ESCALON, CA (MPG) - The Liberty Ranch Hawks JV football team ran into a buzzsaw Friday night, falling 39-6 to the host Escalon Cougars in a non-league matchup at Escalon High School.

The Cougars controlled the contest from the opening kickoff, using a punishing ground game and a swarming defense to build a lead the young Hawks could never seriously threaten. 

Liberty Ranch’s lone score provided a bright spot in an otherwise long evening for the visitors from Galt.

The loss drops the JV Hawks to 0-1 on the season, but the schedule offers a quick chance at redemption. Liberty Ranch travels to Sheldon on Friday, Sept. 4 for another non-league bout. The Huskies (1-1) enter that contest riding momentum of their own after a 27-8 non-league victory over Cordova of Rancho Cordova.

The Hawks will look to clean up their execution on both sides of the ball as they search for their first win of the young season.