By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Salina Liberty capped off their 2021 regular season with a dominant 54-33 win over the Wichita Force.
Salina wraps up their regular season at 10-1 with home field throughout the playoffs and the number one overall seed.
With a 49-10 win over the Wyoming Mustangs the Dodge City Law snatched the four seed out from under the Force, who were eliminated on the final day of the season.
Despite resting several key players the Liberty nearly led from wire to wire, taking a 7-6 lead early in the first quarter and never looking back.
“We rested four starters tonight so to be able to come out and play the way we did was good to see,” Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal said. “We were finally able to run the ball the way we wanted to and we got both quarterbacks involved tonight.”
The first half belonged to Tyrie Adams and the two-time CIF player of the week did not disappoint in his first start after the injury, tossing three touchdowns to Jason Shelley and putting Salina ahead 30-19 at the break.
From there it was Mitch Kidd's turn as the man who carried Salina through the back nine of the season added three more touchdown passes to the Liberty total, including one more to Shelley to give Salina the victory by a final score of 54-33.
It was a career night for Jason Shelley who hauled in four touchdown passes after a two TD night against Sioux City last week.
“He’s been waiting for his opportunity all season,” O’Neal said. “When you have Fast Ed who is the best receiver in the league, Byrd who is the second best receiver in the league and Chad who’s done good work for us when he’s been in, it’s hard to get on the field but he’s made the most of every opportunity.”
Salina will have two weeks to prepare for the first round of the CIF playoffs where they will face the Dodge City Law. The Liberty defeated the Law twice this season by final scores of 62-34 and 61-54.
Coach O and his staff will have some difficult decisions to make in regards to who to activate and who to put on the field for this game from a roster bursting at the seams with talent.
On the other side of the playoff bracket the Omaha Beef will square off against the Sioux City Bandits with the winner advancing to the Champions Bowl to face the Law or Liberty.
For continuing playoff coverage of the Salina Liberty stay tuned to the Salina Post.