Ke’mon Freeman Guides Liberty-Eylau Past Paris + Has Date With Defending Champ

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Ke'mon Freeman played a hand in five Liberty-Eylau touchdowns and the Leopards hung on to avenge a district loss against Paris, 48-21, despite three turnovers in the Class 4A Division I, Region II semifinals.

Paris got on the board first after Liberty-Eylau (9-4) gave away the opening drive on an interception. Quez Allen found Jordan Williams for a 20-yard throw, and a made PAT kick gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

Freeman turned the tide in a hurry.

He connected with Cedric Ellis on a 48-yard screen pass touchdown to cut the deficit to 7-6 after a blocked PAT. Freeman capped Liberty-Eylau's next possession with a 6-yard run and ran in a two-point conversion for a 14-7 lead with 4:25 left in the first quarter.

Paris tied the game at 14 after a Leopards turnover on downs.

Freeman gave Liberty-Eylau the lead back with 1:31 left in the half on a 1-yard run for a 21-14 game at the break.

Ricardo Lockett advanced the Leopards' lead with a 2-yard power run and Freeman scored his third rushing touchdown with 1:06 left in the third quarter for a 35-14 advantage.

Liberty-Eylau scored again on its first drive of the fourth quarter. Lamont Byrd got in from 23 yards out to give the Leopards a 42-14 lead.

Paris got its last touchdown of the season on a bad snap from Liberty-Eylau's backup center. K.D. Scott recovered the ball in the end zone with 5:24 to play.

Freeman notched his fifth and final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard with with 2:55 left in the game.

The Leopards will play for a berth into the state semifinals against Argyle, the Associated Press' No. 2 team in all of Class 4A in the last regular season poll, on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. A site is still being worked out between the two schools.

Argyle won the 2013 Class 3A Division II state championship and enters the game a perfect 13-0.

Paris finished its season with an 8-5 record.