The Liberty County Panthers won’t have long to ponder “what if” on two goal-line chances against Calvary Day on Friday night.

The Panthers were stopped at the Cavaliers 3-yard line early in the game and then denied at the 4 on a fourth down stop with a chance to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter.

Those stops, and Calvary’s resurgent rushing attack in the second half, helped the Cavaliers post a 48-27 win in the Region 3-AAA opener for both teams Friday night at Donell Woods Stadium.

“I thought both teams were resilient,” said veteran Cavaliers coach Mark Stroud. “They kept fighting all night long. Thank goodness we were able to come out on top.”

Liberty led 19-14 at the half, thanks to forcing four Cavaliers turnovers.

“I felt we should have been up two touchdowns at halftime,” said Panthers coach Tony Glazer. “We were making our own luck. Some little things, and this game could have been much, much closer.”

But Calvary, the No. 2-ranked team in Class AAA, scored three straight touchdowns in the third quarter to take the lead for good. The Cavaliers ran for 175 yards and scored on five straight possessions in the second half.

“You never know what a game is going to present you, how they’re going to play you and what adjustments they’re going to try to make,” Stroud said. “They were giving us the run a lot tonight.”

Liberty had to pick its offensive poison to try to stop. Cavaliers quarterback Jake Merklinger, who threw for more than 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns last year, is one of the top junior prospects in the state.

“It was trouble because we had to fit everything perfectly in the passing game,” Glazer said. “It was either you put an extra man in the box or you let a Division I quarterback have man-to-man coverage all night. We have to give them different coverages to throw them off a little bit.”

After the Panthers were stopped on fourth down at the Cavaliers 4-yard line, Merklinger struck. On a play-action, he hit Edward Coleman on a slant pattern, and Coleman raced the rest of the way for a 96-yard touchdown pass.

Liberty, down 41-19, answered right back. Ron Golden fielded the ensuing kickoff at the 30, cut across the field and then streaked down the Panthers’ sideline for a 70-yard touchdown return. The two-point conversion brought the Panthers to within 41-27 with 9:57 left to play.

Chase Lucas’ 1-yard run with 6:51 remaining gave the Cavaliers their final cushion.

Carlos Singleton’s 1-yard sneak and 32-yard pass to Paul Brown brought the Panthers within 14-12. Golden ran back Michael Smith’s fumble on a kickoff back for a score, putting Liberty ahead 19-14 in the second quarter.  

The Panthers forced and recovered three fumbles and picked off Merklinger once in the first half. The Cavaliers also committed nine first-half penalties, seven of which were assessed. One was declined and another was an offsetting infraction.

“I’ve been doing it for 31 years. I’ve had one or two like that,” Stroud said of the mistake-plagued first half. “They always feel like you’re on a really bad roller coaster ride and you can’t get off of it.”

Smith, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end and outside linebacker, also turned in two critical plays on defense. He had a 67-yard interception return of a Singleton pass as the Panthers got to the Cavaliers 3 in the first quarter, and took backup quarterback Jaden Hurd’s heave to the end zone as the first half ended 85 yards before getting tackled.

Liberty County honored late coach Kirk Warner before the game, with a video tribute and a balloon release from his family members. Friday night’s game was the first home game for the Panthers since Warner’s passing this summer.

Stroud was glad to get the win in the region opener and anticipates the battle for the four playoff spots to be tight.

“It’s huge,” he said. “It’s going to be a war, I think, to the end for all of us. It’s great football, but whoo, it was a heckuva ride tonight.”

Liberty, 2-2, will face Johnson in Savannah on September 23.

“There is still plenty of football left,” Glazer said. “There is a lot of good from this game we can take into next week. We wanted to get into a fourth quarter game. We wanted to have a heavyweight game. We didn’t give up. Our kids battled.” 

The Liberty County Panthers won’t have long to ponder “what if” on two goal-line chances against Calvary Day on Friday night.

The Panthers were stopped at the Cavaliers 3-yard line early in the game and then denied at the 4 on a fourth down stop with a chance to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter.

Those stops, and Calvary’s resurgent rushing attack in the second half, helped the Cavaliers post a 48-27 win in the Region 3-AAA opener for both teams Friday night at Donell Woods Stadium.

“I thought both teams were resilient,” said veteran Cavaliers coach Mark Stroud. “They kept fighting all night long. Thank goodness we were able to come out on top.”

Liberty led 19-14 at the half, thanks to forcing four Cavaliers turnovers.

“I felt we should have been up two touchdowns at halftime,” said Panthers coach Tony Glazer. “We were making our own luck. Some little things, and this game could have been much, much closer.”

But Calvary, the No. 2-ranked team in Class AAA, scored three straight touchdowns in the third quarter to take the lead for good. The Cavaliers ran for 175 yards and scored on five straight possessions in the second half.

“You never know what a game is going to present you, how they’re going to play you and what adjustments they’re going to try to make,” Stroud said. “They were giving us the run a lot tonight.”

Liberty had to pick its offensive poison to try to stop. Cavaliers quarterback Jake Merklinger, who threw for more than 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns last year, is one of the top junior prospects in the state.

“It was trouble because we had to fit everything perfectly in the passing game,” Glazer said. “It was either you put an extra man in the box or you let a Division I quarterback have man-to-man coverage all night. We have to give them different coverages to throw them off a little bit.”

After the Panthers were stopped on fourth down at the Cavaliers 4-yard line, Merklinger struck. On a play-action, he hit Edward Coleman on a slant pattern, and Coleman raced the rest of the way for a 96-yard touchdown pass.

Liberty, down 41-19, answered right back. Ron Golden fielded the ensuing kickoff at the 30, cut across the field and then streaked down the Panthers’ sideline for a 70-yard touchdown return. The two-point conversion brought the Panthers to within 41-27 with 9:57 left to play.

Chase Lucas’ 1-yard run with 6:51 remaining gave the Cavaliers their final cushion.

Carlos Singleton’s 1-yard sneak and 32-yard pass to Paul Brown brought the Panthers within 14-12. Golden ran back Michael Smith’s fumble on a kickoff back for a score, putting Liberty ahead 19-14 in the second quarter.  

The Panthers forced and recovered three fumbles and picked off Merklinger once in the first half. The Cavaliers also committed nine first-half penalties, seven of which were assessed. One was declined and another was an offsetting infraction.

“I’ve been doing it for 31 years. I’ve had one or two like that,” Stroud said of the mistake-plagued first half. “They always feel like you’re on a really bad roller coaster ride and you can’t get off of it.”

Smith, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end and outside linebacker, also turned in two critical plays on defense. He had a 67-yard interception return of a Singleton pass as the Panthers got to the Cavaliers 3 in the first quarter, and took backup quarterback Jaden Hurd’s heave to the end zone as the first half ended 85 yards before getting tackled.

Liberty County honored late coach Kirk Warner before the game, with a video tribute and a balloon release from his family members. Friday night’s game was the first home game for the Panthers since Warner’s passing this summer.

Stroud was glad to get the win in the region opener and anticipates the battle for the four playoff spots to be tight.

“It’s huge,” he said. “It’s going to be a war, I think, to the end for all of us. It’s great football, but whoo, it was a heckuva ride tonight.”

Liberty, 2-2, will face Johnson in Savannah on September 23.

“There is still plenty of football left,” Glazer said. “There is a lot of good from this game we can take into next week. We wanted to get into a fourth quarter game. We wanted to have a heavyweight game. We didn’t give up. Our kids battled.”