Liberty Christian Pulls Away Behind Cooper Witten & Buckhalter Jr.

State championship aspirations were on full display as Liberty Christian took the field, and the Warriors wasted no time making a statement. Quarterback Crews Messer connected with wide receiver Jace Johnson on a deep touchdown pass on the opening drive, putting Liberty up 7-0 and setting the tone early.

Parish answered with a determined drive of its own, capped by running back Jackson McKinney powering into the end zone to even the score. For a moment, it looked like a tight contest was brewing.

Then came the play that shifted the game's momentum. With Parish driving and threatening to retake the lead, a ball carrier lost the handle on a long run — and it was 5-star recruit Cooper Witten, son of Cowboys legend Jason Witten, who pounced on the loose ball. The recovery gave Liberty Christian possession and proved to be the turning point of the night.

The Warriors capitalized, extending their lead to three scores thanks in part to Correll Buckhalter Jr. — son of longtime NFL running back Correll Buckhalter — who showed off his open-field speed with a sideline-hugging touchdown run. Liberty Christian's combination of blue-chip talent and big-play ability was on full display throughout the contest.