When Liberty’s flag football team faced Bishop Gorman in the regular season, the Patriots fell behind 20 points early and lost 34-31.
That didn’t happen when the two teams met in the playoffs. Liberty’s offense instead helped put the game out of reach.
The Patriots scored three quick touchdowns in the third quarter, propelling fifth-seeded Liberty to a 41-21 road win at No. 4 Gorman in a Class 5A state quarterfinal Tuesday.
“It was a good redemption for the girls after losing to (Gorman) in the regular season,” Liberty coach Al Tucay said. “The preparation, having all the girls there, they really executed well in practice and got us in a better pot as far as today’s outcome.”
Liberty (15-4) will play at top-seeded Palo Verde — a 33-12 winner over No. 8 Basic in its quarterfinal Tuesday — at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in a state semifinal.
“The offense was clicking well. It was a little rough in the second quarter,” Liberty quarterback Kaylie Phillips said. “We brought it back in the second half really well. It was based on the energy of the whole team. Everybody wanted to win and we showed it.”
Phillips completed 23 of her 30 passes for 278 yards and threw five touchdown passes. She added 91 rushing yards. Brinlee Yurek and Trishelle Tucay each had two touchdown catches for Liberty.
Gorman (11-5) led 14-13 at halftime, but Liberty took the lead soon after play resumed. Phillips threw a 6-yard touchdown to Harmany Walker on the first drive of the second half to put the Patriots ahead 21-14 after a successful 2-point conversion.
Phillips threw a 15-yard touchdown to Tucay and an 11-yard touchdown to Yurek to grow Liberty’s lead to 35-14 entering the fourth quarter.
“The halftime adjustments, it was making sure that they executed the plays and (got) stops defensively and shut (Gorman) down in the second half,” Al Tucay said. “Hats off to our defensive coordinator Cliff Weber, he made some good adjustments.”
Liberty recorded five sacks and held Gorman to 30 rushing yards. Jaidah Griego recorded two sacks for the Patriots. Trishelle Tucay had three sacks on defense to go along with five catches for 44 yards on offense.
Gorman quarterback Avery Reed completed 18 of her 28 passes for 211 yards and threw three touchdowns. Adeline Flanagan caught a pair of touchdown passes in the first half for the Gaels.
Liberty wide receiver Ki’lolo Westerlund had eight catches for 110 yards and hauled in a 12-yard touchdown from Jianna Reyes in the fourth quarter. Westerlund appeared in a halftime commercial during Super Bowl 59 on Sunday to promote the NFL’s efforts to make flag football as a varsity sport in all 50 states.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.