Noah Long, tight defense lift Liberty Hill to playoff victory over San Antonio Pieper

SAN MARCOS — With the season on the line, there was little doubt that Liberty Hill would give the football to Noah Long when the Panthers needed a big play.

Competing with a bruise on his fibula, the Liberty Hill senior ignored the pain and rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 victory over San Antonio Pieper in the Class 5A Division II regional championship Friday night at Bobcat Stadium. With the Panthers nursing a 21-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Long saved his best for last, scoring on a 47-yard touchdown run to put the game away.

"Once (the fibula) gets hit, I have to take a little break because it gets a little numb," Long said. "The femur is bruised, too. They say that (the pain) is worse than a break sometimes."

Panthers defense comes up big

Pieper quarterback Jake South had a marvelous game, passing for 355 yards and two touchdowns. Liberty Hill, though, needed two game-altering plays by its defense to keep the Panthers in it.

In what might be the game's pivotal play, Pieper receiver Isaiah Champagne was on the verge of scoring a game-tying touchdown in the second half. But he had the ball knocked out of his grasp by Panther senior linebacker Samuel Knox just one yard short of the goal line. The ball bounced and rolled out of the end zone for a touchback, giving Liberty Hill possession.

Pieper also had a possible touchdown drive diverted when Carson Hollen picked off a pass at the Panther 9 in the fourth quarter. That set up Long's final touchdown run, his 19th of the season.

"Man, that was a feeling like no other," Hollen said of his interception. "Picking the ball off to save your team, it was an awesome feeling."

Liberty Hill played perhaps its finest game of the year. The Panthers had allowed 36 points a game. The 14 points given up to Pieper matched their season low, which had come during a 59-14 victory over Cedar Creek.

Familiar territory for Liberty Hill

This marks the fourth straight year that the Panthers have reached the state semifinals. They lost in the semis in 2020 and 2022 but reached the finals in 2021 before losing to South Oak Cliff.

No one was prouder of the team's effort Friday than head coach Kent Walker. He praised his team for taking a 21-0 lead in the first half and for holding off the Warriors on multiple occasions in the second half.

What will he remember most about the game?

"The fight and the toughness of our kids," Walker said. "They fought back from the loss we had to (Pieper) four weeks ago (in the final game of the regular season)."

Tough matchup next week

Liberty HIll (10-4) advances to play Port Neches-Groves (13-1) in a state semifinal. As of Friday night, coaches from both teams were sorting out when and where the game will be played.

Port Neches-Groves ended Liberty Hill's season with a 42-14 victory over Liberty Hill in the semis last year. The Indians have reeled off 13 straight victories since opening the season with a 24-7 loss to Port Arthur Memorial.

Noteworthy

With his big game Friday, Liberty Hill's Long has rushed for 5,934 yards and 81 touchdowns during his four years on varsity. ... The Panthers also received offensive support Friday from senior fullback Ben Carter, who finished with 114 yards on 20 carries. For the year Carter has 2,376 yards and 31 touchdowns. ... Among the spectators in attendance was Jerry Vance, who retired in 2018 following 16 seasons with the Panthers. He won consecutive Class 3A state titles in 2006 and 2007.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: This marks fourth straight state semifinal appearance for Liberty Hill