HobbsDailyReport.com
FREEDOM’S STREAK
Freedom High’s six-game win streak over Hickory after Friday night’s victory at Barger Stadium:
Year Score
2010 Freedom 40-13 at Hickory
2013 Freedom 34-27 at Hickory
2014 Freedom 42-12 at Freedom
2015 Freedom 76-20 at Hickory
2016 Freedom 43-25 at Freedom
2017 Freedom 35-30 at Hickory
SOURCE: HobbsDailyReportcom research/files.
HICKORY – Tristan Somerville is a wide receiver but a dangerous runner for Freedom High this season.
He scored five rushing touchdowns on Friday night, leading the visiting Patriots to a 35-30 victory over Hickory in a Northwestern 3A-4A football game.
FREEDOM 35
HICKORY 30
Freedom (5-1, 2-0) beat the Red Tornadoes (4-3, 1-1), who had won three straight games, for the sixth consecutive time when Somerville ran 6, 7, 1, 3 and 12 yards for TDs to continue posting sterling numbers.
The win sends Freedom into next Friday’s home game at 7:30 p.m. against Alexander Central with the conference lead on the line.
Somerville has turned into a scoring threat quickly for the Patriots – unofficially, he has 17 carries for 129 rushing yards this season and seven rushing scores.
His first TD on Friday night at Barger Stadium, about five minutes after kickoff, was a 6-yard run.
The second time Somerville scored, on a 7-yard run in the second quarter, it put Freedom ahead 14-7 after Hickory had scored on a 6-yard run by wide receiver Jaekwon Staton.
The game was tied at 14 after HHS quarterback Derrien Phillips threw a TD pass to Kevin Shuford and Harrison Boston made a PAT.
Somerville’s third TD gave Freedom the lead, but the game was tied at 21 going into the final quarter after Phillips went 10 yards on a run for another Hickory TD.
Boston’s field goal, with about 10 minutes to go, put Hickory up 17-14.
Freedom took the lead with back-to-back scores by Somerville — both runs — and was ahead 35-24 going into the final minute.
Phillips hit Staton on a TD pass in the final 40 seconds but the Freedom defense stopped Phillips on a run for two points, leaving the lead at five points.
The game featured nearly 875 yards of total offense, with Phillips throwing for more than 200 and Patriots quarterback Jayden Birchfield throwing for nearly 250.
Phillips had a 100-yard rushing game, his third straight.
Jax McMahon, who had 12 catches against St. Stephens the week before for Freedom, caught 10 passes for 169 yards.
Freedom increased its lead to 16-13 in a series that began in 1975.
Hickory, a three-win team last season, has a tough game ahead on Friday night at 7;30 p.m., facing Watauga in Boone.