By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Liberty will try to make it four in a row over rival Poinciana Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Chargers field in the “Battle of the Boulevard.”

The Chargers, 4-5, have never lost to the Eagles since the series inception in 2007.

Liberty, 4-5, is coming off a 23-19 setback against St. Cloud. Poinciana is  0-8.

Liberty rallied from a 17-6 deficit in the third quarter against St. Cloud when Greg Hankerson’s screen pass to J.J. Elisis went 35 yards for a touchdown, then Evan Durand scored on a 1-yard run to lift the Chargers to a 19-17 lead.

St. Cloud countered on Richard Steinmetz’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Reus to make it 23-19 in the third quarter. The Chargers drove to the St. Cloud 4 in the fourth quarter, but on fourth-and-1 Hankerson was stopped on a quarterback sneak.

Liberty Coach David Benson is convinced that his team earned the first down.

“We had it, no question, but that’s obviously not the way some people saw it,” Benson said.

Chargers defense forced a punt, but Liberty fumbled the return and St. Cloud took over and ran out the clock.

“We did what we had to do, we held and forced the punt,” Benson said. “We just didn’t execute the return.”

It was the fourth consecutive close game in the series.  The Chargers won the first game in 2007 (20-16) before St. Cloud took the past three (17-13, 21-19 and 23-19).

Hankerson’s 46-yard pass to Greg Hayes lifted the Chargers to the 6-0 first-quarter lead.

The Chargers past two losses were by a combined 10 points, counting a 6-0 loss against East River Oct. 22 that eliminated Liberty from the district playoff race.

“It’s a testament to the kids we have that they are able to go out there and lay it on the line the way they have,” Benson said. “Anybody who saw the East River game knows that we easily could have won it. But, now you have to put that behind you and focus on that one game you have left.”

Poinciana was blanked by district co-leader Edgewater, 61-0, Friday at Eagle field.

Coach Michael Timpson said he isn’t concerned so much about a rivalry game against Liberty as his players might be.

“I just want to win a game, against anybody. But, that’s me, personally, saying that. Others might have a different opinion,” he said.

Liberty, he said, is a team with a considerable amount of talent.

“You can see that they have some speed and some good athletes,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge for us. We’re going to have to play our best game to win it.”

Liberty potentially can earn an Osceola County Scholarship Bowl bid with a win Friday. The only other teams in Osceola County with four wins are Osceola and Harmony, but the Kowboys most likely will reach the Class 5A playoffs. Liberty beat Tavares in last year’s Scholarship Bowl.

Benson expects a good effort from his team Friday.

“It’s the battle for the city, the winner gets to talk for 365 days,” Benson said. “In a way, it’s like the whole season boils down to what happens Friday.”