Coonby Scores Three Times as Cleveland Routs Philadelphia
Riley Kade — JRSports One
Keaton Coonby scored three touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air, as the Cleveland Panthers beat the Philadelphia Liberty 37-10. The result moved Cleveland to 8-0 and left Philadelphia at 3-5, with the Panthers ahead at every quarter break.
Cleveland's decisive stretch was 17 unanswered points, from Coonby's 5-yard touchdown run with 0:03 left in the first quarter through Troy Grerwell's 5-yard touchdown pass to Coonby at 6:36 of the second. Philadelphia never got closer than seven points before the end of the first half.
Hunter Mealsby intercepted Lane Brinnham at 14:48 of the second quarter and returned it three yards, the only turnover of the game for the Liberty. Elvis Muruez's 30-yard field goal at 11:26 made it 10-0, and Grerwell's touchdown pass to Coonby at 6:36 made it 17-0. Takumi Shu kicked a 25-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the half to cut the deficit to 17-3.
Coonby's 4-yard run at 11:15 of the third quarter made it 23-3. Brinnham found Jordan Paer for a 5-yard touchdown at 8:08 to pull Philadelphia within 23-10, the closest the Liberty came. Grerwell then threw a 5-yard touchdown to Andrew Feal at 1:34 for a 30-10 lead, and Dylan Thenden hit Keaton Deman for a 6-yard score at 1:14 of the fourth quarter to finish it.
Grerwell completed 28 of 35 passes for 286 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Coonby carried 31 times for 144 yards and two scores, and added five catches for 59 yards and a third touchdown. Pedro Velaz caught eight passes for 87 yards for Cleveland.
Brinnham completed 14 of 25 passes for 194 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Paer caught five passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Mealsby led all defenders with six tackles and the interception for Cleveland, and Matt Gimley made 13 tackles for Philadelphia.
Drew Kowler, a Philadelphia cornerback, is out with an MCL sprain and is expected to miss one week. Luca Lindink, a Cleveland defensive tackle, is out with a shoulder sprain and is expected to miss two weeks.
Cleveland stands alone at 8-0, while Philadelphia falls to 3-5.
