Photograph by Rick Lewis
Liberty Bell Coach Jeff Lidey, left, labored with the road models on hand-and-foot response and pace.
Scheduling opponents a problem for LBHS
Defending a state championship is usually a daunting activity. First, the goal on the again is large. All people within the Washington B 8-man world now is aware of of the Liberty Bell Excessive Faculty Mountain Lions.
It is usually tough to seek out opponents to play. Two years in the past, after the Mountain Lions’ first yr within the 8-man classification, three of the 5 voting Central Washington 1B faculties voted in addition Liberty Bell out of the league, organising final yr’s unbiased standing and lack of a league affiliation.
Liberty Bell Actions Director Michael Wilbur scrambled to seek out video games to play, and had some success filling the Mountain Lions’ docket for 2022, which included street journeys to Odessa, Bellingham (Lummi Nation), La Conner and Kendrick, Idaho, to accompany dwelling video games with Bridgeport, Okanogan’s JV, Concrete and Almira-Coulee-Hartline (ACH). This yr, Wilbur’s activity has been made harder by a common reluctance to play the defending state champs.
Certainly, as of this previous Sunday, the Mountain Lions solely have six video games of a permissible 9 sport schedule in ink, solely a kind of an “at dwelling” sport, in opposition to 11-man, 2B Jenkins (Chewelah) on Oct. 21. Odessa backed out of their “journey” yr of a two-year home-and-home settlement and won’t be coming to the Methow Valley this yr.
Liberty Bell opens the season this Saturday with a listed 3 p.m. kickoff at Oak Harbor Excessive Faculty, a rematch of the 2022 state title sport with Neah Bay. Different street video games embrace Brewster, ACH, DeSales (Walla Walla) and Bridgeport.
Wilbur mentioned on Monday that the sport with Neah Bay will proceed regardless of the latest re-closure of the North Cascades Freeway this previous weekend. Even when journey requires use of Stevens Move, “the sport will go on as scheduled,” mentioned Wilbur. “We’re too far into it now, and may’t actually afford to drop one other sport this season.”
As a advantage of their unbiased standing, the Mountain Lions will once more have an computerized seed into the district match in early November, and will host the first-round sport. Subsequent season, by settlement with the WIAA, Liberty Bell will return to the 2B 11-man roster and schedule.
Not ‘filling sneakers’
The veteran senior class of that magical 2022 run is now graduated. There are some key elements which have moved alongside now and, to make use of a worn and drained cliché, left some “massive sneakers to fill.” However Coach Jeff Lidey’s message to this yr’s group was easy: “I don’t need them to fill sneakers, I need them to be themselves, play like themselves. That is their group.”
There may be motive to consider Lidey’s strategy could also be an excellent tackle this coming season in growing their very own character. This group is loaded with expertise, and they’re comparatively younger. “They only should be assured in their very own skills as a result of they’re pushed, and they’re good,” mentioned the coach.
Moving into the quarterback function is junior Lucien Paz. He performed pretty extensively in his freshman yr, filling in when starter Lidey had some damage points, and confirmed potential because the sign caller in his freshman yr.
Taking part in time was restricted final yr on the quarterback place, however the elder of three Paz brothers is athletic, has an correct short- to middle-range arm and is a risk to interrupt off and run with lightning fast pace. His capability to advance the ball on the bottom is effectively documented over the previous two years, and that ought to present some issues for the protection on each single play.
His bodily capability, mixed along with his ardour for the sport and drive for fulfillment, makes him a strong candidate for the management function on this group.
Sophomore brother Remington Paz, a defensive standout, is able to step into the quarterback place if wanted, and can most likely see equal time on either side of the ball, as a working again on offense and defensive again when the Lions don’t have the ball. It was Remi’s 93-yard interception return within the state championship in opposition to Neah Bay that most likely broke the desire of the Purple Devils and highlighted the Mountain Lions’ second-half explosion on their strategy to their 54-12 title win.
Two extra Paz boys enter the fray this yr. Brother Greyden and cousin Yolo, each freshmen, look to contribute nearly instantly. Yolo supplied the Mountain Lions with a fifth-place trophy on the WIAA Mat Traditional final February, as an eighth-grader. Greyden’s varsity sport participation was restricted to baseball final spring, catching, pitching and displaying some wonderful pace on the bottom paths. Count on each to get some important enjoying time on the gridiron this yr.
If there may be an unknown amount on this group, it is perhaps within the receiver corps. Senior Brody Barnhart leads a speedy corps, together with Remi Paz, both from the flank or from the backfield. Logan Hughes, Jake Grady and Dylan Carpenter are all comparatively inexperienced on the varsity stage, however are succesful and fast.
Wanting on the traces
This group might be characterised by pace and finesse, however that’s solely a part of the story. There weren’t many seniors within the offensive or defensive traces. These models have gotten greater and stronger this yr.
Anchoring the offensive line at heart is junior Damon Alumbaugh. He performed baseball final spring, and thru the summer season, pitching and enjoying first base. He’s been hindered by a late-season hip damage final fall. “It feels fairly good, getting higher,” mentioned Alumbaugh at apply final week. “I’ll be high quality.”
Alumbaugh will most likely see most of his motion snapping the ball, and can get some relaxation when the Mountain Lions are on protection.
Sophomore Damien Spears, additionally a medalist on the state wrestling match, sophomores Gavin Clean and Alex Ramsay-George and senior Fischer Edwards present some athletic beef to the inside line. “Gavin exhibits some actually balanced and fast foot motion,” mentioned Lidey. Clean appears to have the ability to transfer laterally pretty shortly for a giant lineman, one thing he most likely developed as a spring tennis participant.
Edwards, a two-time podium placer within the javelin throw at state B monitor and discipline the previous two years, is robust and has a low heart of gravity. He’s a pressure in the course of the defensive position and, likewise, very tough for on speeding defenders to maneuver round when on offense.
“Alex is only a actually good all-around athlete, massive and robust, and Damien simply retains getting higher and higher,” mentioned Lidey. “I really feel actually good about our line play on either side of the ball this yr.”
As a lot expertise as there may be behind the entrance line on offense and protection, the inside line play would possibly really be the sturdy level of this group, which ought to translate into numerous factors on offense, maybe created by defensive turnovers.
Whether or not changing, reloading, or letting them develop their very own id, this might be one other particular yr for the Mountain Lions.
2023 Liberty Bell soccer schedule
(Schedules are tentative and topic to alter)
• Sept. 2, 3 p.m., Neah Bay (at Oak Harbor)
• Sept. 8, 7 p.m., at Brewster
• Sept. 16, 5 p.m., at ACH
• Sept. 23 and 30, open dates
• Oct. 6, 7 p.m., at DeSales
• Oct. 13, 7 p.m., at Bridgeport
• Oct. 21, TBA, dwelling v. Chewelah
• Oct. 27-28, District 6 seeding video games
• Nov. 2-4, D6/7 Crossover
• Nov. 10-11, first spherical, state playoffs
• Nov. 17-18, state quarterfinals
• Nov. 24-25, state semi-finals
• Dec. 1, state championships at UW Stadium
