[By Louie Avery, Special to ETSN.fm]

ATLANTA — Atlanta climbed back into the postseason picture Friday at Rabbit Stadium with a 27-20 victory over Liberty-Eylau, which not only lost the game, but maybe junior sensation Davion Hall.

Atlanta (3-6, 2-2) must beat Pittsburg next week and hope Paris beats L-E to advance to the playoffs.

Atlanta was leading the key District 13-3A game 20-7 when Hall left the game with a leg injury with 8:22 left in the third quarter. Atlanta extended its lead to 20 points on a one-yard touchdown by sophomore quarterback Chase Musgrove with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter.

Atlanta RB Corion Webster. (Courtesy Texarkana Gazette)
Atlanta RB Corion Webster. (Courtesy Texarkana Gazette)
loading...

L-E refused to quit, scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but Atlanta would not give the ball back thanks to the hard running of Oklahoma State commit Corion Webster, who finished with 164 yards on 25 carries.

That total almost outgained the Leopards, who managed only 184 total yards. Junior quarterback Rahsaan Donelson accounted for most of that with 49 yards on the ground and 81 via the air. Donelson had two touchdown passes dropped in the end zone after Hall left.

Sophomore Donelle Hoof sparked L-E's comeback with a 32-yard touchdown run up the middle of the field with 10:11 left. L-E put together a 12-play scoring drive on its next possession, the score coming on a 17-yard pass from Donelson to tight end Joseph Atchison.

Atlanta dominated in the first half thanks to the Leopards' turnovers and mental mistakes.

L-E managed only six yards on the ground, its only score coming on a 31-yard pass from Hall to Keith Wyncoop with 5:35 left in the first quarter. Atchison's kick tied the score at 7-7.

The Rabbits lit up the scoreboard first when the snap on a punt attempt sailed over Jevon Rigsby's head, and Atlanta's Dan Davis recovered for a touchdown. Webster set up the Rabbs' second score, racing 61 yards before being tackled from behind by Taiwa Braxton.

On third-and-goal sophomore quarterback found Nick Stiger open for six points with 3:33 left in the opening period.

It was three-and-out for L-E, and the Rabbs were threatening again after Rigsby's punt was blocked and recovered by Stiger at the Leopards' 20.

It looked good for L-E with the Hares facing a third-and-18, but Musgrove scrambled and found Everett  Dickerson at the 3-yard line. He carried two L-E defenders into the end zone for a touchdown with 7:36 left in the half.

After an exchange of punts L-E drove from its 19-yard line to the Rabbs' 27 with 13 seconds left. Donelson desperation throw was intercepted by Stiger at his own 4.

Atlanta 27, Liberty-Eylau 20
Rabbit Stadium, Atlanta
Liberty-Eylau -- 7 0 0 13 — 20
Atlanta -- 14 6 7 0 — 27

First Quarter
A -- Dan Davis recovered fumble in L-E end zone (Chris Ibarra kick), 8:28
L-E -- Keith Wincoop 31 pass from Davion Hall (Joseph Atchison kick), 5:35
A -- Nick Stiger 4 pass from Chase Musgrove (Ibarra kick), 3:33
Second Quarter
A -- Everett Dickerson 18 pass from Musgrove (kick fails), 7:36
Third Quarter
A -- Musgrove 1 run (Ibarra kick), 4:42
Fourth Quarter
L-E -- Donelle Hoof 32 run (kick fails), 10:11
L-E -- Atchison 17 pass from Rashaan Donelson (Atchison kick), 4:05

  L-E                ATL
First Downs                                  11                   8
Rushes-Yards                           32-72            36-174
Pass Yards                                  112                 50
Comp.-Att.-Int.                         10-16-1          6-12-0
Fumbles-Lost                               6-1                 2-0
Penalties-Yards                           9-70               4-45
Punts-Avg.                                  5-31.2            5-38.4

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Liberty-Eylau: Donelson 13-49, Matthew Sellers 4-minus 5, Hoof 12-61, Ricardo Lockett 1-1, Davion Hall 1-2. Atlanta: Musgrove 5-2, Dickerson 2-2, Corion Webster 25-164, Alan Fonteneaux 4-6.
PASSING—Liberty-Eylau: Donelson 9-15-1-81, Hall 1-1-0-31. Atlanta: Musgrove 6-12-0-50.
RECEIVING—Liberty-Eylau: Lavonte Johnson 2-20, Keith Wyncoop 4-50, Hall 1-8,  Kayde Richard 1-6, Michael Carr 1-11, Atchison 1-17. Atlanta: Stiger 2-12, Fonteneaux 1-9, Randel Clark 1-6, Dickerson 1-18, Derrick Dowden 1-5.

More From East Texas Sports Network