In a tussle of two of the 810 Varsity Top 25 top teams, Liberty's formula of a ground game and defense won out.

The No. 3 Blue Jays rushed for 292 yards in a 21- 13 win over No. 7 Lee's Summit at Liberty on Friday night.

The Tigers heralded twins Preston Hatfield, with a team-high 94 rushing yards, and Peyton Hatfield with 63 receiving yards, lived up to the billing. But it was Liberty's Connor Hatfield who had the last word. The quarterback racked up 157 rushing yards and threw for 71 to boost the Jays offense.

Liberty, which advanced to the Missouri Class 6 semifinals last year, lost the services of Metro Player of the Year Jaxon Hicks as its running back. But Hatfield and running back Colt Nolin, with 140 rushing yards, compiled 297 combined yards on the ground. 

"It was important for our team to know early this season that we can run the ball without Jaxon, and its our line and Colt and Connor, and everyone who makes it happen," stated head coach Chad Frigon. "We beat a very good Lee's Summit team tonight, and it was because of the effort on both sides of the ball."

Lee's Summit looked all the part early, as Preston Hatfield scored on runs of 3 and 80 yard for a 13-0 Tiger lead with 2:27 left in the first quarter.

But the Jays defense clamped down, and the ground game went to work with Nolin capping LHS drives with touchdown plunges of 1 and 3 yards for a 14-13 lead with five ticks before half.

The second half was an offensive struggle, as Preston Hatfield and star received Karsten Fiene exited for the game with injuries for Lee's Summit. The final drive dented the scoreboard when Liberty's Grady Coppinger picked off a pass and jetted 65 yards for a pick six and the final 21-13 margin.

Liberty faces its rival Liberty North next week, while Lee's Summit hosts No. 16 Blue Springs next Friday.