Tigers outlast Falcons 48-42 in triple-overtime battle
Published 12:35 pm Saturday, October 18, 2025
Newberg scores in the third Kansas plan session to remain undefeated in league play
The Newberg Tigers outlasted a pesky Liberty Falcons team Friday evening, emerging from a third overtime session with a 48-42 win to maintain their unbeaten record in the Pacific Conference.
Newberg remains tied with Highway 99W foe Sherwood at 3-0 in conference, both also sharing 5-2 overall records. The 12th-ranked Tigers will travel to Hillsboro on Oct. 24 to take on Glencoe. The 10th-ranked Crimson Tide are 2-1 in league play and 6-1 overall, falling only to Sherwood 12-10 on Oct. 3.
A back and forth affair
Although the Tigers leapt to an early 14-0 lead to begin the game Friday, the Falcons marched forward undaunted, tying the score at 21-21 at the 5:23 mark in the second quarter.
The Tigers, aided by a critical pass interference call on Liberty that put the ball on the Falcon’s 37 yard line with 3:53 remaining, ran the score up to 28-21 on senior running back Chase Macken’s third touchdown run of the evening.
The Falcons responded immediately, riding the back of senior running back Mekhi Perry’s kickoff return to midfield with 3:31 remaining in the half. A series of unsportsmanlike conduct calls on both sides of the ball delayed the game, then a roughing the passer call against the Tigers put the ball on the Newberg eight with 45 seconds before the half. Perry ran untouched into the endzone to tie the score at 28-28.
The two teams then began trading scores in the second half: Liberty scored the go-ahead touchdown at 8:15 in the third quarter, only to be matched three minutes later when senior quarterback Parker Sellner lofted a pass to senior wide receiver Ethan Hein on fourth and seven from the seven yard line.
Liberty broke the 35-35 tie on a 37-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Falcon receiver with five minutes remaining in the game. Newberg responded at the 1:33 mark on an epic scramble by Hein into the endzone to set the score at 42-42.
With less than a minute remaining the game, the Tiger defense hit its stride, stuffing Liberty on consecutive plays to force a field goal attempt by the Falcons that sailed wide as time ran out.
A wild overtime
Liberty was the first to have the ball on the 25 yard line in the Kansas Plan overtime. Unable to run it in the Falcons attempted a field goal from the 16, but the Tigers blocked it to maintain the score at 42-42.
Newberg’s opportunity to shine was tarnished on the first play of the series when Sellner was hit hard and coughed up the ball to end the first session of overtime.
It was Newberg that started out the second session of overtime and the Tigers wasted no time as Hein scored from the 27, but the play was called back on a holding call. Liberty stuffed the Tigers on the subsequent plays of the series and assumed possession of the ball.
The Tiger defense was determined that the Falcons would never again see the endzone, stopping Liberty on three straight plays and forcing another unsuccessful field goal attempt.
In the third overtime, Liberty first had the ball, this time beginning at the 10 yard line. Newberg squelched the Falcons on fourth and goal from the two and took over the ball.
The Tigers scored on two plays, both quarterback keepers by Sellner to take the game.