Pimental leads Cascade Middle win

Cascade's Cole Claxton is brought to the ground by Liberty defender Tunde Onakoya. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The Cascade Middle eighth grader scored the game-tying touchdown from 3 yards out with 3:33 left in the third quarter and ran in the two-point conversion to put his team out in front to stay 14-12. His 71-yard interception return for a score with 48 seconds to play provided insurance in their 30-18 victory over visiting Liberty Middle.

Pimental, who played four different offensive positions as well as linebacker on the other side of the ball, also tossed a 20-yard TD pass to Hunter Seibers with three minutes remaining. The same combo hooked up for the conversion.

"There's no doubt about it who our player is and who we count on and that's Jake Pimental," said Cascade coach David Parker, whose team improved to 1-3. "Jake Pimental has come a long way. He's done a much better job as far as leading the team. I'm proud of him. I see strides in him every day. He's an athlete. He works hard. He's a playmaker, and he showed that tonight."

Champion Cole Claxton had a TD run called back due to a penalty, but they still managed to take the first lead after Nick Perry scored.

Liberty (0-2) answered right back in the second quarter when Tunde Onakoya found the end zone to tie the game at 6-all.

Onakoya took a first-down handoff and went 55 yards for a score just 23 seconds into the second half to give his team their first and only advantage.

Pimental and Co. took over soon thereafter.

"We knew that we were going to have to run the ball to beat them," Parker said. "We made a few adjustments. I don't know that they adjusted to it. We were able to get some seams and run the ball a little better (in the second half)."

Liberty's Jake Crosslin burst through the middle of the defense and sprinted to paydirt from 73 yards out to notch the game's final points with 26 ticks showing.

"We made critical mistakes at the wrong times," Liberty coach Jimmy Darden said of his young team. "We're going to work on that. There's nothing that can't be corrected."

Darden went on to say his team needs to improve their conditioning, tackling and defensive players keeping their assignments before they host Fayetteville City on Tuesday night at 6.

Cascade celebrates homecoming versus Forrest Middle on Thursday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30.