Not a lot went right for the Liberty football team last weekend against Parkland. There was some hope and confidence after the Hurricanes tied the game on a second quarter touchdown, but the Trojans wound up scoring the next 28 points to win an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division game last Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District stadium.

“We just got outplayed tonight in all facets of the game,” said head coach John Truby. “We were right there in the third quarter but we can’t make the mistakes we did to beat good teams like Parkland. We have to play better than this.”

The game didn’t start the way the offense had hoped as Liberty (2-3 overall, 0-3 EPC) had two turnovers on its first two possessions, an interception and a fumble in back-to-back drives. But the defense stepped up and held firm, forcing Parkland (3-2, 2-2) into three-and-outs on both ensuing possessions and the first three of the game altogether.

The Trojans broke the scoreless drought on their final drive of the opening quarter thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by Isiah Rico, who took the last three carries for 17 yards.

But the Hurricanes responded right away with a scoring drive of their own on the ensuing possession. They ran 14 plays through the end of the first quarter and into the beginning of the second, which was capped by a two-yard touchdown run by John Vazquez to tie the score at 7-7 2:37 into the second period.

“I thought that drive showed our grit,” Truby said. “We weren’t playing well up to that point with turnovers, but to bounce back after a scoring drive against us showed some grit.”

The Liberty defense would once again force a three-and-out by Parkland on its next possession after the Hurricanes touchdown, but then they would also not get a first down of their own in their next drive.

And that’s where the game changed.

The Trojans put together a 10-play drive, including a 23-yard pass play on the first play, and ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to take back the lead at 14-7 with 1:55 left. Liberty would get an interception thanks to Ta’kwan Mosely right before half, but the score remained 14-7 heading into halftime.

Liberty would go three-and-out on the opening third quarter possession and then Parkland scored five plays later to go up 21-7. Two punt blocks recovered for touchdowns highlighted the second half miscues for the Hurricanes.

“That’s where the game really got away from us,” said Truby. “We have to be more sound on special teams and can’t let plays like that happen.”

Liberty hits the road to play at Emmaus on Friday night.