LOUIE TRAUB/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL | Liberty defensive end Spencer Hill-Hale (54) and cornerbacks D.J. Warren (23) and Rudy Reveles (34) combine to stop Del Sol wide receiver Jason Meuir on Friday during the Patriots’ 24-21 home win over the previously unbeaten Dragons. Liberty scored the game’s first 14 points.
POSTED: Friday October 23, 2009
Liberty 7 7 3 7–24
L—Stone 29 FG.
DS—Marshall 57 run (Reed pass from Miller).
DS—Weinstock 20 pass from Miller (Dominguez kick).
PASSING—Del Sol, Miller 8-11-1 101, Marshall 0-1-0 0. Liberty, S. Tai 2-6-1 25, Smith 0-1-0 0.
RECEIVING—Del Sol, Weinstock 4-48, Reed 1-35, Meuir 1-9, Canyon 1-7, Doph 1-2. Liberty, Norris 1-14, Byrd 1-11.
Chris Smith didn’t start the game at quarterback Friday night.
But the Liberty senior wasted no time making his presence felt.
Smith scored on a 55-yard run on his first snap at quarterback to give the Patriots an early lead, and they held on for a 24-21 home victory over previously undefeated Del Sol.
“That was huge for our team,” Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. “Playing a great team like Del Sol, if they get up on you, it might have caused our kids to start doubting. Being up on them proved to us that we are on the same level as them and that we could win the game.”
Muraco said he saw Del Sol’s defensive end following the running back instead of staying home on spread option plays. So he inserted the speedy Smith, who kept the ball on the option attempt and sprinted for the game’s first touchdown with 2:08 to go in the first quarter.
“I knew it would be wide open if the defensive end played it the way he did,” Muraco said.
The surprising Patriots (5-3, 3-2 Southeast League) took a 14-0 advantage into halftime after a 4-yard touchdown run by Teu Tai on fourth-and-goal with 2:11 to go in the half.
Third-ranked Del Sol (7-1, 3-1) rallied with two big third-quarter scoring runs but never could catch the Patriots, who also got a 29-yard field goal from Thomas Stone to help sustain the lead.
“We dug ourselves a 14-point deficit in the first half, and that’s definitely what we didn’t want to do because they’re so big,” Del Sol coach Preston Goroff said. “They’re really good at controlling the ball and controlling the clock.
“When we got behind, it worked against us.”
Del Sol’s Dezerick Reed had a 93-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-6. After Stone’s field goal, Chris Marshall scored on a 57-yard run, and Reed’s 2-point conversion pass from Troy Miller cut Liberty’s lead to 17-14 with 54 seconds left in the third quarter.
“From watching them on film, we understood that that’s what they do,” Muraco said of the long runs. “They run 3 yards, 4 yards, 3 yards and then boom, big play.”
Del Sol went for another big play, faking a punt on fourth-and-10 from its 11. But the pass went incomplete, and three plays later, freshman Niko Kapeli scored on a 16-yard run as the Patriots extended their lead to 24-14.
The Dragons answered with a 20-yard TD pass from Miller to Evan Weinstock with three minutes left to cut their deficit to 24-21, but Liberty then picked up two first downs and ran out the clock.
The Patriots will play at Coronado on Thursday. A win would clinch the school’s first postseason appearance in football.
“It’s the biggest win ever for our program, for sure,” Muraco said. “(The players) responded. They believe that we are one of the better teams in the Sunrise Region, and they performed that way tonight.”
Said senior linebacker Samson Toalei: “It feels awesome as a senior to finally get this school into a playoff seed. I’m sure not only the seniors but the underclassmen as well. They’re happy to be a part of this special moment.”
Jus wanna stop in to say CONGRATS to OUR LIBERTY PATRIOTS..It was a WIN, well over due.
To OUR COACHES: Good Job and thanks for all your hard work and dedication in preparing our boys every week for what lies ahead. THANKS.
To OUR BOYZ: STAY FOCUS and PLAY HARD."ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, IF YOU BELIEVE"..Stay HUMBLE.
To you negative writers: YOU not worth saying anything too...
