“Normal” Liberty-Westminster matchups usually have it all, as two of the county’s most consistent programs always go at it in a gritty showdown. This year’s matchup had it all — and then some —and it was far from normal.
The debut of newly installed stadium lights, a 53-minute weather delay, penalties, turnovers, one of the best rushing performances of the season so far, and, of course, the game-winning touchdown that came when Westminster quarterback Rory O’Connor found Brayden Trupe with six seconds left to give the Owls a 19-13 win over the Lions Thursday night.
With the game tied and O’Connor trying to engineer a game-winning drive, a 15-yard late hit penalty brought the Owls to the Liberty 27 with 27 seconds left. With no timeouts left, O’Connor used his legs to bring Westminster inside the 10. Two plays later, O’Connor connected with his main target on a slant for the score, ending an unusual, back-and-forth game.
“Something crazy always happens when these two teams play,” Westminster coach Chris Bassler said. “It always comes down to one play. Last year they made that play; this year it was our turn.”
The matchup was suspended with 2:32 left in the second quarter. Moments before the sirens triggered the mandatory weather delay, Westminster running back Nick Compher broke free up the middle for a 79-yard touchdown run to give the Owls the lead.
Before the storm, both offenses showcased their explosive passing attacks. Westminster capped its opening drive with a 24-yard touchdown strike from O’Conner to Xavier Howard two plays after the duo connected for a 34-yard gain.
Liberty quickly answered on its next possession. On third-and-11, quarterback Sean Case found tight end Carter Wesley for a 13-yard completion. One play later, the Lions executed a trick play: Case threw a swing pass to running back Andrew McGlynn, who then launched a deep pass to Stephen Puckett for a 37-yard touchdown, tying the game.
Even on the first play from scrimmage after the delay, the Lions, now trailing after Compher’s run, took to the air again as Case connected with Puckett for an 80-yard touchdown, tying the game at 13.
“We were able to make some plays in the pass game; they just made one more,” Liberty coach Larry Luthe said. “We’re a young, inexperienced team, and it shows [on offense]. We need our operations on offense to be smoother in and out of plays.”
Once play resumed after a short, five-minute halftime, the game got sloppy as the field continued to take a beating. For Westminster, the plan was clear: rely on their workhorse back and massive offensive line to win.
“It’s just play calls, blocks and execution,” Compher, who ran for over 170 yards on 18 carries, said. “I wouldn’t be able to do anything without my O-line.”
The Owls didn’t hide their strategy, often taking the field with six offensive linemen — a clear sign they aimed to dominate the line of scrimmage and run the ball through the heart of Liberty’s defense with Compher.
“He brings a level of toughness and explosiveness that we needed,” Bassler said. “The other guys feed off it.”
The Owls possessed the ball for almost the entire third quarter, going on a 16-play, 10-minute drive, with Compher carrying nine times. When that drive ended with zero points and the score still tied, Trupe, one of the Owls’ two-way players, rallied his team.
“Brayden isn’t afraid of the moments,” Bassler said. “Time and time again, we rely on him, and every time his number is called, he answers the bell.”
Trupe, who plays receiver, defensive back and punter for the Owls, showed the resiliency a coach could only dream of from a star. After mistakenly falling to a knee while trying to field an errant snap on a punt — forcing a turnover on downs and setting Liberty up in the red zone — Troupe made up for it two plays later with an interception. A couple of possessions later, he was mobbed by his teammates after hauling in the pass from O’Conner for the win.
“They trust me because I’m a playmaker,” Trupe said. “Tonight I showed why I deserve to play on both sides of the ball.”
Weeks ago, Bassler learned a lot about his team after moving Compher to running back and unleashing him. After a game like Thursday, the Owls walked away exhausted but with even more confidence. This time it was the players walking away having learned a lot about themselves after figuratively and literally weathering the storm for the win.
“We’re tough and we’re gritty,” Compher said. “We can play in any time, place or circumstance and get the job done.”
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