By Michael Adams
madams@onthesidelinessports.com

LIBERTY HILL –Liberty Hill gets a chance at redemption Friday when the Panthers (9-4) face San Antonio Pieper (12-1) in a Class 5A-Division II regional final.

Pieper is one of the four blemishes in the 2023 Texas high school football season on Liberty Hill’s resumé. The Warriors beat the Panthers 33-23 at Jerry Vance Field in the regular season finale, holding Liberty Hill’s potent rushing attack to a season-low 122 yards.

However, a lot has changed in the last four weeks.

“We definitely feel a little bit better going into this one, with a healthier football team” said Liberty Hill Head Coach Kent Walker. “It’s going to be a great football game. Pieper does a great job, but I believe in our kids.

Part of the Saturday’s redemption would happen with a win and a return to next weekend’s state semifinals.

Liberty Hill running backs Noah Long and Ben Carter could be looking for some personal redemption. Pieper’s defense held Long and Carter to of 7 and 72 yards, respectively.

Long missed the playoff opener against Harlandale while recovering from an injury sustained in the Pieper game. Since his return, the senior has rushed for 315 yards in the Panthers’ last two playoff games, scoring six touchdowns.

“The last time we played them, we had some guys out and we weren’t really gelling the way we are right now,” Long said. “If our defense plays like they did the last time we faced them, and our offense plays the way we can, it will be a good outcome.”

Carter’s 72 rushing yards against Pieper was the senior’s second lowest output of the season.

 to a combined 79 rushing yards, the lowest output of the season. He took that personal and has rushed for 516 yards and 10 touchdowns throughout the playoffs.

“(Piper’s) players make good adjustments quickly,” Carter said. “We’ve been working on and trying to figure out how to get through that defense. Our offense is good about scoring when we need to. We scored every possession last week against Flour Bluff. If we can keep that momentum, we’ll be hard to beat.”

Friday will mark Liberty Hill’s 12^th consecutive regional final appearance. It will also be the Panthers’ 12^th time facing a team from San Antonio in the playoffs since 2016. The previous 11 games were won by Liberty Hill.

Kickoff is scheduled at 7 p.m. at Texas State’s Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos.