This Liberty football team does a remarkable job of shutting everything out and focusing on each game as it arrives.

That includes its 11-0 record, #14 national ranking by MaxPreps and its place in history of West Valley and Arizona high school football.

Worrying about that type of stuff is more for us media people anyway. A month ago Chilly asked me during #Chillys2pc if this Liberty team is the best to ever come out of the West Valley - at least in the MaxPreps era, which started in 2004.

I said on the #WhatupWestside the Lions had to stick the landing on an undefeated season and then the answer was unquestionably a yes.

We're at the intersection heading into Liberty's Open Division semifinal Saturday against defending Open state champion Saguaro. This week and next are where focusing on the now allows teams to write their history.

Time for a history lesson. I started covering Northwest Valley football for West Valley Preps in 2008.

So at this point I'll shout out the dominant 2005 Cactus 4A-I state champions, which finished 14-0 and outscored opponents 554-79, This team edges out last year's Open Division Cobras as the best in Cactus school history, the first of two state champs in Larry Fetkenier's legendary coaching career.

MaxPreps ranked that Cactus team just ahead of Hamilton for the #1 spot in Arizona. While 4A-I was not the toughest division, Fetkenhier's Cobras gave Ron Estabrook's last great Chaparral team its only two losses.

But I only can read this team's stats so I can't really rate this team compared to one I saw in person.

So the three teams I'm comparing to this Liberty squad are three of the five Centennial teams I witnessed lift the trophy - the 2008, 2015 and 2018 Coyotes.

At first glance the easy answer is Centennial's 2015 Super Division champion. The Coyotes won that elite Division with 17 of the state's best programs - and in case there were any doubts knocked off Division II champion Saguaro in the second week of that season.

That Centennial team played a schedule as loaded as this Liberty team's. The path to the title was wins over Basha, Hamilton, Mountain Pointe and a Desert Ridge team that had just upset Chandler.

But that Centennial team also went 12-2 (11-3 on the field before an ineligble player canceled out Long Beach Poly's season opening win). Hamilton beat Centennial in the regular season and a much different Liberty team upset the Coyotes to end the regular season.

The 2008 and 2018 Coyotes remind me the most of this Liberty team - speed across the board, talented players at every position but not a bunch of Power FIve recruits, and relentless with a focused, consistent effort every week.

The 2008 Coyotes knocked off Hamilton 35-16, while the 2018 team beat Bishop Gorman 13-7 on Centennial's turf.

But that 2018 squad lost a GEICO Bowl game to Washington powerhouse Eastside Catholic.

And the 2008 team did not have much competition outside Hamilton, Desert Vista and Westview - its rival at the time. So I'll give the 2015 Coyotes the crown for best West Valley team ever, for now.

If Liberty wins the next two weeks to complete a 13-0 Open Division championship season there is no debate.

The program is new to this. The Lions' only other undefeated team through 11 games was its first with seniors, the 2009 team that played in 4A-II.

Colin Thomas' last two Open Division teams finished 6-4 (in 2020) and 9-3 (in 2021) while nearly knocking off Chandler in a semifinal.

This time around they're not the underdog. They beat Saguaro and Basha in back-to-back weeks on the road.

And if this team, led by My'Keil Gardner, Navi Bruzon, Layton Vining, Anthony Ruiz and Prince Zombo and about 20 other kids who have played their best, lands the plane, then the argument is over.

They'll have beaten Saguaro led by Devon Dampier and Jaedon Matthews again.

Then in the Open Division final they have to finally beat Chandler, led by super juniors Dylan Raiola and Ca'lil Valentine (if healthy). Or a Basha team seeking revenge that beat Chandler twice this year and is led by top talent like Desmond WIlliams and Cole Martin.

It won't be easy. Arizona has never had four semifinalists for one title ranked this high nationally.

However, in this year of determination as well as remembernce of Zach Hunzinger, nothing we've seen from Liberty suggests that this team will not band together and win.