Jordan Schroeder leads Bolts with two touchdowns

NORTH LIBERTY – Jordan Schroeder is known for doing a lot of the dirty work.

The Iowa City Liberty senior receiver excels at blocking defenders on the perimeter to help the Lightning unleash their potent rushing attack. But Friday night at Liberty High School, Schroeder displayed some offensive electricity of his own.

“I’m just here to do what is best for the team and do my role,” Schroeder said after his touchdown receptions of 25 and 45 yards propelled Class 5A No. 6 Liberty to a 54-7 thrashing of Davenport Central. “Whatever the team needs me to do, I’m there to do it.”

Schroeder entered the game with 12 receptions for 98 yards and two scores this season, which ranked fifth on the team in both categories. After scoring touchdowns in each of the first two games, it had been nearly a month since Schroeder found the end zone until Liberty senior quarterback Reece Rettig found him for a 25-yard score in the first quarter. In the second frame, Schroeder took another Rettig toss 45 yards to the end zone as Liberty built a 38-0 halftime lead.

“You say, ‘no block, no rock,’ but when you block you get the rock,” Rettig said. “He’s been blocking all year and last year, as well. It was really fun to see him get the ball and get some touchdowns.”

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Rettig threw for 244 yards and three scores and ran for a fourth. Junior tailback Brody Beaver ran for a score, while junior receiver Adrian Clerry hauled in a 50-yard touchdown reception from Rettig in the third quarter.

“He’s a really good scrambler and he makes plays out of stuff that isn’t there,” Schroeder said of Rettig. “It’s fun to play with him. A play gets broken down and he finds a way to have a completion and get yardage.”

Liberty (5-1) was equally stout on defense as it held Davenport Central to 90 total yards and registered five sacks. Senior defensive back Logan Laubenthal intercepted two passes. He returned the first theft 82 yards for a would-be touchdown, but a penalty nullified the defensive score. A quarter later, he stepped in front of another Davenport Central pass and raced 23 yards for a touchdown that counted.

“I just wanted another opportunity to get another one,” Laubenthal said. “I bit on the hitch and I took it back.”

Davenport Central is now 1-5.

Liberty will visit Pleasant Valley next week.

“We’re going to have to stop the run and find a way to be able to run the football consistently,” Liberty Coach Scott Chandler said. “It’s the same thing for us. It’s execution. When we execute, we’re tough to stop.”

Class 5A No. 6 Iowa City Liberty 54, Davenport Central 7

AT NORTH LIBERTY

DC ICL

First Downs 4 12

Rushes-yards 20-14 21-103

Comp-Att-Int 8-16-2 16-19-0

Passing yards 76 325

Total yards 90 428

Punts-avg. 3-36.7 0-0.0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-0

Penalties-yards 4-20 5-45

Davenport Central 0 0 0 7—7

Iowa City Liberty 28 10 9 7—54

ICL – Reece Rettig 12 run (Collin Weis kick)

ICL – Jordan Schroeder 25 pass from Reece Rettig (Collin Weis kick)

ICL – Brody Beaver 2 run (Collin Weis kick)

ICL – Logan Laubenthal 23 interception return (Collin Weis kick)

ICL – Jordan Schroeder 45 pass from Reece Rettig (Collin Weis kick)

ICL – FG Collin Weis 33

ICL – Safety, punter tackled in end zone

ICL – Adrian Clerry 50 pass from Reece Rettig (Collin Weis kick)

ICL – Cale Baldwin 49 pass from Emerson Berner (Collin Weis kick)

DC – Isaac Leyba 14 run (Landon Hurst kick)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – Davenport Central: TK Morrison 1-(-2), Isaac Leyba 3-14, Jaleel Toney Walker 12-(-13), Beckhim Hutchison 2-(-3), Sayden Wiliams 1-7, Isaac Hendrix 1-11; Iowa City Liberty: Reece Rettig 6-32, Brody Beaver 5-45, Logan Laubenthal 2-12, Carter Lester 2-8, Leo Rozz 2-12, Adrian Clerry 1-6, Emerson Berner 1-(-6), Asher Eisenbach 2-(-6).

PASSING – Davenport Central: Jaleel Toney Walker 8-16-2-76; Iowa City Liberty: Reece Rettig 12-14-0-244, Emerson Berner 4-5-0-81.

RECEIVING – Davenport Central: Giovanni Hayslett 2-4, Sayden Williams 1-(-1), Messiah Johnson 2-46, TK Morrison 1-14, Beckhim Hutchison 1-4, Isaac Leyba 1-9; Iowa City Liberty: Pryor Reiners 2-64, Logan Laubenthal 1-6, Leo Rozz 2-10, Jordan Schroeder 2-70, Adrian Clerry 1-50, Cale Baldwin 1-49, Landon Bell 2-32, Brody Beaver 2-12, Tate Rettig 1-18, Jacob Karstens 1-11, Pierce Beckman 1-3.

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