Football Recap: Liberty Comes Up Short in High-Profile Match with Desert Oasis

On Wednesday, Liberty faced Desert Oasis in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The game between the Liberty Patriots and the Desert Oasis Diamondbacks didn't end well, with the Liberty Patriots falling 41-26. The Patriots were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Diamondbacks earlier this season, when they won 47-36.

When it comes to explaining why Liberty lost, don't look at Kaylie Phillips. Despite the final result, she rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns. The dominant performance gave Phillips a new career-high in rushing yards. 81 of Phillips' passing yards were hauled in by Sheaza Lopes.

It was another big night for Akemi Higa, who threw for 322 yards and six touchdowns while completing 81.8% of her passes, and also rushed for 73 yards on only nine carries for Desert Oasis. Higa is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as she's now passed for four or more in the last 12 games she's played. Akiko Higa was Akemi's top target, picking up 147 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Liberty's loss dropped their record down to 11-4. As for Desert Oasis, the win was the 11th in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 15-2.

Liberty will take on Centennial at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The timing is sure in Liberty's favor as the squad sits on five straight wins at home while Centennial has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road. As for Desert Oasis, they will square off against Bishop Gorman at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Desert Oasis' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last 13 contests.