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In a competitive showdown on Friday night, the visiting Landrum Cardinals lost to the Liberty Red Devils by a score of 42-24 in a pivotal Region matchup. 

The first quarter started strong for the Cardinals, with kicker Joey Martinez successfully converting a field goal, putting Landrum ahead 3-0 with 6:51 on the clock. However, Liberty quickly responded with a rushing touchdown from its quarterback, giving the Red Devils a 7-3 lead after a successful PAT.

Liberty later recovered a fumble by Landrum’s AJ Lindsey just a yard shy of the goal line and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown, widening the gap to 15-3. Yet, Landrum demonstrated resilience, with Aiden Kelley charging back to the end zone, closing the quarter at 10-15.

As the second quarter progressed, Liberty scored again with an 11-yard touchdown pass. An interception by Braylon Revis momentarily shifted momentum back to Landrum, but Liberty remained relentless, with the Red Devils scoring another touchdown shortly after that, bringing the score to 28-10.

The third quarter began with Liberty’s Logan Smith scrambling to find the end zone, pushing Liberty ahead 35-10. Despite a struggling Cardinals offense, Ty Foster made an impressive 22-yard run for a touchdown, reducing the deficit to 35-17.

Liberty’s Smith then connected on a 45-yard passing touchdown, making it 42-17 early in the fourth quarter. Landrum’s Foster continued to fight for his team, finding McClintock for a 21-yard touchdown, but the Cardinals ultimately fell short with a final score of 42-24.

With this defeat, Landrum’s record stands at 5-3, 1-2. The Cardinals will look to bounce back as they prepare to host the Chesnee Eagles on Friday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles come into the matchup with a record of 3-5 following a tough loss to Crescent.

The Cardinals aim to secure a vital win in their quest for playoff positioning.