Three overtimes, two worn-out teams and, eventually, one winner.

When Liberty edged Lindbergh 20-17 in the third overtime of a 3A state tournament quarterfinal game at Liberty Friday night, it wasn’t without an appropriate amount of effort.

“It’s a classic high school football game,” said Lindbergh coach Pat O’Grady. “There was a great atmosphere here and when it came down to it they made one more play than we did.”

The Patriots (11-1) went up 14-0 in the second quarter, but Lindbergh (10-2) wasn’t close to being done.

The Eagles turned up the heat and brought pressure from every angle, forcing the Patriots into incomplete passes and sacks.

“They were blitzing every gap,” said Liberty quarterback Trey Wheeler. “They definitely got pressure on us and you could definitely see it was working.”

Liberty’s 20 points in the game is a season-low.

“Nobody’s shut down our offense like that,” said Liberty coach Steve Valach. “They played crazy, crazy defense on us.”

While Lindbergh’s defense impressed, the Eagles’ playmakers found just enough space to get the team back in the contest. Frank Cange sprung loose for a 32-yard score on pass from Matt Stuart in the second quarter. Bakari Davis turned the corner on 77-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14 in the fourth quarter.

Lindbergh had an opportunity to win when a diving catch by Diondre Toms put the Eagles at Liberty’s four-yard line with just over five minutes left in the game. However, Liberty’s defense stood strong and Lindbergh missed a 21-yard field goal.

Except the long touchdowns, Liberty’s defense was also outstanding – intercepting six passes. Lindbergh’s 17 points is the lowest for the Eagles in the past eight games.

The first overtime lasted just three plays. Chandler Jenkins intercepted a Stuart pass to end Lindbergh’s chance. Then Toms recovered a fumble on Liberty’s second play to send the game to a second overtime.

In the second overtime, Liberty pushed a 36-yard field goal wide left. Then the Patriots’ Devin Bennett intercepted a pass to end the period.

Lindbergh took the lead in the third overtime when Derrick Holt made a 21-yard field goal. A few plays later, Liberty finally sealed the win when Wheeler hit Jake Bainton on a fade route to the left from eight yards out.

“I didn’t realize that we had won for a second,” Bainton said. “Once I did I just ran to the middle of the field with my team. It felt great.”

Liberty

The Patriots face Lakes (12-0) at 1 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome in the 3A state tournament semifinals. The winner will play either Bellevue or Union in the 3A state championship game Dec. 4.

Lindbergh

Lindbergh’s season is over with a 10-2 final record. The Eagles won a league title for the first time in 1984 and advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history.

“It was a phenomenal season,” O’Grady said. “This is something these kids will carry with them forever.”