HobbsDailyReport.com
HUDSON – Jayden Birchfield threw scoring passes to Christian Fox twice and also hit Tristian Somerville for a touchdown on Friday night as Freedom High downed South Caldwell 28-3 in Northwestern 3A-4A football.
Birchfield, who came into the game with more than 1,400 passing yards, first hit Fox on 16-yard scoring throw after the Spartans (1-7, 1-3) had taken an early 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Carlos Maysonet.
FREEDOM 28
S. CALDWELL 3
The game was scoreless after one quarter and until Maysonet’s field goal.
The first score by Freedom (6-2, 3-1) was set up by a fumble recovery.
When Birchfield hit Somerville on a 13-yard pass to complete a 99-yard drive, the Patriots led 14-3.
Ahead 21-3, Freedom extended its lead to 25 points when Birchfield hooked up with Fox again, this time from 28 yards.
By winning, Freedom pulled into second place alone in the Northwestern 3A-4A, a game back of Alexander Central and a game up on four teams (Watauga, West Caldwell, Hickory and St. Stephens) that are tied for third place.
The Patriots beat the Spartans for the fifth straight time and for the sixth time in the last seven matchups.
Freedom is now 23-6 against South Caldwell since 1980.
South Caldwell was coming off a victory last week at McDowell that could eventually net a state playoff berth. Those are the only 4A schools in the conference and the league gets one automatic 4A bid into the postseason.
The Patriots play a league game at West Caldwell next Friday at 7:30 p.m., and the Spartans will be at home the same night to face league foe Hickory, also at 7:30 p.m.