ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Liberty Ranch didn’t need long to make a statement Friday night.

The Hawks scored 44 unanswered points over the first two quarters and rode a dominant ground game and a swarming defense to a 44-14 win over the Sheldon Huskies at Sheldon High School on Friday, Sept. 4.

Liberty Ranch put up 21 points in the first quarter and 23 more in the second, taking a 44-0 lead into halftime before the Huskies scored twice in the third quarter to avoid the shutout. Neither team scored in the fourth.

“Our team executed well on both sides of the ball and we feel like we made some progress,” Hawks Head Coach Warren Schroeder said. “Now we have to prepare for a tough opponent in Lodi for our home opener next Friday.”

The Hawks racked up 384 yards of total offense, 315 of them on the ground on 27 carries: an average of 11.7 yards per attempt.

Senior running back Andrew Quinn led the way, needing just five carries to reach 134 yards. His 62-yard run was the longest play of the night for either team, and he added a rushing touchdown while averaging 26.8 yards every time he touched the ball.

Senior Joe Lara was the Hawks’ most productive scorer, finding the end zone three times: twice on the ground and once through the air. Lara ran five times for 80 yards, including a 33-yard burst, and caught three passes for 24 yards, finishing with a team-high 104 all-purpose yards.

Senior quarterback Ryan Ogas was flawless when he put the ball in the air, completing all five of his passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, good for a 173.3 passer rating. His longest completion was a 23-yard strike to senior Enzo Diaz. Ogas also carried once for 20 yards.

Senior Hunter Owen did a little of everything. He completed his lone pass attempt for 11 yards to junior Jack Rowe, rushed four times for 37 yards with a long of 24 and a touchdown, and went a perfect 6-for-6 on point-after kicks to finish with 12 points. 

Owen also handled kickoff duties, booming seven kicks for 272 yards, an average of 38.9 yards with a long of 51.

As a team, Liberty Ranch completed all six of its pass attempts for 69 yards and two scores. Senior lineman Soni Takafua got in on the fun, hauling in an 11-yard touchdown reception for one of the two passing scores.

Rowe added five carries for 27 yards with a long of 15. Junior Mason Emslie ran twice for eight yards, and senior Wyatt Corriea carried five times for nine yards.

Up front, the Hawks’ offensive line recorded 15 pancake blocks. Seniors Cutler Perez and Deshaun Jackson each had four, senior Daniel Swearingen added three, junior Jesus Posada had two, and Quinn and senior Jayden Sedlacek each chipped in one.

The lone blemish on the offensive night was ball security. The Hawks fumbled three times and lost two.

The Liberty Ranch defense was every bit as sharp, holding Sheldon scoreless through the first half while piling up 38 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks and 20 quarterback hurries.

Corriea was a one-man wrecking crew from his linebacker spot, recording seven solo tackles and eight assists for a team-high 15 total stops, along with four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for five yards.

Takafua turned in one of the most complete individual performances of the night. In addition to his touchdown catch, he recorded three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two hurries and a six-yard fumble recovery, and he was credited with a safety, giving him eight points on the evening.

Quinn matched his offensive production with a strong night on defense: two solo tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack for five yards and a forced fumble.

Rowe was relentless in the backfield with two solo tackles, two tackles for loss and a team-high five quarterback hurries. Perez added a half-sack, a half tackle for loss and four hurries, while Posada had three solo tackles and four hurries. Swearingen contributed three tackles, a half tackle for loss and a hurry, and Jackson had two hurries.

Junior Rex Machado recorded three tackles, a half tackle for loss and two hurries. Junior Liam Trosko had two solo tackles and a pass deflection, Owen added two assisted tackles and a pass breakup, Diaz had a solo tackle and junior Tanner Swafford recorded an assist.

The Hawks broke up seven passes on the night, led by junior Izayah Vera with three. Lara, Owen, Trosko and junior Ezekiel Baltazar each had one.

Corriea also handled kickoff returns, bringing back three kicks for 50 yards with a long of 23. Diaz returned the Hawks’ lone punt seven yards. Liberty Ranch never had to punt.

All told, the Hawks finished with 441 all-purpose yards.

Liberty Ranch 2-0 opens its home schedule next Friday against Lodi.