Liberty to restart Sept. 4 game against Discovery on Monday after Thursday loss
Prior to the start of the 2026 season, Nova Lakes coach Anthony Rivers knew there would be days like this.
His young inexperienced team struggled to move the ball, made mistakes and got moved around up front by a better Freedom line – dropping a 29-0 decision at home on Thursday night.
“Obviously you never enjoy losing but we ran into a team that was physically better than we were tonight and our inexperienced was apparent,” Rivers said of his team fell to 2-2 with the loss. “In order to have a chance, I thought our passing game had to be good, and it wasn’t.”
Also on Thursday, Liberty (0-3) fell at home, 29-0 to Orlando University (2-2). Orange County teams played Thursday to avoid the Jewish Rosh Hashanah holiday. The Chargers will resume their game Monday with Lake Alfred Discovery that was postponed last Friday with the score tied at 6-6 due to lightning with about nine minutes left in the third quarter.
Nova Lakes struggled to move the ball Thursday, picking up just two first downs – both coming on Rattlers final possession of the night. Still, it was a close game until the final four minutes of the first half.
After struggling to move the ball consistently in the first half, the Patriots took advantage of a short field -- driving 50 yards to take an 8-0 lead on quarterback Pedro Rodriguez’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Wimberly at the 3:46 mark of the second.
But mistakes would lead to two quick Patriot touchdowns in the final minutes.
A muffed kickoff return pinned Nova Lakes back on its own five and three plays later Jaiden Delgado recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown. On the ensuing possession, middle linebacker Marley Shaver returned an interception 47 yards for a score to make it 23-0 at half.
Despite the strong running all game of Freedom’s Swaylan Laronde (22 carries, 152 yards), the Patriots were held in check for most of the second half. The Rattlers Clayton Yarwood prevented a Freedom score with an interception at the goal line.
On the final possession of the game, running back Jaden Dionisi gave Nova Lakes a first down on a five-yard run and would then break off an 11-yard carry.
“Despite everything, I think we are continuing to get better every week. I know that’s hard to believe when you lose after winning the week before, but the fact of the matter is this was the best team we’ve played since Palm Bay (a 41-7 loss in Week 1),” Rivers said. “We just need to keep working hard.”
Freedom, who went to 2-1 with the win, is coached by former Liberty coach Brandon Pennington. The Rattlers return to action next Friday at Colonial.
