Birthday boy celebrates by rushing for 114-yards

NORTH LIBERTY — Logan Laubenthal picked a fine day for a breakout performance.

The Iowa City Liberty senior tailback celebrated his 18th birthday by rushing for a career-high 114 yards – including a 35-yard touchdown for the game’s first score – as the Class 5A second-ranked Lightning overwhelmed Linn-Mar, 28-7, in a prep football game Friday night at Liberty High School

“Our offensive line played great, the best they’ve played all year,” Laubenthal said. “I was just finding the holes and they were doing it all for me. … It’s a great way to celebrate.”

Laubenthal entered the game with just 38 rushing yards through two games for Liberty (3-0), but needed just two attempts to surge past that number against Linn-Mar. His opening rush gained 12 yards, his second was the long touchdown.

“We thought we could step it up on Linn-Mar and we did,” Laubenthal said. “Two pullers, so I just followed them. Huge hole, hit it and I was gone from there.”

Laubenthal’s night appears to be the result of some extra attention from the Liberty coaching staff, who pushed the senior in order to unveil his best.

“Logan is a guy who has taken some tough coaching early in the season really well,” Liberty Coach Scott Chandler said. “Really proud of him tonight, the way he responded and the way he ran the football.”

Liberty senior quarterback Reece Rettig threw for 236 yards, including a 25-yard scoring strike on fourth down to Pryce Reiners in the fourth quarter. Rettig also ran for two short touchdowns.

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“Our run game really improved,” Rettig said. “We showed that we can run the ball. We got into some situations where we didn’t want to be, but we battled back and at the end of the day, we won the game.”

Those ‘situations’ included a pair of turnovers, two failed onside kick attempts and a missed field goal. But with the type of defense Liberty has displayed through three games, miscues can be overcome.

“It was all around,” junior defensive back Adrian Clerry said. “Coming off a good win last week (a 38-20 victory over defending 5A state champion Southeast Polk), I felt like we had a firepower. Just had to come back out and do it again.”

Clerry collected an interception for the Liberty defense, which limited Linn-Mar (0-3) to just six first downs and 197 total yards. Sixty-five of Linn-Mar’s yardage came on a short toss from Lions’ quarterback Derek Roling to Tate McEowen, who broke free for a long touchdown in the third quarter that got his team within 14-7.

Reiners corralled seven receptions for 56 yards for Liberty, which visits No. 9 Johnston next Friday while Linn-Mar hosts Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

“Good week of practice, our coaches will stay on us,” Laubenthal said. “Day by day.”

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