Flipping the Script

Published 9:31 am Tuesday, November 10, 2026

By Aidan Mauck

The Bolivar Liberators travelled to Carl Junction on Friday, Nov. 6 to take on the Bulldogs.

Looking for their first district championship since 2013, Bolivar needed a big win to head to the championship game.

These teams met earlier this year, resulting in a Liberator loss on the road 7-34. Bolivar is coming off of a statement win in the first round of districts and looking for revenge.

Bolivar came into the matchup as the third seed in the district, with Carl Junction being the second seed.

The Liberators received the first kick and slowly pushed up the field past the 50 yard line. With a man open down field, Senior quarterback Chapel Banner threw it just behind him resulting in a Carl Junction interception on the first drive.

The Bulldogs started on their own three yard line, looking to put points on the board first. The Liberators allowed them to get to their 30 yard line after a few runs and penalties, but Bolivar’s defense held strong on a third down to regain possession.

The Bulldog defense hounded the Liberators once again, not letting them look downfield. Senior Waylon Cooper got a great punt off on a fourth down, pinning them to their own 20 yard line. A botched snap pushed Carl Junction back even further, and the Liberator pressure caused a short kick, allowing Bolivar to start their drive on the 50 yard line.

After being stifled on back-to-back drives, Bolivar needed a big drive to keep the momentum. To end the first quarter, sophomore Kolt Hill took a 30 yard run up the middle, breaking multiple tackles to take Bolivar into the redzone. Only two plays later, Banner found senior Bradyn Long on a streak up the middle for a 15 yard touchdown, giving Bolivar a 7-0 lead.

The defensive battle continued, as a fumble drooped and recovered by Carl Junction resulted in a sack from junior Jonah Bryant, forcing a pass on a third down that fell incomplete.

Banner adjusted his line, faked a jet pass and took the option play for 25 yards, quickly putting the Liberators in good field position.

A penalty brought Bolivar to a third down, but a short pass set them up to go for it on fourth down and short. A bubble screen pass to Long fell incomplete, resulting in Carl Junction gaining possession.

Continuing the dominant defensive performance, the Liberators forced another punt. With time winding down in the first half, Bolivar slowly marched down into the redzone. Letting the clock wind down further, Banner rolled out to his right on a third down play, finding Long for a four-yard touchdown pass, extending Bolivar’s lead to 14-0 going into the second half.

With the Carl Junction crowd starting to quiet down, the Bulldogs started the second half needing a spark.

The steady rushing attack of sophomore Tristyn Lopez and senior Burke Diskin finally wore down the Liberator defense. Lopez finished off a 60 yard drive with a run to the right for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was good, giving Carl Junction life in the second half.

The Bulldogs attempted to get the ball back quickly, sending an onside kick at the Liberator receiving team. Bolivar fell on it quickly, giving them the ball at the 47 yard line.

The offense moved quickly, but were halted on third down, forcing a fourth down conversion attempt. Banner threw a curl route that was jumped by the Carl Junction defense, resulting in an interception.
The crowd began to get back in the game, and the Bulldogs had all the momentum. However, Bolivar’s defensive line forced a pass out of the run-heavy offense, causing another punt.

Liberators had to punt it back after another defensive stop, continuing the defensive trend of the night.

Carl Junction was able to make their way to the red zone to start the fourth quarter. Needing a touchdown to tie the game up, Bolivar’s defense needed to hold strong. Three straight run plays and three straight stops put the Bulldogs in a tough spot on fourth down with less than 10 yards to the endzone. The Bulldogs lined up like they were going to attempt to get the first down, but the play clock ran out. After resetting, Carl Junction forced another run to the right side, narrowly getting the first down and getting a new set of downs with only seven yards to go.

The Bulldogs scored on the very next play, but an offensive holding was called, bringing them back to the 17 yard line and giving the Liberators a chance to get a stop.

Forcing a fourth down and long, the Bulldogs elected to kick a field goal. The attempt was good, shortening the lead once again to 14-10.

The opportunity to put the game away fell to the Liberators.

A solid kick from the Bulldogs stuck Bolivar at the six yard line. A pass play over the middle was broken up, forcing a punt without wasting nearly as much time as the Liberators had hoped. Carl Junction got the ball at the 43 yard line, setting up a potential game winning drive with six minutes left in the game.

Continuing their attack on the ground, the Bulldogs slowly marched up the field, getting multiple first downs.
But finally, the rushing attack caught up with them.

Lopez rushed to the left side, spinning out of tackles, but was caught with his back to the defense. Coughing up the ball, a slew of Liberators fell on the ball, recovering the fumble and cementing their spot in the district championship.

Bolivar got one more first down and ran out the clock, winning the district semifinal 14-10.

Banner finished with two touchdowns and 141 yards in the air. Long had five catches for 68 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Cooper had 14 carries for 81 yards, and Hill finished with six carries for 35 yards.

The Liberators will travel to Logan-Rogersville on Friday, Nov. 13 to take on the Wildcats for a shot at their first district championship since 2013. Bolivar dropped this matchup earlier this year 13-42, but they will look to continue their season with another upset.