POWELL, Ohio — Olentangy Liberty’s defense posted a shutout and kicker Evan Fowler supplied most of the scoring Friday night as the No. 4-seeded Patriots blanked district rival Olentangy Berlin 15-0 in a Division I, Region 3 regional quarterfinal at Liberty. The final score was confirmed on the statewide scoreboards published by The Columbus Dispatch, High School On SI, the Mansfield News Journal and the Zanesville Times Recorder.
Fowler accounted for nine of Liberty’s 15 points on field goals of 34, 24 and 25 yards, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s live game coverage. His 34-yarder as the first quarter expired opened the scoring after quarterback Alex Leonard connected on a 19-yard third-down completion and a 23-yard catch-and-run to Grayson Davis that carried Liberty to the Berlin 18, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Liberty led just 6-0 at halftime, and the margin could have been tighter. The Columbus Dispatch reported that Berlin’s best first-half drive reached the Liberty 24 before Jackson Lewis missed a 42-yard field goal, and that Liberty outgained the Bears 140-68 before the break, with Leonard going 5 of 10 for 88 yards. Fowler’s second field goal, a 24-yarder with 56 seconds left in the half, came after Leonard hit Carter Nelson for 40 yards on third-and-10, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Berlin’s night got harder late in the first half when starting quarterback Austin Knapke left after a sack, and Tyler Rossiaky took over under center in the second half, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Berlin still had a chance late in the third quarter, intercepting a tipped Leonard pass and returning it to the Liberty 44 while trailing only 6-0, but the Bears never turned the takeaway into points, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The game’s only touchdown came with 6:41 to play. The Columbus Dispatch reported that Rocco Gambucci adjusted to haul in a Leonard pass at the Berlin 27 and Davis followed with a 19-yard run before powering through defenders for an 8-yard touchdown on third-and-goal. The two-point pass failed, keeping it 12-0, and Fowler closed the scoring with a 25-yard field goal with 1:41 left after Liberty took over at the Berlin 13 on a fourth-down sack, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The shutout fit the profile both teams carried into the night. The Columbus Dispatch noted before kickoff that Liberty’s defense had held nine of its 10 opponents to 17 points or fewer this season, and Berlin had allowed more than 19 points only twice — in its two losses. Liberty also beat Berlin 27-17 in the regular season, according to The Columbus Dispatch, and Friday’s rematch followed the same script: defense, field position and just enough offense.
Liberty improves to 7-4 and advances to the Region 3 semifinal on Friday, November 13, against No. 1 seed Gahanna Lincoln, which beat Olentangy Orange 13-10 on Friday to stay unbeaten at 11-0, according to The Columbus Dispatch. It is a rematch Gahanna won the hard way in the regular season, 14-13 in overtime. Berlin’s season ends at 9-3.
Photo: BPaulLucas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons