ESCALON, CA (MPG) - There are no easy Friday nights at Escalon, where championship banners hang as a warning to every visitor. The Liberty Ranch Hawks walked into that history on Aug. 28 and walked out with a 28-24 victory, opening their season with a statement win over one of the region’s most decorated programs.

It was a battle from the opening kickoff, with neither team leading by more than a score after the first quarter. In the end, the Hawks did it the old-fashioned way: pounding out 285 rushing yards on 46 carries, playing physical defense and refusing to blink when the Cougars kept answering.

Liberty Ranch struck first and led 14-7 after one quarter, but Escalon clawed back with 10 second-quarter points to make it a 21-17 game at the half. The teams traded touchdowns in the third, and then the Hawks’ defense slammed the door, pitching a scoreless fourth quarter on both sides to preserve the four-point win.

“Our coaches did a great job preparing our players for a tough contest,” Head Coach Warren Schroeder said. “We executed well on both sides of the ball. We still experienced some typical first game mistakes that we have to correct moving forward.”

The ground game was a three-headed monster. Joe Lara led the way with 104 yards and a touchdown on 18 bruising carries, while Andrew Quinn churned out 100 yards and a score of his own on 14 attempts, ripping off a long run of 39 yards. Quarterback Ryan Ogas added 45 yards and a rushing touchdown on eight carries, including a 31-yard scamper, and Wyatt Corriea chipped in 36 yards on six totes as the Hawks averaged 6.2 yards per carry as a team.

When Liberty Ranch did go to the air, it counted. Ogas was efficient, completing four of seven passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Enzo Diaz was his favorite target, hauling in two catches for 36 yards – including a 24-yarder – and the Hawks’ lone receiving touchdown. Corriea added a 25-yard grab and Lara caught one for 15 yards.

None of it happens without the men in the trenches, and the Hawks’ offensive line delivered a dominant night with 17 pancake blocks. Daniel Swearingen and Ryan Guthrie led the demolition with four pancakes apiece; Cutler Perez added three, Deshaun Jackson and Corriea had two each, and Jayden Sedlacek and Conrad Dixon each recorded one.

Defensively, Liberty Ranch racked up 43 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks while breaking up six passes. Quinn was everywhere, leading the team with nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, adding a sack and two pass deflections. Soni Takafua was a wrecking ball up front with two sacks for 10 yards in losses, a quarterback hurry and two tackles for loss. Lara and Corriea added six tackles apiece, Ogas and Jack Rowe had four each, and Jackson contributed three stops with a half tackle for loss. Diaz, Izayah Vera, Rex Machado, Tanner Swafford, Jesus Posada and Guthrie all got in on the action, and Dixon and Rowe each broke up a pass to help keep the Cougars’ passing game in check.

Special teams put the Hawks over the top in a four-point game. Hunter Owen was perfect on all four extra-point attempts, handled kickoff duties with five kicks averaging 32 yards including a 55-yarder, and returned two kickoffs for 36 yards. Lara sparked the return game with two kickoff returns for 62 yards, including a 37-yarder, and Diaz brought one back 32 yards as Liberty Ranch piled up 130 return yards. Quinn also handled the punting, averaging 30.5 yards on two boots with a long of 39.

Lara finished with a team-high 181 all-purpose yards, followed by Ogas with 121 total yards and Quinn with an even 100. As a team, the Hawks totaled 361 yards of offense and 491 all-purpose yards.

Touchdowns came from all over the roster – Lara, Quinn and Ogas on the ground and Diaz through the air – a fitting summary of a night when Liberty Ranch won as a complete team.

The Hawks move to 1-0 on the young season, and if the opener is any indication, this group has the toughness to go toe-to-toe with anybody.