SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The Liberty Ranch Hawks traveled to Rosemont and left no doubt about their championship aspirations, dominating the host team 56-28 to improve their league record to a perfect 6-0. With just one game remaining – the annual Dairy Bowl showdown against cross-town rival Galt Warriors – the Hawks are on the verge of claiming the certified league championship.

Liberty Ranch controlled the game from the opening whistle, building a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 28-14 at halftime. The Hawks exploded for 20 points in the third quarter to put the game out of reach before adding eight more in the fourth quarter for the final 56-28 margin.

 

Wyatt Corriea dodges a defender. 

The Hawks’ ground game was nearly unstoppable, racking up 503 rushing yards on 53 carries for an impressive 9.5 yards per carry average with seven rushing touchdowns. Junior Andrew Quinn led the backfield with 164 yards on 15 carries for a 10.9 average, including a long run of 55 yards and one touchdown, while also accumulating 168 all-purpose yards with four kickoff return yards.

Junior Joe Lara was the Hawks’ workhorse, carrying 22 times for 178 yards with an 8.1 average and a long of 33 yards, scoring three rushing touchdowns and adding one receiving touchdown on his only catch – a 12-yard reception – for a total of four touchdowns and 190 total yards.

Junior Wyatt Corriea added 137 yards on 11 carries for a 12.5 average with a 41-yard long run and one rushing touchdown, plus he caught one pass for 7 yards and returned one kickoff for 3 yards, totaling 147 all-purpose yards and 144 total yards from scrimmage.

Junior quarterback Ryan Ogas had an efficient night through the air, completing both of his pass attempts for 19 yards and one touchdown, posting a stellar 164.6 quarterback rating with a long completion of 12 yards. Ogas also contributed on the ground with five carries for 24 yards and a 4.8 average with a long of 16 yards, scoring two rushing touchdowns. He added five kickoff return yards on two returns for a 2.5 average, giving him 29 all-purpose yards and 43 total yards. The dual-threat junior also converted one two-point conversion rushing and scored 14 total points.

The Hawks’ offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, combining for 19 pancake blocks. Junior Cutler Perez led the way with six pancake blocks, while junior Deshaun Jackson added four, junior Soni Takafua contributed three and senior Kyle Quaresma also registered three. Junior Jayden Sedlacek added two pancake blocks, and senior David Romo chipped in one.

 

Joe Lara is off to the end zone.

Senior James Rangel handled kickoff duties, booting nine kickoffs for 301 yards with a 33.4 average and a long of 50 yards. Rangel also served as the placekicker, converting four of six extra point attempts for 4 total points, while recording one interception for 16 yards and a pass defended on defense, contributing 16 all-purpose yards. Senior Daniel Sosa converted a reception for 2 points.

The Hawks’ defense held Rosemont to just 28 points while creating havoc throughout the game. Quinn led the defensive effort with eight total tackles (four solo, four assists), one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, and two pass deflections. Quarterback Ogas showed his two-way prowess with seven total tackles (five solo, two assists) and a team-leading six pass deflections. Corriea also contributed seven total tackles (four solo, three assists) on the defensive side of the ball.

Junior Deshaun Jackson recorded five total tackles (three solo, two assists), while Lara added four total tackles (one solo, three assists) and two pass deflections. Senior Eston Tucker tallied four total tackles (one solo, three assists) with 1.5 tackles for loss, and Sosa contributed four total tackles (three solo, one assist) plus two pass deflections. Takafua was a force in the trenches with three total tackles (one solo, two assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, and the team’s only sack for 7 yards, while also recording three quarterback hurries. Senior Cesar Becerra added three tackles (all assists), and senior Gabe Onuegbu registered two solo tackles and one quarterback hurry.

Rangel came up with the big defensive play of the game, intercepting a pass and returning it 16 yards while also breaking up one pass. Senior Landon Peterson contributed two total tackles (one solo, one assist) and four pass deflections, while senior Cole Maguire, junior Nick Pierce, Romo and junior Brandon Gershanoff each added tackles for the Hawks’ defensive effort.

 

Hawk Gabe Onuegbu pressures the Rosemont quarterback.

With the dominant victory, Liberty Ranch now stands at 6-0 in league play and will face the Galt Warriors in the storied Dairy Bowl: a cross-town rivalry game that will determine the league championship. The Hawks have shown they can dominate on both sides of the ball, and with their explosive offense averaging over 9 yards per carry and a stingy defense that has proven capable of creating turnovers and applying pressure, they’ll look to complete their perfect league season and claim the championship when they take on Galt in the season finale.