By TYLER HENRY
Little Apple Post contributor
After falling behind Omaha for a second time this season the Salina Liberty once again battled back but this time, came up just short in the fourth quarter falling to the Beef 14-11.
Salina falls to 4-3 on the season, dropping to fifth place in the CIF standings while the Beef move up to third at 5-3.
As expected both defenses came to play combining to allow fewer than 300 yards of total offense with each team finding the end zone just once throughout the contest.
Omaha would get their lone touchdown first as Deshawn Jones punched in a three-yard score on the ground to put the Beef on top 6-0 early in the first quarter.
Each team had more opportunities to strike but Andrew Jackson and Vincent Espinoza traded picks at the tail end of the first to keep any potential points off the board.
From there, the two teams traded just a field goal apiece and went to the locker room with Omaha ahead 9-3.
Out of the break, the defensive dominance continued as the two once again traded interceptions to start the half.
The Beef were able to scrap together two field goals and a safety in the second half to take a critical two-possession lead into the back end of the fourth quarter.
Salina would finally find paydirt as Espinoza connected with Anthony Love in the red zone and a two-point conversion made it 14-11 in the final minute, but it proved to be too little too late.
The Liberty will be back in action on Saturday, May 21 when they travel to Sioux City for a revenge game against the Bandits.