackles and three tackles for loss.

Junior Joe Lara provided excellent support in the backfield, adding 97 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, with his longest run going for 39 yards. Lara also hauled in one reception for 16 yards and recorded a fumble recovery that he returned for three yards. Junior Wyatt Corriea chipped in with 30 rushing yards and a touchdown on five attempts.

Junior quarterback Ryan Ogas efficiently managed the offense, completing thee of five passes for 40 yards. His favorite target was junior Enzo Diaz, who caught two passes for 24 yards.The Hawks’ offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, recording eight pancake blocks led by junior Daniel Swearingen’s three. Juniors Jayden Sedlacek and Soni Takafua, along with seniors Kyle Quaresma, also contributed key blocks throughout the game.

Defensively, Liberty Ranch was relentless, recording 83 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss. Senior Eston Tucker anchored the defense with 12 tackles and forced a fumble, while junior Deshaun Jackson added eight tackles and three tackles for loss. Senior Gabe Onuegbu contributed five tackles and two tackles for loss.

Senior James Rangel handled the kicking duties flawlessly, converting all three extra-point attempts and averaging 37.2 yards on six kickoffs.

Head coach Warren Schroeder was pleased with his team’s execution.

“We are very proud of how our players executed the game plan on both sides of the ball and know they will continue to improve as we make our way through a tough league schedule,” Schroeder said.