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PATRIOTSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!MUUUUAAAHHHHH!!!!!
Funny how some people have the courage to say such HATEFUL things on screen but when they're face to face with some TRUE fans they don't have the guts to say it to their faces! Libertyfag, your insults clearly states your ignorance. Other than that, GO LIBERTY PATRIOTS!
i hate you all so it doesnt matter!
IFH-libertyfan & MaMaLIBERTY, thank you two so much for enlightening us who don't truly know the history between Liberty & Silverado! I may not be an OG like Aunty Lou but I have seen the many many improvements within the LHS football teams! This season is gonna be an EXCITING one to witness. Aunty Lou, thank you for clearing out the negativity out of this lvrj post! Look towards next coming games that our MIGHTY PATRIOTS will partake in and all that is yet to come.
Toalei family your son is a BEAST! One who had to be on the sidelines for transfer rule reasons and all that hard work he had done last year till now is paying off! Get 'em SAMSON TOALEI #9...and the rest of all them PATRIOT BOYS! One more thing to say before I end this. Remy who is Aunty Lou's nephew doesn't get ENOUGH recognition that he so truly deserves as well; the the families of REMY your son is an AWESOME player...in my opinion he should be recognized just as much as those who are mentioned so often...again not to take away anything from the rest of the Liberty football boys; STAY FOCUSED and KEEP THAT HUMBLE spirits you all carry! Can't wait to see the next game against Coronado! LHS fans come through and show your pride and support for our TEAM! PATRIOTS babeee=]
Okay Patriots fans, lets not implode. MamaLiberty is none other than Aunty Lou! That's right, if you know me, you know that I have been cheering for Liberty Patriots since the school opened and my son DT played from a freshmen all through senior year. So I am that OG Patriot fan and the OG MamaLiberty. That being said, "IFH-liberty fan" knows exactly where I'm coming from. Know the history behind sky-Parrots immature tactics and you will appreciate the sentiment behind "IFHS". I'll say it all day, everyday - with passion! Matter of fact, I may tattoo it on my okole! LOL. To the Toalei ohana, my apologies for anyone assuming that it was your family. Bad call to make those kinds of assumptions, not to mention it only creates the drama we don't need. Now that you all know the identity of MamaLiberty, I invite anyone to come talk to me if they got something to say. You know I'll listen... In the meantime, we need to chalk this up to a bad play and get back on our game plan to support our sons and nephews (you know I got a lot of them too).
I'll say it again. Know the history, feel the passion, I Found Hawaiian Spirit (IFHS) - Choohoooo!!!!!
With much alofaz,
Aunty Lou
soooo proud of our liberty patriotss win over del sol, all the hard work is paying off, coaches rock! samson toalei is a beast ;)
p.s. IFHS :D
libfan you gotta be kiddin me. Wrongful accusations are right up there with "immature" and "childish"! Besides, you aren't a liberty fan. If you were a "fan" you would know. IFHS is a private sentiment to those who "know" and who have "been there from the start". It's more than just the game. It's the history of immature and childish vandalism, slander, and unruly behavior Liberty has suffered at the hands of immature and childish sky-Parrot students and players. Last year a Parrot coach said Liberty "turned this game into a war" as if to deflect the amount of attention this game was getting every year like it was just another game for them. And all the while Liberty and its football team were forced to sit on their hands and take the vulgar messages sprayed all over our campus. They've done it every year and I hear this year was no different. If it's "said and done" as you posted, why did some Parrot students come back to Freedom field at midnight and try to vandalize the Patriot on our football field. IFHS is not some spur of the moment idiom with no provocation. It is an option given to those who would have the courage to say HELL NO to the abuse dispensed by a bunch of Parrots over the years! The Patriot player's option was to retaliate by winning on the field. For us real Liberty fans...we print the occasional IFHS! Mamaliberty do your thing... To the innocent family who was wrongfully accused, pay no mind to the impressions of an ignorant parttime fan. To all my alumni...I better start seeing you at the games! This year these boyz are for real!! IFHS and anyone else who has been gum-flappin about my Pats!!
