Liberty tops City High for the fourth consecutive year, 48-29

NORTH LIBERTY — It was choppy at times, sloppy at others.

“We made some mistakes,” Iowa City Liberty quarterback Reece Rettig said. “Some small ones, and some big ones.”

Beat an archrival though, and there’s no need to nitpick.

Class 5A fifth-ranked Liberty scored 17 points in a two-minute stretch at the start of the second quarter and topped Iowa City High, 48-29, Friday night at Liberty High School.

“At the end of the day, it’s about winning, not how it looks,” Rettig said.

Adrian Clerry’s 38-yard interception return for a touchdown capped that quick surge, and the Lightning (7-1) got the best of City for the fourth consecutive year.

They cruised despite surrendering 305 passing yards to City quarterback Chris Kabaiza, who threw for four touchdowns — three to Chayse Newton.

The Little Hawks (1-7) posted a 404-341 advantage in yardage, but were playing from behind the whole way.

Liberty’s largest lead was 41-13 early in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve played better,” Liberty Coach Scott Chandler said. “But we found a way to scrap together 48 points.

“And that pick-six felt like a big play to us.”

Locked in a 7-7 tie after a quarter, the Lightning got a 32-yard field goal from Collin Weis, a 26-yard TD run from Rettig and Clerry’s defensive score.

“We were in a cover-three and I saw a wheel (route) coming,” Clerry said. “I saw the ball flying in the air, and I knew I had to take it back for six.”

In the blink of an eye, 7-7 was 24-7.

The Lightning led 27-13 at halftime.

City committed 13 penalties for 92 yards.

Liberty closes its regular season next week at home against Muscatine, then it’s the 5A playoffs the following week.

City welcomes Ottumwa next week for its season finale.

Iowa City Liberty 48, Iowa City High 29

At North Liberty

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: ICH 14, ICL 20

Rushes-yards: ICH 26-87, ICL 34-141

Passing yards: ICH 317, ICL 200

Passing: ICH 24-35-1, ICL 19-33-1

Total yards: ICH 404, ICL 341

Fumbles-lost: ICH 1-0, ICL 1-0

Punts-average: ICH 6-34.2, ICL 5-41.6

Penalties-yards: ICH 13-92, ICL 3-31

SCORING SUMMARY

Iowa City High 7 6 0 16 — 29

Iowa City Liberty 7 20 14 7 — 48

ICL — Pryor Reiners 16 run (Collin Weis kick)

ICH — Chayse Newton 9 pass from Chris Kabaiza (James Caster kick)

ICL — FG Weis 32

ICL — Reece Rettig 26 run (Weis kick)

ICL — Adrian Clerry 38 interception return (Weis kick)

ICH — Newton 32 pass from Kabaiza (pass failed)

ICL — FG Weis 43

ICL — Reiners 11 pass from Rettig (Weis kick)

ICL — Clerry 13 pass from Logan Laubenthal (Weis kick)\

ICH — Newton 35 pass from Kabaiza (Jack Lampe pass from Kabaiza)

ICL — Logan Laubenthal 4 run (Weis kick)

ICH — Adan Carbajal 10 pass from Kabaiza (Blaine Heick pass from Kabaiza)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

City — Jack Lampe 18-98, Dominic Roe 1-2, Chris Kabaiza 5-(minus 5), Chayse Newton 2-(minus 8). Liberty — Logan Laubenthal 14-54, Reece Rettig 12-53, Brody Beaver 5-18, Pryor Reiners 1-16, Adrian Clerry 1-0, Team 1-0.

Passing

City — Kabaiza 23-34-1-305, Newton 1-1-0-12. Liberty — Rettig 18-32-1-187, Laubenthal 1-1-0-13.

Receiving

City — Newton 6-116, Blaine Heick 5-66, Lampe 4-29, Chris Santarrelli 3-43, Adan Carbajal 3-32, Damari Lacy 1-42, Owen Raefield 1-19, Kabaiza 1-12. Liberty — Reiners 7-83, Clerry 6-44, Jordan Schroeder 2-28, Laubenthal 2-12, Landon Bell 1-25, Cale Baldwin 1-8.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com