Liberty football snags last playoff spot in tiebreaker win over Inglemoor

Liberty football clinched the final playoff spot with a 21-3 victory over Inglemoor on October 27 at Issaquah High School. This win came after Liberty lost the first tiebreaker to Mercer Island, 10-7. The Patriots showed mental toughness, according to head coach Steve Valach, who called it the ultimate test of resilience. Liberty was down to its last chance to make the playoffs, and the win secured its spot in the postseason. The team will play a week 10 playoff game against a team to be announced later.

The Patriots had played the Vikings in their final league game on October 24, but fell 10-3. On a chilly Tuesday night, the Patriots needed just two quarters to score 21 points and move on to the playoffs. Inglemoor took an early lead, scoring 3 points on their first drive. But Liberty responded with a quarterback sneak from Colton Hollerbach to take a lead they would never surrender at, 7-3. The senior quarterback stepped in and stepped up after an injury to freshman quarterback Myles Motley against Inglemoor.

Junior defensive back and wide receiver Danny Grabowski had a redemption arc of his own. He had a critical fumble against Mercer Island in game one before flipping the Inglemoor game on its head. His response came in the second game with an interception returned for a touchdown to extend Liberty’s lead to 14-3. Valach called Grabowski’s pick six unbelievable. Liberty scored another touchdown in the final moments of the fourth quarter and got a stop in the final minute of the game. This win secured its place in the playoffs, and the team will play a week 10 playoff game against a team to be announced later.

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