Liberal escapes in shootout over Garden City, 39-35

Posted October 8, 2025

Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 — Garden City, Kan.

Liberal’s passing game proved the difference in a wild, back-and-forth home contest between the Redskins and Buffaloes. The Falcons — sorry, I mean the Redskins (Liberal) — leaned heavily on quarterback Tevin Cotter, connecting for five touchdown passes, and with enough total firepower to slip past Garden City, 39-35. The Buffaloes answered repeatedly, but came up just short in a 4Q shootout.

How Liberal Won

Liberal piled up 384 yards through the air — 26 completions on 36 attempts, 5 TDs, 1 interception — largely led by Cotter’s accuracy and downfield vision. Their receivers — especially James Fieser (15 catches, 226 yards, 3 scores) — consistently beat Garden City’s secondary for big gains. On the ground, the Redskins added balance, running for 180 combined with Xavier Tafoya contributing 96 and Cotter chipping in 57. Even though the Buffaloes displayed fight, the difference came in critical moments: Liberal’s passing tempo seemed to outpace GC’s adjustments, especially in the second quarter and early fourth, giving them separation when the Buffaloes threatened.

Liberal (Redskins) Takeaways

Liberal’s identity came through in this one: they attacked downfield, tested GC’s safeties, and leaned into high-percent passing while mixing in enough ground presence to keep the defense honest. Fieser’s dominance in the receiving corps gave Liberal a reliable outlet, and Cotter’s efficiency under pressure made tight windows manageable. That kind of passing attack — especially in a shootout — proves dangerous almost every time.

Garden City Takeaways

Garden City showed resolve in keeping pace in what became a shootout. The Buffaloes likely leaned heavily on their aerial attack in response to Liberal’s passing onslaught. But GC’s defense struggled to contain Fieser deep, and they couldn’t consistently generate pressure to disrupt Cotter’s timing. In a game of margins, GC’s inability to slow the passing rhythm in certain stretches cost them.

Matchup Breakdown

Aerial assault vs. secondary gambles. Liberal’s success hinged on beating the Buffaloes through the air. Garden City’s defense gave up too many big targets, and the Redskins exploited mismatches repeatedly over the middle and sideline.

Balance under duress. While Liberal threw heavily, they still ran when needed, preventing GC from collapsing into pattern coverage. Garden City often had to defend with one less defender in the box, which opened those passing lanes.

Momentum swings through big plays. In a game where both sides traded points, the biggest plays decided the flow — long completions from Liberal, clutch catches, and occasional breakdowns in coverage from Garden City made it hard for the Buffaloes to sustain closing drives.

Final Game Numbers

  • Final: Liberal 39, Garden City 25
  • Score by Quarters:
  • LHS:     7 | 18 | 6 |  8  — 39
  • GCHS:  0 |  7  | 7 | 21 — 35

Liberal QB efficiency: Tevin Cotter 26/36, 384 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
Liberal rushing attack: 38 attempts, 180 yards total (Tafoya 96, Cotter 57)
Receiving highlights:
  • James Fieser — 15 catches, 226 yards, 3 TDs
 • Max Holman — 5 catches, 77 yards, 2 TDs
 • Xavier Tafoya — 2 catches, 30 yards

Totals & comparisons: Liberal amassed 564 all-purpose yards (180 rush + 384 pass)
Turnovers / misc: Liberal lost 1 fumble; Cotton threw 1 interception

Program snapshot (GCHS): The Buffaloes fall to 1–4 overall, now 0–2 in conference after a tough home loss in a game they pressured into margin calls.

Up Next

Liberal (5-0) heads into the road for its next WAC matchup at Great Bend. 

Garden City (1-4) will look to bounce back in their next home game against Wichita Southeast, aiming to regain momentum before the season enters its critical stretch.

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