Rockhurst is 0-5 against Liberty North since November of 2019 but things could change on Friday. The Hawklets will challenge the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Rockhurst will be strutting in after a victory while Liberty North will be coming in after a loss.
On Friday, Rockhurst needed a bit of extra time to put away Saint Thomas Aquinas. They pulled ahead with a 36-35 photo finish over the Saints.
Garret Miller
| 10/10/25 @ Saint Thomas Aquinas | 37 |
| 10/03/25 vs Blue Springs | 2 |
| 09/26/25 vs Bishop Miege | 0 |
| 09/19/25 @ Lee's Summit West | 5 |
| 09/12/25 @ Olathe North | 5 |
| + 7 more games |
Rockhurst's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Garret Miller, who threw for 192 yards and two TDs, and also rushed for 37 yards. That's the most rushing yards Miller has posted since back in September of 2024. A healthy portion of Miller's aerial production (105 yards to be exact) went to Tristan Johnson, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Meanwhile, Liberty North faced Lee's Summit North in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Eagles fell 27-20 to the Broncos. The Eagles haven't had much luck with the Broncos recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Rockhurst will need to focus on slowing down Zemar Cheatam, one of several Liberty North players who made an impact when they last played. He rushed for 119 yards and one score. Cheatam's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 105 rushing yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Brennan Smith, who rushed for 37 yards and one touchdown.
Even if they lost, Liberty North's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Trey Newman, Brady Robinson, and Brody Anderson, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Lee's Summit North's side was Ty Lange, who made 16 total tackles.
Rockhurst's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 40.5 points over those games. As for Liberty North, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Rockhurst has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Liberty North struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 190.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Rockhurst couldn't quite finish off Liberty North in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 and fell 16-13. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Cheatam, who rushed for 110 yards and one TD. Now that the Hawklets know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
