Rugged and raw football was the only real way to characterize the first home game of the season. On Friday, two football behemoths clashed on the home field. The Blue Jays walked victorious with a 43-42 win.

Senior quarterback Tyler Lininger completed 10 out of 12 of his passes and threw for two touchdowns. He helped get the 43 points and got the two point conversion in overtime to seal the deal on a QB Sneak.

Help from junior wide receiver Ricky Ahumaraze came late in overtime when the Jays sat at third and four. On a play designed for Ahumaraze, Lininger connected the ball near the sideline where only one defender could stop him. This play was executed as Ahumaraze clutched by breaking a tackle and taking it for a touchdown, making it 42 – 41 right before Liberty ran it in for the two point conversion.

The Wildcats would go on to showcase their new squad. Only six of their starters returned from the year prior. Sophomore quarterback Sal Caldarella showed off his awareness and ability to run as he scrambled for gains. Caldarella wasn’t afraid to launch the ball, throwing and rushing for 154 yards and scoring three touchdowns throughout the game.

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Photo by Emma McDonald

The other star for the Wildcats was senior running back Kyle Bruce. He forced the Jays to take him down as he ran hard the entire game. Bruce used his explosiveness to rush 166 yards on 18 carries and gained two touchdowns, as well.

The Blue Jays would win at their home field under intense pressure.

“We told them at halftime that we wanted to come out and score, stop and score again and it worked,” head coach Chad Frigon said. “We scored twice in 5 minutes.”

Senior running back Wentric Williams III played significantly with 295 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Trusting his teammates was a key to this success.

“It all started before last season,” Williams said. “We were projected to be last. We came out here and didn’t expect to go 10 and 2. We trusted each other and we worked with each other. Iron sharpens iron.”

You can expect the Jays to play hard at one of the biggest games of the year for them this Friday. You can catch them again on Sep. 3, taking on the Liberty North Eagles at Liberty High School.