Lorena Ends Liberty-Eylau’s Season, 51-43

ROYSE CITY—Lorena scored 14 points off a pair of Liberty-Eylau fumbles, and the Central Texas Leopards survived a late charge by the East Texas Leopards, 51-43, Friday at Royse City ISD Stadium.

Lorena had 453 yards of total offense, led by quarterback Brandon Lina's 293 passing yards in the 4A Division II area playoff game. Lina was 20-of-29 passing with five touchdown tosses, two to running back AJ Bell, who finished with 239 yards of total offense (23 rushes, 139 yards and seven receptions for 100 yards). Bell also ran for a score.

Isaiah Cross threw a pair of TDs, including a late one to Deshun Dickerson. Cedric Dickerson rushed for 100 yards and three scores for Liberty-Eylau, Cross added 83 yards rushing and 243 yards passing, and Marzavin Riles had 97 yards on 11 carries.

L-E finished with 523 yards of total offense but couldn't overcome three turnovers and a Lorena TD on a punt return. Lorena led by 24 points midway through the third quarter, and Liberty-Eylau went on a 30-14 rally the rest of the way.

The teams combined for 448 yards of offense in the first half, but Lorena scored after a turnover and short field and also returned a punt for a score, taking a 30-13 advantage into halftime.

Bell had a 2-yard TD run after Liberty-Eylau fumbled deep in its own territory on the game's third play, and he also took a screen pass 29 yards to paydirt for Lorena for a 13-7 lead midway through the first.

Cedric Dickerson scored from the 1 after Marzavin Riles raced 60 yards for L-E on its second drive, and Shayne Porche hauled in a perfectly-placed deep pass from Isaiah Cross for a 77-yard TD to cut the deficit to 20-13 before the end of the first quarter.

Ty Moore returned an L-E punt 34 yards with 4:09 left in the first for a 20-7 Lorena lead before the Cross-to-Porche connection.

In the second quarter, Lina booted a 23-yard field goal to cap a 13-play drive, and he hit Ben Craig for a 49-yard strike with 8:55 remaining before the half.

Liberty-Eylau finishes its season at 4-8.