Dear Del Sol fan...I think that 4th quarter punt was a very risky call, on several different levels. Maybe the Del Sol coaches thought they were going to catch Liberty off guard. Whatever the mindset of the coaches was I don't think you will find an answer that will satisfy you Del Sol fan. It all comes down to the Head Coach....I'm Jus Saying....
I am a Del Sol fan.Congrtatulations to Liberty for your victory.You totally outplayed Del Sol and you deserve the win.Good Luck to your team for the rest of the season. Is there anyone out there Liberty side or Del Sol side who can help me understand the thinking and the logic of trying to pull off a fake punt from the 11 yard line late in the 4th quarter?Not to mention putting the control of that fake punt in the hands of a sophomore.Can someone please help me understand this? Anyone(Del Sol Coach,Liberty Coach, Del Sol Player, Liberty Player, DS fan, Liberty fan, any parent,friend,student,any media member, . . . .anyone)? I need some help with this one. I appreciate anyone who can shed some light on this matter for me.
great job Liberty High School and great job to Del Sol High School! LIBERTYFAN- surely there could've been so many other names to put on blast! why did you choose to pick on a particular family?! FYI...there are so many LIBERTYMAMA'S to choose from; funny how you seem to narrow all them LIBERTYMAMA'S to a particular family. May be you should save the DRAMA for YOUR MAMA libertyfan infact bask in the WINS and the SUCCESS that our liberty patriots have come a long way to accomplish, and instead of directing your accusations to a family direct it to the actual username.
Great Job to both teams! The first half of the game was truly something but the second half...WOW, DEFENSE you boys truly did your JOBS! Coaches of Liberty you've truly made a great impact on your players...kids truly get to shine because of what you all strive to do for those kids! Way to get the job done and way to make those critics talk (good and bad) in the long run Liberty players and Coaches you all will pull thru!
LIBERTYFAN-honestly i didn't see toalei as the person who made the comment of IFHS I as well as other's who've read the following comments see that it says MAMALIBERTY, don't know where you suddenly have to bring up some FAMILY name...truly accusations such as that can't get any more immature. Come correct and please leave your DRAMA and FALSE accusations where it belongs...at YOUR HOME!
Cause if you're a true LIBERTY FAN...you'd know that FANS such as US don't cause DRAMA! GOOOOOO LIBERTY PATRIOTSSSS!
Yo good job boys way to fight hard and beat da #3 team in da state...yo and why we putting names out there...if you not sure whos who than don't throw names out there...no need any more drama...the team is winning so everybody should be happy...i'm just saying....
libertyfan... FYI.... I am NOT Liberty Mama....I'm so disappointed to think someone would think I would do something so childish... I do not post comments, but i will defend myself on this one... please don't put someone on blast if you aren't 100% sure of what you are talking about....I have never been so insulted in my life... WOW what a trip.... I am not sure who you are, I don't really need to know, you obviously know who we are and maybe you should think before putting my families good name on blast.... so since I was forced to leave a comment, GOOD JOB PATRIOTS!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS!!!!
IIIIIIIIT'S ON BABY...OOH..AAH! Cheeyoooh-Hooooo! Malo Liberty! Without our mistakes it was going to be worse for the Dragz. We all knew it and they knew it! Congratulations to Reed. You did what only one other RB could do this year...run over 100 yards on our Defense. But like the other 100+ yard RB, you got it on a broken Defensive plays. Had our player run his assignment, you'd be cut short like everybody else. This Liberty "D" train is coming! Next stop...Coronado!!!
Good job patriots!
P.s. Toalei's stops writing IFHS. it's immature and makes us look childish. It's all said and done
Liberty played an incredible game against Del Sol. This game was all about defense and Liberty dominated. I'm so proud of our young men. It was one of the more exciting and gut-wrenching games. Props to both teams for a great Friday Night Lights entertainment. Go Patriots!
P.S. - IFHS
If feels good to crack Del Sol's egg. I believed all along. Not enough coverage in the papers on Defense. The Patriots Defense is not recognized enough for the damage they do! A lot of Dragons getting bucked. Great game Liberty!
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