RUN AFTER CATCH … Archbold running back Josiah Gomez runs after catching a screen pass from quarterback Cade Brenner. (PHOTO BY LINDSAY PHILLIPS, STAFF)
By: Daniel Cooley
ARCHBOLD – Liberty-Benton’s offense scored eight touchdowns on its first nine possessions, including scoring after three Archbold turnovers, as the Eagles downed Archbold in the first round of the Division V Region 18 playoffs 63-35.
Liberty-Benton (8-3) will travel to Liberty Center for a second-round game on Friday, November 5. The Tigers (11-0) topped Port Clinton, 61-20.
Liberty-Benton quarterback Kam Garlock passed for 391 yards and five touchdowns and added 69 yards rushing on 13 carries.
Three of Garlock’s TD passes went to Seth Elchert, who caught eight passes for 210 yards, Eagles running back Mason Modd caught two touchdown passes and added an 85-yard interception return for a score and a three-yard rushing TD.
For Archbold, Carson Dominique rushed for 189 yards while quarterback Cade Brenner passed for 240 yards and four touchdowns. Karter Behnfeldt had 93 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
However, Archbold was snakebit by four turnovers, three of which led to Liberty-Benton touchdowns.
The other turnover, a fumble, ended an Archbold drive at the Eagles 23-yard line.
One of the biggest turnovers came with Archbold trailing 28-14, but threatening to draw within one score, with a first down on the Liberty-Benton 21-yard line.
But Modd intercepted a Brenner pass and returned it 85 yards for a TD to put the Eagles up, 35-14.
“The turnovers really came back to haunt us,” said Archbold head coach David Dominique.
“They’re a good football team with a lot of athletes, across the board. We could match up with some of their athletes but couldn’t keep up with the rest of them.”
Liberty-Benton took the opening kickoff and scored in six plays, ending with Garlock’s 42-yard pass to Elchert.
Archbold came right back to tie the game at 7-7 on Brenner’s 21-yard TD pass to Josiah Gomez.
Liberty-Benton answered right back and took a 14-7 lead on Garlock’s 34-yard TD strike to Modd.
Then the turnover bug hit Archbold. The Eagles intercepted Brenner on two straight possessions, leading to two Liberty-Benton touchdowns.
Garlock hit Lincoln Garlock for a 16-yard TD pass and then connected with Elchert from 29 yards out to put the Eagles up 28-7.
The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the way. With L-B leading 35-14, Brenner hit Behnfeldt for a 39-yard TD pass to cut the Eagles’ lead to 35-21 with 2:37 left in the first half.
However, Liberty-Benton answered that score with a 41-yard TD pass from Garlock to Elchert with just 33 seconds left in the first half.
That put Liberty-Benton up 42-21 at halftime and Archbold could get no closer than 21 points in the second half. Archbold finishes the season at 8-3.
“Tonight, the kids did everything we asked them to do, and they laid it all out on the field,” Dominique said. “And our seniors have been a part of four playoff appearances.”
LBHS AHS
First Downs 26 24
Rushes-Yards 32-174 32-195
Passing Yards 420 240
Passing 22-30 13-21-3
Total Yards 594 435
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 2-1
Penalties-Yards 11-83 4-50
Liberty-Benton 21 21 7 14 – 63
Archbold 7 14 7 7 – 35
LB – S. Elchert 42-yd pass from K. Garlock (Doolittle kick)
A – Gomez 21-yd pass from Brenner (Kern kick)
LB – Modd 34-yd pass from K. Garlock (Doolittle kick)
LB – L. Garlock 16-yd pass from K. Garlock (Doolittle kick)
LB – S. Elchert 29-yd pass from K. Garlock (Doolittle kick)
A – Dominique 6-yd run (Kern kick)
LB – Modd 85-yd interception return (Doolittle kick)
A – Behnfeldt 39-yd pass from Brenner (Kern kick)
LB – S. Elchert 41-yd pass from K. Garlock (Doolittle kick)
LB – Modd 5-yd pass from K. Garlock (Doolittle kick)
A – Behnfeldt 22-yd pass from Brenner (Kern kick)
LB – Modd 3-yd run (Doolittle kick)
A – Gomez 14-yd pass from Brenner (Kern kick)
LB – Z. Elchert 11-yd run (Doolittle kick)
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com