Breakout Game for Big Red

After close losses to Great Bend, Garden City, and Hays, Liberal needed this. The Skins blew out Valley Center 61-0 Friday night at Redskin Field. The Redskins blocked kicks, applied bone crushing hits, tossed three touchdown passes, the offense didn’t commit a turnover, and “Touchdown Dinh” was born. Special teams wizard senior Arnold Dinh had only four carries coming into the game. Friday he scored five touchdowns and rushed for 175 yards. Dinh points to Heaven. “I want to say thanks to Jesus Christ,” Dinh said. “He gave me the power to do that he gave me the strength to run. He gave me the faith to stick to the game even though I was down and needed to perservere.”

Liberal’s Carlos Rodriguez blocked Valley Center’s first punt attempt. Two plays later LHS quarterback Slader McVey found Jade Cathey for a 26 yard scored and Cathey’s sixth TD of the season. Dinh scored on a 19 yard run just before the end of the first quarter and LHS led the Hornets 13-0 after one quarter. Valley’s first drive of the second quarter produced four first downs and first and ten from the 12. But the Hornets had to settle for a 37 yard field goal attempt. Abe Benitez blocked the kick which Bryce Johnson picked up and returned to the south end zone for a touchdown. After a Levondrick Martin interception, McVey found Tyson Deaton over the middle for a 26 yard touchdown with 37 seconds to go in the first half to take a 27-0 halftime lead. McVey found a wide open Deaton for a 36 yard score early in the second half (11:14 mark) to make it 33-0. Dinh scored second half touchdowns of 23, 27, three, and 68 yards. Liberal unofficially put up 422 yards and held Valley Center to 138 yards. McVey tossed three touchdowns and passed for 142 yards with no turnovers. LHS head coach Wade Standley says that’s what he was looking for. “We did what we were supposed to do regardless of what’s going on at the other sideline,” Standley said. “I was proud of the kids for that. We have to carry this over to week two of district. We have to continue to focus, continue to prepare, and continue to work on getting the Redskins better.”

Liberal is 2-5 and plays at 1-6 Wichita West Friday at 7:00 pm on Talkradio 1270 and kscb.net. Valley Center is 0-7 and goes to 7-0 Bishop Carroll Friday.