Whatever the end result of the Carroll County Athletic League football championship race after next weekend’s games, Friday evening’s Liberty/Westminster contest will resonate.

The 13th-ranked Owls outlasted No. 15 Liberty, 28-27, in overtime, thanks to late rally in regulation and a failed extra-point in overtime.

“Every year when we play Liberty it seems like it comes down to this,” said Westminster coach Chris Bassler, whose team improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in CCAL play. “It comes down to one play or two plays. We were just fortunate tonight that we made one more play to win it.”

The Lions had the ball first in overtime and scored on a five-yard pass from senior Jack Pellicciotti to senior Phil Sackett for a 27-21 lead. Liberty botched the extra-point snap.

Westminster wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity as junior quarterback Kyrece Walker kept it on an option sweep and dashed in for the score. Senior kicker Owen Harris knocked the extra point through the uprights to end the game.

“We showed how much we wanted it,” Walker said. “We were down big in the fourth quarter, but we showed our heart and our courage. I couldn’t have done this without my teammates [having my back].”

It was a shocking finish for Liberty (5-3, 4-1 CCAL), who led 21-14 lead on a 29-yard pass from Pellicciotti to senior Carson Struble with 1 minute, 39 seconds left in regulation. On the ensuing drive, Westminster converted a key third down when Liberty was hit with a pass interference call that placed the ball at the Owls’ 35-yard line.

Walker completed four of his next five pass attempts, including an 18-yarder that put the ball at Liberty’s 12 with 30 seconds left in regulation. On the next play, Walker’s pass fell incomplete between three Liberty defenders.

He made the Lions pay on his next pass, finding senior wideout Mason Fisher to tie the score at 21.

“Mason is a captain and one of our best players for a reason,” Bassler said. “In games like this, guys like that usually show up and he certainly did tonight. We wouldn’t be where we are without him, that’s for sure.”

Fisher was a menace all night for the Lions. The senior had six catches for 68 yards and a score.

His biggest play though came at the start of the second half. Fisher returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 65-yard touchdown to give the Owls a 14-7 lead.

The Lions tied the score at 14 with five minutes to go in the third period. Pellicciotti, who threw for 184 yards and four touchdowns, hooked up with Carson Struble on a 15-yard touchdown for the lead, moments after converting a third-and-25 to senior wideout Sam Evans (75 yards receiving).

It was not enough as Walker continued his development into a leader at quarterback for Westminster by engineering the game-tying score.

“[Walker] is really coming into his own,” Bassler said. “Every week he is growing and getting better. Those are the kind of drives that make a QB’s career. We are lucky he plays for us.”

The victory for Westminster over Liberty creates a three-way tie with defending champ South Carroll in the CCAL standings with one week to go. There is no tiebreaker since the teams have beaten each other.

The Cavaliers, who kept pace with a 55-0 victory over Century Friday evening, defeated Westminster last month. The Lions edged South Carroll last week.

If each team wins next week, the CCAL crown will be split between the three teams.

Liberty was 94 seconds away from clinching the outright Friday.

“We come out and are supposed to get three minutes to warm up [after] a 20-minute half. We come out and they are ready to kick the ball off. I know it sounds like sour grapes and maybe we should have made a play or two – we had some opportunities that we didn’t make,” said Lions coach Larry Luthe. “They didn’t move the ball pretty much in the second half and they took a drive down the field with a minute, 30 seconds left and shoved it down our throats. Hats off to them.”

NO. 13 WESTMINSTER 28, NO. 15 LIBERTY 27 (OT)

Liberty 7 0 7 7 6 -- 27

Westminster 7 0 7 7 7 -- 28

First quarter

Liberty – Sam Evans 18 pass from Jack Pellicciotti (Austin Cirri kick)

Westminster – Michael Simons 1 run (Owen Harris kick)

Third quarter

Westminster – Mason Fisher 67 kick return (Harris kick)

Liberty – Carson Struble 15 pass from Pellicciotti (Cirri kick)

Fourth quarter

Liberty - Struble 29 pass from Pellicciotti (Cirri kick)

Westminster – Fisher 12 pass from Kyrece Walker (Joshua Caperon kick)

Overtime

Liberty – Phil Sackett 5 pass from Pellicciotti (kick failed)

Westminster – Walker 5 run (Harris kick)