The 14th-seeded Salina South Cougars defeated the sixth-seeded Liberal Redskins 22-16 in the second round of the Kansas Class 5A playoffs Friday night at Redskin Field.
The win advances South to the third round for the first time since 2017 and marks their first multiple playoff victories since 2014.
The game remained low-scoring through the first half. In the second quarter, Salina South's Easton Wilcox kicked a field goal for a 3-0 lead. Liberal tied it at 3-3 with their own field goal. South then scored on a 34-yard touchdown reception by Jaxon Myers, though a failed two-point conversion left the halftime score at 9-3.
The third quarter saw South extend the lead to 16-3 on a 27-yard touchdown run by Armane Redmond. Liberal responded with a touchdown on an 82-yard, four-play drive consisting of runs, narrowing the gap to 16-10. Both teams committed turnovers in the quarter: South fumbled inside Liberal's 5-yard line, and Liberal's quarterback Tevin Cotter threw his 10th interception of the season.
In the fourth quarter, South added a touchdown on a pass from Izrael Telles to Myers, increasing the lead to 22-10. Liberal scored once more to close within 22-16. A late pass interference penalty on Liberal gave South a first down, allowing them to run out the clock.
A key defensive play came in the first quarter when South stopped Liberal on four consecutive runs from the 1-yard line.
Salina South advances to face Salina Central in the third round.
