The Vidor Pirates are on a winning streak.
Vidor celebrated homecoming on Friday night and came away with a 55-17 victory over the visiting Liberty Panthers. The win is the second-consecutive triumph for the Pirates over a District 10-4A Division 1 foe and its third overall victory of the season.
Liberty started off the scoring and a 3-0 lead with a 43-yard field goal by kicker Diego Diaz-Ramirez after a penalty kept the opening kickoff return being a touchdown for the Panthers.
Vidor wasted little time in finding the end zone and taking control of the game. On its first possession the Pirates marched the ball 75-yards in five plays in just over two minutes. Quarterback Daigan Venable took the snap and reeled off a 31-yard run along the left sideline to Vidor on top, 7-3, following the J.R. Howard kick.
The Pirates added another touchdown on its next possession as fullback Riley Marlow capped off a 97-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to extend the Pirates lead, 13-3. The score was made possible by a huge 87-yard run by Venable to the Liberty 6-yard line.
On the Panthers second play of its next possession, Pirates defender Layden Sanders intercepted Liberty quarterback Frankie Marez and returned the ball 36-yards for the pick six and a 20-3 Vidor lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Pirates added another touchdown late in the second quarter as Marlow found the end zone again on a 2-yard run and a 28-3 advantage at halftime.
Vidor would continue to dominate and put points on the board. In the third quarter Landon Jones scored on a 3-yard run and Venable added another touchdown on a 2-yard plunge up the middle. The Pirates were up 42-3 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Brody Bloss scored on a 2-yard run for the Pirates and Kolt Holden scored on a 1-yard run.
Liberty finally found the end zone late in the game as Jason Wickliff energized the Panthers fans with two big kickoff returns and then two touchdowns on a 1-yard run and 6-yard run.
The Pirates had 476 total yards of offense on Friday night, as Vidor rushed for 452 yards while completing one throw in two attempts for 24 yards.
The Pirates defense held the Liberty offense to just 112 total yards for the game, while coming up with one interception for a touchdown.
Vidor (3-5, 2-3), will be at Pirates Stadium again next week as the Pirates host the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks in another pivotal District 10-4A Division 1 contest for both teams. The Hawks (3-5, 1-4) lost to the Lumberton Raiders, 24-14, on Friday night.
The Pirates control its playoff destiny. If Vidor can defeat the Hawks next Friday and win at Livingston on Nov. 8, then Vidor will clinch the fourth seed in district play.
-Tommy Mann, KOGT-
LIBERTY 3 0 0 14 17
VIDOR 20 8 14 13 55
Congrats to Gabby Spencer who was crowned VHS Homecoming Queen
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