Pictured- Liberty Quarterback Tyrie Adams

The Salina Liberty’s National Arena League debut season is not over yet.

The fourth-seeded Liberty scored on all but one offensive possession and made just enough defensive stops Sunday to hold off No. 5 Colorado, 50-48, Sunday in a first-round playoff game at Tony’s Pizza Events Center.

With the victory, the Liberty improved to 7-4 on the season and will go on the road to face the second-seeded Pueblo Punishers (7-3) in the semifinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central time in Pueblo, Colorado.

Salina got a big second half from veteran running back Tracy Brooks, who eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the game and scored all three of his touchdowns after the break. His two-point conversion run to put the Liberty up 50-41 with 38 seconds left proved to be the difference.

Running back Tracy Brooks

The Liberty never trailed by more than two in the game, but an early “deuce” by Colorado kicker Wilson Yee had them chasing points for much of the game. Under NAL rules, a kickoff between the uprights is worth two points, and Yee drilled one late in the first quarter to put the Spartans up, 9-7.

But the Spartans eventually let Salina off the hook with two missed extra points and then failed to tie the game when Yee’s point after attempt was blocked by Trevonte Carter with three minutes left to preserve a 42-41 Liberty lead.

The Liberty followed that with a scoring drive, all on the ground, fueled by Brooks and quarterback Tyrie Adams. Brooks got the touchdown on a 5-yard run with 38 seconds on the clock, and after Colorado was penalized on back-to-back PAT attempts, Brooks ran it in for two from a yard out.

Colorado still wasn’t finished, scoring on a Javin Kilgo-to-Breon Michel touchdown pass and Yee extra point at the 22-second mark. But Yee came up well short on a potential tying “deuce” attempt, and Salina ran out the clock.

The Liberty trailed 22-21 at halftime but scored on an Adams 5-yard run to open the third quarter and then got an interception from Jahlil Brown to set up another score. Colorado had a chance to regain the lead after running back Tabyus Taylor scored his fourth touchdown to tie it at 35-35, but a bobbled snap on the extra point did not allow Yee to get a kick off.

Adams, who recently returned to the Liberty after three seasons in the Canadian Football League, threw three touchdown passes to Kavon Samuels, Ed Smith and Courney Sloan — in the first half.

Kilgo, who helped lead the Liberty to the 2022 Champions Indoor Football title after Adams left early in that season, had three touchdown passes for Colorado.