By Mike Maltais
Coming off a 52-7 non-league loss to the visiting La Salle Lightning of the 1A South Central Division two weeks ago, the Liberty Bell High School varsity football team met another even larger opponent when the 51-man roster of Tonasket Tigers stopped by to devour the Mountain Lions, 41-6, at Liberty Bell’s league home opener Friday (Sept. 19).
It was Tonasket’s first foray into 2B territory, as last season’s 1A Caribou Trail League Tigers joined the ranks of Okanogan and Brewster as part of the new lineup in the Central Washington 2B North division this year.
The Tigers took control of the game early and, despite some good offensive attempts by the Mountain Lions, held Liberty Bell scoreless, 20-0, through the first half. By the end of the third quarter the Tigers had put up 14 more points to stay on top, 34-0.
Down 41-0 in the fourth quarter, the Mountain Lions put together a late-game drive that included a pass play from quarterback Chip Jones to running back Derek Alumbaugh, which put Liberty Bell deep into Tigers territory. Jones scored on a keeper to put the Mountain Lions on the scoreboard with six points. Jorge Lara’s kick was wide right.
The Mountain Lions will take on someone their own size when Liberty Bell travels to Manson on Friday (Sept. 26) for a league game starting at 7 p.m. against the Trojans.
