Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Liberty football closes strong in Reno; one win away from state title

Las Vegas Sun's HSFB Media Day Team Portraits

Christopher DeVargas

Members of the Liberty High School football team are pictured during the Las Vegas Sun’s high school football media day at the Red Rock Resort on July 24, 2019. They include, from left, Maurice Hampton, Toa Tai and Alofaletauia Maluia

Prep Sports Now

Liberty & Logic

Ray Brewer and Case Keefer perform a post-mortem on Liberty’s historic region championship game win over Bishop Gorman before breaking down the remaining four teams left vying for the state championship.

The Liberty High football team didn’t play like the favorites to win the state championship in the first half of Saturday’s state semifinals at Reno’s Bishop Manogue.

“I felt like we were kind of sluggish in the first half,” Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. “We were a step slow in reacting to things.”

The second half was a different story.

The Patriots erased a 10-point second half deficit on the road in Northern Nevada, flexing their muscles with a bruising ground attack and closing the game with 28 unanswered points in a 42-24 victory. The Patriots advance to face Centennial next Saturday for the class 4A state title.

“We yelled a little bit at the kids during halftime. They came out and played a lot better in the second half,” Muraco said.

Liberty carried the ball 41 times for 328 yards, including 14 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown from junior Zyrus Fiaseu. Last week, Fiaseu had the game-winning touchdown in Liberty’s overtime upset of Bishop Gorman, a result that made the Patriots the instant favorites to win state.

It just didn’t appear that way early on Saturday, which Muraco said was a testament to the quality of Bishop Manogue. Bishop Manogue controlled the clock and limited Liberty to just three first-half possessiona.

In the second half, it was Liberty that controlled the pace, including Ezra Tomhoon rushing 13 times for 131 yards and a touchdown. Daniel Britt only attempted eight passes, but four of the attempts went for touchdowns, including two to Germie Bernard.

Liberty, which opened in 2003, will be playing for its first state championship. They’ve been in this spot twice before, falling both times to Gorman as the Nevada power won 10 straight titles.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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