Liberty can’t stop DeSales

Helped by a pair of defensive touchdowns, top-ranked DeSales pulled out a 38-14 win over Liberty at Lampson Stadium in Kennewick on Friday night to advance in the State B-11 football playoffs.

Republic, Reardan and Lind-Ritzville also won to move on.

DeSales scored on a 9-yard fumble return in the first quarter and added a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown to complete the scoring in the fourth quarter.

Liberty, the No. 3 seed from the Northeast B League, frustrated DeSales with an array of blitzes and sacked the quarterback four times.

Logan Deviny had a pair of touchdowns for the Lancers, scoring on a 1-yard plunge in the first quarter and going 19 yards, dragging three defenders into the end zone, for a score that cut the Irish lead to 17-14 with 4:39 left in the third period.

Cesar Lopez, who missed the final two games of the regular season with a hamstring injury, caught seven passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns for DeSales, and quarterback Jack Dickson completed 17 of 28 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns.

DeSales (10-1) will play Tacoma Baptist (9-2) in the quarterfinals.

Republic took a 13-0 lead in the first half at Wenatchee and held off a second-half rally to beat Waterville 19-14 to advance to next week’s quarterfinal round against La Salle.

Gaeb Giddings completed half his 12 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown and plunged 2 yards for a third score to lead the Tigers.

Two of Giddings’ passes went to receiver Kolton Kartchner, who converted them into touchdowns covering a total of 92 yards.

Reardan roared into the quarterfinals, blanking the visiting Billy Goats of Pateros 42-0.

Reardan rushed for 313 yards on 61 carries to control the clock. Bob Christerson led the effort, collecting 92 yards on nine carries and a TD.

Reardan’s defense, not to be outdone, picked off six Pateros passes – three by Brad Alberts, who returned one 35 yards for a touchdown – and held the Billy Goats to just 100 yards of total offense.

Reardan plays the Wahkiakum Mules of Cathlamet in the quarterfinals.

Lind-Ritzville took a 38-0 lead at halftime and never looked back, knocking off Mabton 45-18 in Ritzville.

Jake Kragt and Nick Ashley each had first-quarter touchdowns for the Broncos. Kragt rushed just three times, but had 54 yards and one touchdown on the ground, and also pulled in a 28-yard scoring strike from quarterback Travis Dewald for the game’s first score.

Ashley had 13 carries for 146 yards, scoring on runs of 56 and 17 yards. Dewald completed 7 of 9 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns.

The Broncos will play the winner of today’s Asotin vs. Orcas Island game in next week’s quarterfinals.