Exactly 22 months and 1 day after Mountain Ridge stormed into Liberty high school and stole away a victory from the Lions on their own homecoming night, Liberty entered Friday night’s contest with one thing on their mind, home.
Home is a word that is used often in the daily lives of individuals all around the world. It is spelt and pronounced differently depending on the language and context that the word is used. Entering game week in North Peoria the word home was said to remind the team what was important to them.
Senior Jordon Guevara reiterated that importance after the game saying, "The coaches all week told us, this is our home. Protect what is ours.”
Home was the packed crowd of the student section dubbed “the Uproar” waving red rally towels before and during the game.
Home was the fans that had to be sent to the visitors side because there was no room to sit in the stands nor to stand along the fence on the home side as the number of people grew by the minute.
Liberty quickly jumped to a 14-0 lead as its offense capitalized on multiple Mountain Lion mistakes, including a fumble by quarterback Brendan Anderson and a punt in the first six minutes of the game.
But by the 7:03 mark in the 2nd quarter, the Lions were reeling as the Mountain Lions had cut the Liberty lead to 14-13 after Anderson connected with wide receiver Ryland Sands and athlete Rahim Bagley for two touchdown passes.
With all the momentum in the game on their side, it felt as if the night was shaping up to be a carbon copy of the victory from two seasons ago. The fumble on the game’s first possession, the one play touchdown series for Liberty, it was as if history was repeating itself once again.
But this Liberty team is not the same team that it was then. Only five players on the Lion roster were dressed on that October night two seasons ago, including Guevara. This Liberty team saw its home being invaded and proceeded to begin the rout on the Mountain Lions.
Liberty scored 39 straight points in less than ten minutes of game time to go up 53-13, and even then they would pour it on some more.
After both sides swapped scores for two possessions the Lions would score one final touchdown in the final minute to close the game out 74-27, mercifully ending the rivalry matchup that was more of a domination than a battle.
Top 5 performers
Liberty 2023 Quarterback Dominic Ochoa
Ochoa was 16/25 passing with 365 total yards and five passing touchdowns, yet the stats don’t show his best ability which is his intelligence on the field. Ochoa could read the Mountain Lions secondary like a book. He took the time to read the defense and not force a pass into coverage. On the chance the Mountain Lions defense had stopped the passing attack for the Lions, Ochoa used his sneaky athleticism to pull the ball down and run for a first down. His arm talent was on display all night long as he showed the ability to make different throws whether it be a check down to a running back four yards down field or a 55 yard pass to a streaking receiver, he was able to put the ball in the proper spot all game long and will be a big key to the Lions success this season.
Liberty 2022 Wide Receiver Jordon Guevara
Whether it was rushing or receiving, Guevara was one of the best skill players on the field Friday night. Guevara finished with 259 total yards and two touchdowns. Right away in the second half Guevara stepped up and helped push the game out of reach for the Lions. The senior caught both of his touchdowns in the first three possessions of the third quarter and got behind the Mountain Lion secondary multiple times. His speed allows him to create separation immediately off the line. If a safety or a corner isn’t dropping back enough to get even with him, he’ll score every single time.
Liberty 2024 Athlete Jaqua Anderson
Anderson’s impact on the game was felt from the first moment he touched the football. Coach Thomas used Anderson as a change-of-pace running back with his speed and athleticism to bring a different style to the Lions offense, compared to starting running back Zach Wallace’s power running role. Anderson finished with 158 total yards on the night, 90 of those yards coming on a sweep late in the 4th quarter. That play showed both his speed and agility as he used a juke move to break past the second level and his speed to make sure he wasn’t caught from behind. Anderson has the potential to be a home run player in the Lions offense and will be a player teams have to plan around.
Liberty 2023 Defensive End My’keil Gardner
The Lions' defensive line bullied the Mountain Lions' offensive line all game long. The player who was the anchor of that attacking line was junior Defensive End My’Keil Gardner. Gardner, in the offseason, received his first two Division 1 offers from Northern Arizona and the University of Arizona, and after the way he played on Friday night he deserves more attention. Gardner had seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, but his impact was felt on every play he was on the field. His ability to break through the line and draw multiple linemen to block him opened up the rest of the Lions line to attack the Mountain Lion offense. Gardner has the potential to be a 4 star at the least with his effort and energy on the field alone.
Mountain Ridge 2023 Quarterback Brendan Anderson
On the night Mountain Ridge did not have many bright spots, but the one person who did shine the most for the Mountain Lions in the loss was Brendan Anderson.
Anderson, when he had time in the pocket, was able to let plays develop and drive down the field. He went 18/36 passing with 236 yards passing and four touchdowns. Anderson will be near the top of 6A in passing this season if his offense holds up around him. The Mountain Lions success will rely on Anderson and his ability to run the offense efficiently.
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