Hawks win another home opener

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune

Liberty’s Noah Bonilla returns a fourth quarter interception that led to the go-ahead touchdown in Friday’s 24-17 victory over Mendota. Bonilla also threw for 155 yards and a touchdown.

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After scoring two touchdowns early, it took a touchdown with less than a minute left in the game to secure a 24-17 victory for the Liberty Hawks over the Mendota Aztecs.

With the win, the Hawks continue their dominance in opening games. They are 8-2 in their last 10 opening games.

However, the Aztec held the statistical advantage throughout the game. They outgained the Hawks 314-290. They also slowed down the game to mess with Liberty’s timing. The Aztecs ran 62 plays to Liberty’s 27. They had 20 first downs to Liberty’s nine.