The opening moments of the Open Division playoff game between No. 6-seed Mesa Red Mountain and No. 3 Peoria Liberty looked like an evenly matched quarterfinal that could go either way.
Then Liberty started playing its signature brand of football.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPunctuated by a stretch of play that included two critical turnovers by Red Mountain (9-3) and 34 unanswered points by Liberty’s potent offense, the Lions (10-1) routed the Mountain Lions, 48-23, on Friday, Nov. 21, punching their ticket to the Open Division state semifinals.
The win also allowed Liberty, the two-time defending Open champion, to stretch its win streak against in-state opponents to 36 games.
The Liberty Lions gather after defeating Mesa Red Mountain in the Open Division quarterfinals on Nov. 21, 2025.Key plays
Red Mountain opened the game with a bang as its defense forced a turnover deep in Liberty’s own territory in the opening minute of the contest. This resulted in a 30-yard field goal from kicker Chase Pinter. From that point forward though the game quickly changed.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLiberty responded to its lone deficit of the night by converting on a fourth down with a 41-yard touchdown reception by junior Braxton Huynh. After Red Mountain turned the ball over on its next drive, senior quarterback Jayden Pico made the Mountain Lions pay with a 26-yard touchdown run that extended his team’s lead to 13-3. The offensive woes for Red Mountain continued as another turnover gave Liberty the ball back with good field position, and that resulted in another Pico touchdown.
In a matter of four minutes and 30 seconds, Red Mountain went from having a close 3-0 advantage to being down 20-3.
Key players
Pico was on point for Liberty. Aside from his two touchdowns that opened the game up early, he added a 52-yard rushing score with 6:50 left in the third quarter that gave his team a 48-10 advantage that all but put the game out of reach for Red Mountain.
Red Mountain tried to make the game close thanks in large part to Tyreke Cornett. With his team down 34-3 late in the first half, the senior stripped Liberty’s Jayden Sanchez of the ball following a completed catch and took it back 65 yards the other way for a touchdown.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith the game all but decided late in the third quarter, Cornett also had an 18-yard touchdown reception that cut the Liberty lead to 48-16.
Quotes
“We knew they were a really physical team, we also knew they have a certain style of play that we had to try to get them out of a little bit. So, I’m just proud of the defense, the way they made some stops, and the offense had some explosive plays there. If we string those two things together we have a chance to be pretty solid.” - Liberty head coach Colin Thomas on his team’s quick start.
“Whenever, wherever. Coach Thomas said he believes in us and it doesn’t matter where we play.” - Liberty Senior quarterback Jayden Pico on the game going from being a Liberty home game to a neutral site game. (The game was played at Glendale Mountain Ridge due to field conditions at Liberty following this week’s storms).
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Liberty will play No. 2 seed Chandler Basha on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Tempe Corona del Sol, at 6 p.m. Basha advanced by defeating No. 10 Williams Field on Friday, Nov. 21.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Liberty routs Red Mountain in Open Division playoff showdown
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