Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – Over the past several seasons Liberty High and Southeast Polk have developed a rivalry through down to the wire high-stakes showdowns.

In the latest meeting between cross-state powers on Friday it was Southeast Polk that earned a measure of revenge.

Southeast Polk avenged a pair of losses to Liberty High last season, including a quarterfinal loss at Liberty High, with a 21-14 win over the Lightning on a steamy night at Liberty Stadium.

“Two years ago we had a great battle with them in the Dome in the semifinal and last year this week we went to their place and we kind of game them the business and absolute kudos to coach (Brad) Zelenovich and their staff,” Liberty High coach Mitch Wieland said. “They do an unbelievable job. They play to their personnel probably as well as anyone in the staff.”

Southeast Polk scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:49 remaining and held off Liberty High to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Liberty High (1-1) held a 290 to 207 edge in total yards but couldn’t overcome four turnovers.

“It was a lot of the stuff that we had preached all week, some of the same mistakes that bit us in the butt against Cedar Falls it’s hard to live and die that way,” Wieland said. “We didn’t play clean football and that’s way too good of a football team to shoot ourselves in the foot as much as we did.”

Liberty High outgained Southeast Polk 124 to 40 in the first half but trailed 7-0.

The Lightning lost a fumble on second and goal at the Ram four yard line on their second possession of the game.

Southeast Polk had just three first downs in the opening half but took a 7-0 lead into the locker room after a 52 yard interception return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Owen Oberbroeckling with 1:44 remaining in the first half.

“A lot of it I have to take accountability for,” Wieland said. “It wasn’t my best play calling down in the red zone where it really mattered. We had some plays that we worked all week on that we obviously hoped to execute at a higher clip but it wasn’t my best night calling plays either.”

Liberty High twice pulled even in the second half but never took the lead.

The Lightning evened the score at 7-7 when Leo Rozz capped a 12-play, 66-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter.

Southeast Polk answered immediately with a 29-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Boston Bailey to regain the lead 14-7.

Liberty High needed just four plays to even the score again.

After Carter Lester found Pryor Reiners for a 27-yard gain off a double pass on third-and-10, Emerson Berner hit Adrian Clerry for a 55-yard touchdown that tied the score with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.

“We did a lot of good things but we are not in this for moral victories against the CIML any more,” Wieland said. “We are a good football team, we are a good football program and when we line up against these teams from central Iowa we expect to win so any other outcome is obviously a disappointment.”

Southeast Polk put together the game winning drive in the fourth quarter after recovering a Liberty High fumble at the Lightning 44 yard line.

Bailey capped the 44-yard, 9-play march with a 1-yard sneak with 2:49 remaining.

Liberty High had a final chance but turned the ball over on downs at its own 35 yard line with 2:00 remaining and the Rams converted a fourth and 8 to secure the win.

“We knew we were going to get their best,” Wieland said. “I told our kids how cool is it that we’ve earned the right to be on a team like Southeast Polk’s radar.”

Adrian Cooper ran for 75 yards and Stanley Cooper rushed for 65 yards for Southeast Polk, which had 167 of its 207 total yards after halftime.

“Stanley Cooper is a heck of a player man, probably one of best running backs that we are going to see all year and they executed the game plan, we were situationally sound on defense,” Wieland said. “I thought our third down defense this week was a bright spot.”

Berner finished 19-of-34 for 181 yards and a touchdown and Reiners had seven receptions for 78 yards to lead Liberty High.

“Sometimes these losses are some silver lining later in the season,” Wieland said. “They exposed some things with us offensively and defensively and we will learn from it. We will get better as players and as coaches. It’s a long season.”

                                        ICL                 SEP

First downs                16                    11

Rushes-yards             20-82               46-167

Comp-Att-Int            20-35-2           4-13-1

Passing yards             208                  40

Total yards                290                  207

Punts-Avg.                 2-24.5              4-38

Fumbles-lost              3-2                   0-0

Penalties-yards          4-20                 3-20

Southeast Polk          0   7   7   7  –  21

Liberty High             0   0  14  0  –  14

SEP – Owen Oberbroeckling 52 interception return (Bryce Doughan kick)

ICL – Leo Rozz 4 run (Kaiden Smith kick)

SEP – Boston Bailey 29 run (Doughan kick)

ICL – Adrian Clerry 55 pass from Emerson Berner (Smith kick)

SEP – Bailey 1 run (Doughan kick)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – ICL: Brody Beaver 12-41, Leo Rozz 3-18, Pryor Reiners 2-17, Emerson Berner 2-12, Mohammed Osman 1-(-6). SEP: Adrian Cooper 10-75, Stanley Cooper 21-65, Boston Bailey 11-29, Josh Ehrich 1-(-2), Team 2-0.

PASSING – ICL: Emerson Berner 19-34-2 181, Cooper Lester 1-1-0 27. SEP: Boston Bailey 4-13-1 41.

RECEIVING – ICL: Pryor Reiners 7-78, Cooper Lester 4-44, Leo Rozz 4-12, Brody Beaver 2-(-2). Tate Rettig 1-15, Victor Nakihinga 1-6, Adrian Clerry 1-155. SEP: Coen Trunnel 2-31, Brennan Swanson 2-10.

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating