Kelston Joseph’s Late TD Run Lifts Liberty-Eylau Over Dallas Carter, 30-26

ROYSE CITY — Kelston Joseph had three straight runs inside the 10-yard line, finishing off Dallas Carter and the drive with a 4-yard TD run with 28 seconds left to lift Liberty-Eylau to a 30-26 win Friday at Royse City ISD Stadium.

Joseph had just two carries before the final Leopard drive and finished with five touches for 10 yards and the decisive score.

Decorian Phillips threw for 386 yards and two TDs — both to Mahleik Darty — with a pair of interceptions and also rushed for 50 yards. Ralph Crabtree added 35 yards rushing and a TD to cut into a 13-0 Cowboys lead, which Carter established just 3:29 into the game.

El-Amin Greer had five catches for 124 yards, Darty added nine grabs for 109 and TDs of 15 and 18 yards, the second with 5:24 to play to start a 13-point rally the Leopards in the fourth quarter.

Steven Goben gave Liberty-Eylau, which plays Kaufman next week in the Region II-4A, Division I semifinals, its first lead when he booted a 22-yard field goal 2:11 into the second half.

The Leopards came alive in the second quarter after giving up 13 points to Carter early in the game.

The Leopards cut a double-digit deficit to two points by halftime with a 6-yard TD run by Crabtree and a 15-yard strike from Phillips to Darty, coming with just six seconds left in the first half.

Marquis Borner took a short pass and turned it into a 48-yard TD as he worked down the right sideline, and following an interception by the Cowboys, Detron Hall raced 47 yards to paydirt.

Liberty-Eylau finished with 504 yards of total offense, and Carter had 395.

Crabtree had a 6-yard TD midway through the second quarter, and Darty hauled in a 15-yard strike after Alfredo Botello kicked a 26-yard field goal for the Cowboys.

Botello also had a 32-yard field goal following Jamalrian Jones' 4-yard TD run for Carter in the third quarter, when the Cowboys went up 26-17.

Justise Wade-Harris rushed 23 times for 169 yards for Carter, and Hall added 73 yards on the ground and hit on 10-of-19 passes for 170 yards and a TD.