The circumstances made it the weirdest Bird Bowl in history.
Whoops, this wasn’t officially a Bird Bowl.
You wouldn’t have known it from the power, passion and drama displayed in Liberty’s 24-20 victory over Fauquier in the annual regular season-ending spectacle Friday in Bealeton.
The game goes into the record books as a 1-0 Eagle victory since Fauquier was forced to forfeit earlier in the week due to an unfortunate overscheduling issue. VHSL officials allowed the game to be played, knowing its value to the community.
The Eagles scored the winning points on Austin Jacobs’ 1-yard touchdown run with 2:22 left, but the game had another twist as Liberty had to hold off the Falcons one more time after Fauquier reached the Liberty 8-yard line.
The game ended when Fauquier’s Ben Noland could not haul in an option pass near the goal-line.
“It was exciting for everybody. Two teams going back and forth. We had a chance to win and that’s all you can ask for,” said Fauquier coach Karl Buckwalter.
Due to two forfeits, the Falcons finished 2-9, but Friday’s loss was a tough one as Fauquier felt close to the win. “We did. We were on our way playing good defense. We were stopping them and doing what our plan said. But we put them in good situations at times and you can’t do that.
After coming into the game at 0-8, Liberty finished 1-8 with a perfect feel-good memory to build on.
“I think we ended on a strong note. I’m happy with that last game and how we played offense the last three games. It’s still a work in progress. We need a huge offseason to get back where we want to be,” said Liberty coach Travis Buzzo.
It sure felt like a Bird Bowl as the teams slugged it out, trading the lead four times in what will surely go down as one of the most evenly played matchups in the 28-year rivalry.
Fauquier took a 10-0 lead and was in great position heading into the half only to watch Liberty score two touchdowns in 30 seconds to pull ahead 14-10 at the break.
Liberty kept control early in the third, reaching the Falcon 12 as Mawyer came up short on a 10-yard scramble on fourth down.
After stopping the Falcons and taking over at the 50, an Eagles’ trick play backfired as Landon Triplett’s pass was picked off by Ye Russell after being tipped by John Bynaker downfield.
“It was a giant momentum swing,” said Buzzo. “It was a play that had a shot to be a big play. We were trying to call something to take full control of the game.”
Fauquier drove 49 yards to take a 17-14 lead with 2:05 left in the third when quarterback Noland got in on a fourth down run from the 1-yard line. The Eagles had stopped three previous Falcon runs from the 1. Fauquier’s drive featured a key 29-yard reception by Bynaker to the 1.
“That was huge. It was fourth down and inches or so. I thought he got in before that,” said Buckwalter.
Liberty responded with a 61-yard drive as Cody Owens powered through several Falcon tacklers on a 24-yard run. The drive stalled with Eagle kicker Nick Paratore nailing a 26-yard field goal to tie it at 17-17 with 10:28 left.
Fauquier regained the lead on the next possession as Kaden Fox broke a long kickoff return before slowing down with a leg cramp injury at the 28 when it looked like he might score. Fauquier’s drive reached the LHS 13 after a pass interference penalty, but after three short runs, Nate Hensley came on for a 24-yard field goal as Fauquier took a 20-17 lead with 6:46 left.
Fauquier had a chance to close out the game after stopping Liberty cold on the next possession. The Eagles punted after three downs, with Fauquier taking over at the FHS 35.
“We were up 20-17 and gave them the ball back. It was unfortunate. I haven’t watched the film and I don’t know if I will watch it,” said Buckwalter.
After two runs netted four yards, Noland took a snap from the shotgun set, but the ball fell free as Noland scrambled to recover and couldn’t with Jacobs recovering at the FHS 27.
The Eagles fought off two costly penalties in driving for the winning points. Mawyer hit Owens for 11 yards on a screen, and Tyler Caporaletti to the 11, then Landon Triplett to the 8.
Mawyer almost scored near the right pylon as he reached the 1.
After an LHS timeout, Jacobs took a handoff from Mawyer and surged in easily for the 1-yard run with Paratore’s important extra point kick making it 24-20 with 2:22 to go.
“It was a basic run play, something we’ve run 25 times already. Their defensive end had to pick the running back or the quarterback and he chose the QB,” said Buzzo.
“Austin went in because he’s the bigger back than Cody. Austin’s 240 and Cody’s 170. It was a read play where the quarterback made the right play.”
The Eagles gave Fauquier a huge opening by misplaying the kickoff. Liberty kicked short then committed a late hit, allowing the Falcons to begin the drive with the ball at the FHS 35 with 2:15 left.
After a penalty to the 50, the Falcons threw an option pass with Massey connecting with Bynaker at the LHS 12.
“We were in perfect position to make a play. It hit off him into the receiver’s hand,” said a disappointed Buzzo.
“Bynaker made a phenomenal catch to put us in position. We had four tries,” Buckwalter lamented.
Dylan Taylor ran twice to reach the 8, then Noland threw incomplete near the goalline, setting up the fourth down. Massey took a pitch, ran to his left, stopped and threw but it was incomplete to Noland.
“It was supposed to go cross field to Dylan Taylor in the end zone. They tipped it and it went to Ben. I was not designed to go to Ben. A Liberty lineman tipped it,“ Buckwalter said.
There were some anxious moments as the Eagles were penalised for unsportsmanlike conduct, pushing the ball back from the 8 to the 1 with 31 seconds left.
After a timeout Mawyer took the ball and surged forward for the game’s final play.
“There was too much time to take a safety. We used our heavier personnel by putting two tight ends behind the guards so we had seven guys pushing instead of five. We had a little wedge and it was like a QB sneak,” said Buzzo.
Falcons lead first half, then falter
The first half was scoreless until early in the second quarter when Hensley drilled a 32-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead. The drive was fueled by Massey, who contributed a 25-yard QB scramble and completed a 10-yard pass to Wes Heflin.
Fauquier made it 10-0 when Noland connected with Kaden Fox for a 49-yard TD connection with 2:45 left before intermission.
After being denied on their first five possessions by a feisty FHS defense, Liberty awoke thanks to a long kick return by Amr Ismael, who picked up a bouncing kick and returned it to the FHS 38. An FHS penalty for a horse-collar tackle moved the ball to the 23.
After being sacked for an 11-yard loss, Mawyer converted a huge fourth down when he hit Landon Triplett cutting across the middle for 17 yards to the 6-yard line.
Mawyer scored on the next play, faking to the fullback and running for six yards around right tackle. Nick Paratore’s extra point made it 10-7 with 1:11 left in the hafl.
Fauquier made a crucial turnover trying for points right before halftime as Massey’s pass bounced off a receiver to Ismael, who returned it a few yards to the FHS 32.
On first down, Mawyer threw a deep fade to Joey Triplett up the right side. Triplett caught it near the goal, then stepped into the end zone for a 32-yard TD with 41 seconds left in the half. After Paratore’s kick, Liberty now led 14-10 with 14 points in just 30 seconds.
Buckwalter had regrets for perhaps going for too much when FHS could have run out the clock and maybe led 10-0.
“Yeah, we let them back in it. Coulda, woulda, shoulda,” Buckwalter said.
Fauquier lost another fumble with 15 seconds left, setting Liberty up at the FHS 31, but Paratore’s 41-yard field goal as time expired was short.
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NOT A BIRD BOWL, BUT WHAT A FOOTBALL GAME: Liberty edges Fauquier 24-20 on Jacobs' TD run - Fauquier Times
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