After each having a week off, the Liberty County Panthers and the Johnson Atomsmashers will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Liberty County took a loss when they played away from home back in September, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Friday. Their defense stepped up to hand Islands a 21-0 shutout. The Panthers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Liberty County's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Elijah Brown led the charge by rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Another reason for the win was Liberty County's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Leading the way was Christian Hines with two. He has been hot recently, having also posted five or more total tackles the last three times he's played.
Meanwhile, Johnson's and Groves' match last Friday was close at halftime, but Johnson turned on the heat in the second half with 34 points. Johnson took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 48-19 victory over Groves. The Atomsmashers pushed the score to 41-19 by the end of the third, a deficit the Rebels had little chance of recovering from.
It was another big night for Brian Robinson, who rushed for 320 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 13.9 yards per carry. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 75-yard run. Treshwan Robinson also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Liberty County's win ended a four-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-3. As for Johnson, their victory ended a four-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-3.
Everything came up roses for Liberty County against Johnson when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 42-14 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Liberty County since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
