By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

After it was over, Liberty Coach David Benson told his team to walk of the field and forget Friday’s Kickoff Classic.

Not that the 14-0 loss to Satellite was so bad, but Benson wanted his team to focus on the games that count, beginning next week at Haines City.

The Scorpions’ Cole Schell scored the game’s only two touchdowns, one on a 30-yard pass reception from quarterback Tyler Allen in the second quarter and another on a 25-yard dash on third down with 7:26 left in the fourth quarter.

Although it gave up two touchdowns, for the most part the Chargers defense played well, Benson said.

“We said all along that it was going to be up to the defense to carry us, and I was proud of them tonight,” Benson said. “We need them to play with that kind of intensity in practice, we can’t have them easing up on the offense.”

The Chargers defense, down 6-0, kept Liberty in the game late in the first half when twice Satellite blocked punts inside the Chargers 30. Senior defensive linemen Mylam Peters and Kason Hooks came up with big sacks to thwart one Satellite possession, and senior lineman Jorad Joseph blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt with 4 seconds left in the half.

“You win championships with defense. We need to maintain that type of intensity,” Benson said.

On the flip side, Liberty’s offense never found consistency in its initial outing behind freshman quarterback Isaiah Wilson. The Chargers offense totaled less than 100 yards and never got inside the Satellite 40.

“This game was to find out where we were at, what we needed to work on,” Benson said. “We have a freshman quarterback who played like a freshman, he had a little trouble coming up to the speed of the game, but that’s all right. He’s going to be fine. The problems we have can be fixed.”

Wilson completed 4-of-10 passes but for only 23 yards.

Running back Jalen Benn rushed for 54 yards and had the Chargers longest play from scrimmage on a 20-yard dash in the last minute. Liberty had only three possessions in the second half.

Liberty and all county high school football teams may lose a day of practice next week after all extra-curricular activities at Osceola County Public Schools Monday were canceled  because of Tropical Storm Isaac.