Last Friday night, an old nemesis rambled into town like a ghost from the past. For those who remember the Central Ozark Conference battles of the 1970s and ’80s, Bolivar’s Liberators were a familiar foe. The last time Bolivar visited Marshfield, the Blue Jays ended their 2018 season in the playoffs. Before that, the Liberators had dominated the series, winning 10 of the previous 11 games.
Former Blue Jay quarterback Robert Clardy, now head coach of the Liberators after stepping down from SBU, returned to lead his new squad.
Bolivar wasted no time, jumping out to a commanding 14-0 lead in the first quarter and silencing the capacity Marshfield crowd. Chapel Banner connected with Paul Bliss on a 35-yard touchdown pass to cap the opening drive. After stopping Marshfield, the Liberators struck again with a two-play, 80-yard drive, finished by a 74-yard bomb from Banner to Kolt Hill.
Marshfield responded immediately. On the ensuing kickoff, Case Steinbach fielded the ball at the 15, cut left, and followed his blockers to midfield before stiff-arming the kicker and racing 85 yards for a touchdown, electrifying the home crowd.
Bolivar’s next drive reached the Blue Jays’ 15-yard line, but the field goal attempt was blocked by Hayden Swanigan, scooped up by Caleb Bull, and returned to the Marshfield 40. The first quarter ended with Bolivar leading 14-6.
In the second quarter, Swanigan intercepted a pass at midfield, setting up a 27-yard touchdown strike from Carson Adams to Carter James. Adams then found Braden Jensen wide open in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 14.
Just before halftime, Bolivar running back Brayden Davis broke free and was stopped by Josh Lambeth just shy of the goal line. What followed was one of the most memorable defensive stands in Blue Jay history. On first down, Caleb Bull hit the back for a loss to the 1. On second down, Aydian Cobb made initial contact, with Ashton Herrera, Jensen, and Christian Jackson finishing the tackle for another loss to the 3. On third down, Banner faked the handoff and attempted a slant, but Trenton Rosenthal tipped the ball, and Cody Bull intercepted it in the end zone to end the threat.
Longtime press box legends Curt Weaver and Pat Theobald remarked at halftime that in more than 20 years, they had never seen a better defensive stand.
Bolivar threatened again in the third quarter, facing first-and-goal at the 2. Cobb made a big stop for a loss to the 5, and Swanigan chased down the ball carrier on second down. On third down, Gage Harles, Rosenthal, and Cobb stuffed the quarterback run. The Liberators were forced to settle for a field goal, taking a 17-14 lead.
Marshfield answered immediately. Adams hit Steinbach for an 80-yard touchdown strike to put the Jays ahead 20-17. Bolivar responded with an 18-yard scoring pass to freshman running back Hill, regaining the lead 24-20. Early in the fourth quarter, Hill added a 9-yard touchdown run to extend the advantage to 30-20.
The Blue Jays battled back. Anthony Macrelli scored on a 10-yard counter play, cutting the deficit to 30-27. Moments later, Bolivar fumbled in the red zone, and Leighton Callaway recovered at the 18. On the next series, Adams connected with Steinbach for a 57-yard reception, finished with a horse-collar tackle that advanced the ball to the 13. From there, Macrelli pounded to the 1-yard line, and Adams capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. A low snap on the extra point turned into a two-point conversion, as holder Steinbach carried it into the end zone to give Marshfield a 35-30 lead with 4:19 remaining.
Bolivar had the final answer. Facing fourth-and-one at the Marshfield 18, Cyrus Jackson scored. The extra point was good, sealing a 37-35 Liberator victory.
Stat Leaders
Carson Adams: 16/29 passing, 300 yards, 2 TDs; 1 rushing TD
Case Steinbach: 8 receptions, 215 yards, 1 TD; 85-yard kickoff return TD (165 return yards, 380 total yards). Steinbach now ranks No. 2 all-time for receiving yards in a game, behind Logan Findley in 2012.
Leighton Callaway: 5 receptions, 40 yards
Carter James: 1 reception, 27 yards, 1 TD
Braden Jensen: 1 reception, 19 yards, 2-point conversion
Anthony Macrelli: 11 carries, 38 yards, 1 TD
Defensive Standouts
Aydian Cobb: 16 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
Josh Lambeth: 14 tackles
Trenton Rosenthal: 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, deflected pass leading to interception
Hayden Swanigan: 7 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 interception, 1 blocked field goal
Caleb Bull: 20 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, blocked field goal recovery
It was a hard-fought battle from start to finish, but the Blue Jays came up just short. Marshfield now stands at 3-2 on the season and will travel to Branson for their next matchup.
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