LONGVIEW, Texas-Liberty-Eylau had to play 80 defensive snaps, and it was the defense that finally sealed Brownsboro's fate.
Ken'Trell Chatmon intercepted a pass in the end zone in the final 30 seconds for a Leopard touchback, preserving a 49-35 L-E victory Thursday in a Class 4A, Division I game at Pine Tree's Pirate Stadium.
The Bears finished with 484 yards of total offense but were chasing the high-flying Leopards all night.
Liberty-Eylau had 355 yards of total offense, scored on all but one possession, and punched its ticket to the area round game against Dallas Carter, which beat Mineral Wells, 49-21.
The Leopard-Cowboy game is scheduled for next Friday at Royce City ISD Stadium.
"I don't know if we can play better offensively, and our defense bowed up at the end," Leopard head coach Steve Wells said. "Defensively, we bent some but at the crucial times we came up with stops.
"Obviously, we're going to have to do a better job of tackling, but I was proud of their effort."
Decorian Phillips threw for two scores and ran for two more for Liberty-Eylau (6-5). He connected on 17 of 21 passes for 203 yards with TDs going to Mahleik Darty and Isaiah Cross, the latter with 8:57 left in the game.
Cedric Dickerson, who had been sidelined the past few games, had three touchdowns on three carries, covering five yards. Ralph Crabtree added 81 yards rushing on 10 carries, and Phillips also had 66 yards and two scores on seven totes.
The Bears got a workhorse effort from halfback Saul Martinez, who had five catches for 40 yards and 23 carries for 215 yards and four touchdowns.
"They kept it most of the third quarter when we came back out," Wells said. "The kids played hard. The on-sides kick hurt us a little, but our kids made plays when we needed them."
Deshun Dickerson returned the short opening kickoff 24 yards to the Bear 44, and four plays later the Leopards held the lead.
Crabtree raced 20 yards around the left end after a 12-yard completion to El-Amin Greer, and Phillips raced 12 yards on a keeper for the score just 45 seconds into the game.
Brownsboro marched to the L-E red zone on a 12-play drive, but its second fourth-down attempt was thwarted by Orion Williams, who hit the ballcarrier in the backfield for a 2-yard loss.
Liberty-Eylau drove 79 yards on eight plays, Cross hauling in a 35-yard reception for the big play. Crabtree got the ball to the 1, and Cedric Dickerson took care of the rest on his first carry of the game.
He finished the first half with three carries-all for touchdowns-for five yards.
The Leopards forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Bear possession, and Shannon Roy had a 33-yard punt return to set up L-E at the Brownsboro 45.
Phillips hit Greer for 19 yards and then Darty on a slant, which he turned into a 26-yard TD with 1:04 left in the first quarter.
Brownsboro moved across midfield but fumbled, and Tremaine Brown recovered for the Leopards at their own 42.
Liberty-Eylau drove to the red zone, a pass interference call set up first-and-goal, and Cedric Dickerson dove in from the 2 with 6:09 left in the half.
Brownsboro got on the scoreboard on Martinez's 19-yard run on the seven play, and the Bears recovered an on-sides kick to get the ball back at the L-E 45. Seven plays later, Martinez raced 17 yards to paydirt with just 39 seconds left in the half.
Darty returned the pooch kick 53 yards to the Bear 14, Phillips ran 12 yards for first-and-goal, and Cedric Dickerson walked in from the 2 behind right guard Connor Green and tackle Trey Parker.
Liberty-Eylau finished the first half with 241 yards of total offense, and the Bears managed 200 on 36 plays. L-E had just 24 offensive snaps in the half and 41 for the game.
#
Liberty-Eylau 21 14 7 7 - 49
Brownsboro 0 13 8 13 - 35
First Quarter
LE-Decorian Phillips 12 run (Steven Goben kick), 11:15.
LE-Cedric Dickerson 1 run (Goben kick), 3:46.
LE-Mahleik Darty 26 pass from Phillps (Goben kick), 1:04.
Second Quarter
LE-Dickerson 2 run (Goben kick), 6:09.
BB-Saul Martinez 19 run (Luis Suarez kick), 2:57.
BB-Martinez 17 run (kick failed), 0:39.
Third Quarter
BB-Kenneth Woods 5 run (Jonathan Surlet pass to Wesley Walker), 5:56.
LE-Phillips 9 run (Goben kick), 3:17.
Fourth Quarter
BB-Martinez 10 run (Surlet pass to Kevon Thompson), 11:13.
LE-Isaiah Cross 9 pass from Phillips (Goben kick), 8:57.
BB-Martinez 44 run (run failed), 5:16.
=L-E=B'boro
First Downs=23=26
Yards Rushing=20-152=61-328
Yards Passing=203=156
Passes A-C-I=21-17-0=19-12-1
Fumbles-Lost=0-0=1-1
Penalties=1-10=2-12
Punts-Avg.=1-27.0=1-37.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Liberty-Eylau, Ralph Crabtree 10-81, Phillips 7-66, Dickerson 3-5. Brownsboro, Williams 23-215, Kevon Thompson 21-76, Woods 7-34, Seth Rozell 5-12, Chris Simons 1-10, Surlet 4-(minus 19).
PASSING-Liberty-Eylau, Phillips 17-21-0-203. Brownsboro, Surlet 10-17-1-131, Thompson 2-2-0-25.
RECEIVING-Liberty-Eylau, Cross 5-68, El-Amin Greer 4-45, Dazawion Cooper 4-42, Darty 3-41, Kelston Joseph 1-7. Brownsboro, Williams 5-40, Thompson 3-53, Izik Boykin 1-25, Logan Porter 1-24, Woods 1-9.