Liberty-Eylau Falls to Kaufman in Regional Semifinals, 38-35

ROYSE CITY — Kaufman quarterback Trey Collier ran 25 yards untouched on a read-option keeper for his third touchdown of the game as the Lions survived Liberty-Eylau, 38-35, Friday in the Class 4A  Division I Region II semifinals at Royse City ISD Stadium.

Collier had 158 yards on 25 carries, tailback Jay Gasper added 34 rushes for 173 yards and a score as Kaufman (12-1) advanced to the regional finals/state quarterfinals to play Kennedale (12-1) next week.

Decorian Phillips threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 105 yards and a score for the Leopards (7-6).

Phillips tossed a pair of strikes to Dazawion Cooper, who had five catches for 117 yards, and a 46-yard bomb to Mahleik Darty, who finished with five receptions for 101 yards.

Phillips and Cooper connected on a 40-yard TD four minutes into the second half, and Darty tossed a 2-point conversion to Cooper to tie the score at 21.

The Lions chewed up 6:07 of the clock to drive the field in 12 plays, Devyn Morris bulling his way in from the 3.

Darty capped a 5-play campaign that lasted just 1:03 to send the game into the fourth quarter knotted.

A 32-yard field goal by Hagen Shaw regained the lead for Kaufman, which finished with 443 yards of total offense—336 on the ground.

Phillips knifed through the defense en route to a 37-yard TD run with 5:02 left, and Collier capped a 7-play, 72-yard possession with his longest run of the night, covering 25 yards for the winner.

Kaufman had 40 snaps before intermission, including 14 on a 75-yard scoring drive to go up 21-13 just before halftime.

The Lions answered a pair of quick Liberty-Eylau scores, cutting a 14-point deficit to 14-13 with 5:12 left in the second quarter, with the long, methodical drive that ate up 4:44 of the remaining clock, Collier racing 2 yards on a keeper around the left side with 21 seconds remaining.

Collier also had a 4-yard scoring jaunt to finish Kaufman's second possession, finishing an 8-play, 50-yard campaign.

After a pair of punts, Jay Gasper intercepted a deep pass to give the Lions the ball at their own 39. Gasper had six of the nine runs on the ensuing drive, breaking free down the right sideline for a 33-yard TD with 9:35 left in the half.

Ken'Trell Chatmon's 29-yard return gave the Leopards the ball a the L-E 37. Six plays and 1:33 later Cooper made a one-handed TD grab over a defender in the end zone.

Liberty-Eylau stopped Kaufman's next drive and took over at the 37. It took 1:30 for the Leopards to strike again, Ralph Crabtree racing 12 yards for the score after Phillips' 25-yard run to the red zone.

The two L-E touchdowns were 2:44 apart, but Kaufman responded with a long drive to take a 21-13 lead into the locker rooms.