Friday night’s Group 3A West first round playoff between Lord Botetourt and Liberty could be subtitled ‘Gone With the Wind.’
Taking advantage of a gusty wind at their backs in the opening quarter, Lord Botetourt scored 21 quick points and never looked back as the Cavaliers blew away with the easy 52-14 win over the visiting Minutemen.
The win advanced third-seeded Botetourt to a second round matchup this Friday night in Daleville against sixth-seeded Monticello, a winner Friday night over the Waynesboro Little Giants.
On a night more conducive for a kite festival, Botetourt took total control with a grueling ground game that produced 400 rushing yards, 271 yards coming from running back Noah Fletcher who found the end zone five times.
So dominant was the Cavalier running game, head coach Jamie Harless only called for a pass play three times all night. Botetourt quarterback Ryan Fralin took advantage of those opportunities, completing all three including one for a 18-yard touchdown to Jordan Brake that completed the first quarter scoring for the Cavs.
Sandwiched around that catch were Fletcher touchdown runs of 1 and 61 yards in the first quarter to go along with scoring runs of 3, 44 and 53 in the second. A late 21-yard field goal by Botetourt kicker Grant Clemons, who also converted all 7 PATs, sent the Cavaliers to the halftime break up 45-6.
Freshman Princeton Hall capped off the Botetourt scoring with a 46-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Liberty’s two touchdowns came from sophomore quarterback Brock Porter’s 10 yard scamper in the first quarter that cut the Botetourt lead to 7-6 after a blocked point-after, and a 1-yard run by Devin Carper late in the fourth when the decision had long been decided.
The signature Cavalier defense held Liberty to 154 total yards, picking off a pair of interceptions and recovering a Minuteman fumble.
Bill Turner
