The Buchanan Bears’ defense produced five turnovers and blanked the Liberty High School Patriots in a 27-0 win that secured a spot in the CIF Central Section championship game.
The Buchanan defense prevented Liberty starting quarterback Carson Woods from factoring into the game. He ended the night 4-15 with 34 yards, two interceptions and one fumble.
Woods was also part of a mishandled handoff to running back Prentice Boone that resulted in a fumble. That play meant the sophomore QB was involved in four turnovers.
“They played relentless football and that’s what we asked,” head coach Matt Giordano said about his team’s defense. “They went after the ball when it was in the air and they got the ball out when it was on the ground. I’m very proud of all of our players,” he added.
Liberty’s defense held Buchanan’s Kendall Milton in check for much of the first three quarters. The University of Georgia commit was held to just 34 scoreless-yards on 10 attempts in the first half.
However, when Liberty opted to bring pressure to meet Milton on the ground, it often freed up the downfield options for Buchanan quarterback Ian Kirby. Kirby took advantage of the open field and prime downfield matchups to throw for 298 yards. He ended the night 10-17 passing.
Kirby’s first half was spectacular; 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns, all off of just five completions. The sophomore kicked off the night with a statement when he found Darrien Gaines for an 87-yard touchdown on the Bears first play from scrimmage.
Buchanan wide receiver Brandon Hernandez ended the night with four catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He caught two long passes from Kirby in the first half; a 48-yard completion and a 42-yard touchdown that put Buchanan up two scores.
“They had a cornerback lined up one-on-one with Brandon Hernandez and one-on-one with him is my target,” Kirby said of his frequent connections with Hernandez.
Kirby and Hernandez would connect again in the second half for a 9-yard touchdown that put the Bears up 20-0.
Buchanan’s Zane Rix emerged as an unlikely star in the game. The 6’1, 261-pound lineman not only recovered a fumble but also caught an interception.
Rix was pressuring Woods as the Liberty quarterback tried to get the ball away, only for it to end up Rix’s hands.
It was the first time Rix had ever held the ball during a football game and the senior was just glad he was able to run the right direction.
“I kind of lost my train of thought,” Rix said. “I just didn’t know what to do, but I ran the right way so that’s a good thing. When I first got the ball in my hand I was just like ‘I don’t know what to do,’ it was the first time I ever had the ball,” he described.
That turnover effectively ended Woods’ night as Liberty opted to run the ball with Boone or operate in the wildcat formation with Dylan Tooker running with the snaps.
While Liberty was able to hold Milton for much of the game, the star running back eventually broke away for a 49-yard rushing touchdown that gave Buchanan their 27-0 lead. Hernandez played a key role in the play, though, with stellar downfield blocking that gave Milton a clear running lane down the sideline once he had rounded the corner.
Milton ended the night with 86 yards on 14 attempts.
Buchanan will now play top-seeded Central High School for the CIF Central Section championship. Central defeated Buchanan 41-20 when the teams met during the regular season.