Please log in, or sign up for a new account and<\/span> purchase a subscription to continue reading. Frontier’s Dante Callejas gains a few yards on Liberty’s Brayden Monsevais and Trejon Fulton, who loses his helmet while blocking.
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<\/i> Updated: October 21, 2023 @ 8:12 am<\/small>
Frontier’s Dante Callejas gains a few yards on Liberty’s Brayden Monsevais and Trejon Fulton, who loses his helmet while blocking.<\/p>\n
The last time Frontier defeated Liberty on the football field, this season\u2019s group of seniors were in the first grade.
It was Oct. 12, 2012 and the Titans were in the middle of a stretch on the gridiron where the team defeated Centennial, Liberty, Bakersfield, Stockdale and Independence in successive weeks en route to the Southwest Yosemite League title \u2014 the program\u2019s first and only championship in 16 years of varsity competition.
On Friday night, in perhaps the school\u2019s most important football game to date, Frontier rekindled that magic from 11 years ago against a Patriots squad that has dominated the local landscape for much of the past seven seasons.
Senior quarterback Malakhi Statler threw for 268 yards on 15 of 27 passing, including a 49-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Kobie Watson for the go-ahead score and the Titans held on to defeat host Liberty on its homecoming, 25-20 in front of a large, vocal crowd.
\u201cOur kids played great,\u201d Frontier coach Chris Bandy said. \u201cI\u2019m just so proud of them and their belief in each other and believing we could do it. You know it\u2019s been a long time since Frontier beat Liberty, before I was here. But we believed we could do it if we played a good football game.\u201d
With the victory, the Titans (9-0, 3-0) clinched at least a share of the South Yosemite River League title. Frontier can wrap up the outright championship with a victory over Centennial next week.
Liberty (7-2, 3-1) was looking to extend its string of league championships to six. Now the defending CIF State 1-A champions will need help from the Golden Hawks.
\u201cFrontier played well and they did a good job, and congratulations to them,\u201d said Liberty coach Bryan Nixon, who took over the Patriots program in 2013 and was 10-0 against the Titans prior to Friday night\u2019s outcome. \u201cYou can always say we made mistakes \u2026 but we knew this was going to be a hard-fought game and it was.\u201d
The Patriots had won 26 straight league contests and were 32-0 against Kern County opponents since losing to Bakersfield High in the opening round of the 2017 Central Section Division I playoffs. Liberty\u2019s last league loss was also to the Drillers, a 44-17 defeat to BHS on Nov. 4, 2016.
Liberty had one last chance to drive for the winning touchdown when it took over on its 28 with 2:07 to play, but following an incomplete pass by junior quarterback Clay Turk, his next pass was picked off by Watson and Frontier was able to run out the clock for the win.
\u201cIt feels really good,\u201d said Watson, who had four catches for 126 yards, all in the second half. \u201cWe haven\u2019t beat them for a while. This was one of my top teams since last year that I wanted to beat. So I was so ready to come into this game. I knew I had to step up. First half I wasn\u2019t there as much, but in the second half, when they call your name, you have to get out there.\u201d
Frontier trailed 14-13 at the half and 20-19 at the end of three quarters after Liberty running back Mehki Delouth took a short pass and turned it into a 60-yard scoring pass with 4:58 left in the third quarter. The Patriots planned to go for two, but a penalty for excessive celebration pushed the ball back to the 18 and Turk\u2019s run for the end zone fell two yards short. He was making his first varsity start, replacing senior Cole O\u2019Brien, who injured his left shoulder in last week\u2019s 30-7 victory over Centennial.
Turk had moments of greatest, including a 57-yard run, but he was also intercepted three times and lost a fumbled snap that led to a 1-yard Brady Durken touchdown that gave the Titans a 19-14 lead with 5:57 left in the third quarter. Durken also scored on a 2-yard run with 2:42 left in the first half to trim the Patriots\u2019 lead to 14-13.
The extra point was blocked by Delouth, who had a big night for Liberty. He finished with three touchdowns, including first-quarter runs of 7 and 26 yards, that gave his team a 14-7 lead. He finished with 94 yards rushing on 16 carries and also recovered a fumble forced by Dylan Delgado.
Delouth\u2019s two touchdown runs helped Liberty regain the game\u2019s momentum after Frontier running back brought the game to life with a 90-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage. He finished with 147 yards on 13 carries.
\u201cThat was a huge momentum builder for us,\u201d Bandy said. \u201cAnytime that you\u2019re in this environment, a phenomenal high school football environment with the crowd, and to get a jump on it with a big play by Brycen \u2014 who\u2019s made them all year \u2014 was outstanding for us and really got us rolling.\u201d
Both teams had their chances to tack on more points, but turnovers in the red zone and a combined three missed field goals stalled their efforts.
With Liberty leading 14-13 in the second quarter, kicker Jack Smith missed a 44-yard field goal. Frontier then moved the ball to the Patriots\u2019 16 before the drive stalled and Ryder Crane-Finch missed a 33-yarder.
The following drive, Turk\u2019s long run moved the ball to the Titan 20 with 57 seconds left in the first half, but he was intercepted by Nsongbeh Ginyui on the next play to end the threat.
\u201cThis is going to speak a lot to how we handle adversity and we\u2019re going to come back Monday and we\u2019re going to get after it and we\u2019re going to get going,\u201d Nixon said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t the end, it\u2019s not going to define us and we\u2019re going to go and get ready for the playoffs.\u201d
Frontier\u2019s victory virtually assures it will play in Central Section Division I for the first time since 2016 when the brackets are unveiled next weekend.The Titans will compete in D-I. Frontier lost in the Division II semifinals the past two seasons.
\u201cThey\u2019re tough and they love each other,\u201d said Bandy of his team. \u201cThis is the first team at Frontier that I\u2019ve been a part of where everybody is unselfish, they don\u2019t care who gets the touchdowns, they don\u2019t care who gets the big plays, they just wanna do it for each other, do it for the school, and that\u2019s a real proud thing (to see) as a coach.\u201d
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