5 reasons why Liberty will challenge Gorman in state championship game

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015 | 2 a.m.

This is why they play the games.

Sure, on paper, the Liberty High football team appears to be a significant underdog Saturday in the Division-I state championship game against powerhouse Bishop Gorman.

Gorman enters on a 27-game winning streak and hasn’t lost to a Nevada opponent since 2008. And, of course, Gorman is the six-time defending state champions and ranked No. 1 nationally by USA Today. They are the reigning mythical national champions, too.

But maybe Liberty isn’t that far behind. Yes, the same Liberty squad who lost 50-0 to Gorman in last season’s state semifinals, could end the best football dynasty in state history.

Here are five reasons why:

1. Liberty has experienced players: Last season, Liberty started a freshman quarterback against Gorman, and the Patriots weren’t able to move the football. This season, Kenyon Oblad is much improved, passing for nearly 300 yards and five touchdowns in the state semifinals last week. If the 6-foot-3 Oblad, who has scholarship offers from BYU and Colorado State, and has arguably been the best quarterback in Las Vegas this season, is able to complete passes in the short passing game, Liberty might not be an easy out. Plus, four-year varsity player Bryan Roland missed last season’s game with injury and could impact the game Saturday on both sides of the ball. Liberty has at least a dozen players with more than two years of varsity experience, including most of its skilled-position players. They’ve traveled to play out-of-state opponents and know what to expect against Gorman. “You can’t undervalue the experience in a big game,” Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. “They know how to mentally prepare. Anytime you play in a big game, you learn something about yourself. In each of the last few years, we’ve lost to Gorman and learned something about ourselves.”

2. Liberty offense confusing to defend: On one offensive series, Liberty uses its big and physical offensive line to dominate in the power running game. Tailbacks such as Stephon Stowers and Calvin Tubbs have thrived with the ball in their hands. But in the next series, Oblad is throwing short passes to Ethan Dedeaux and Darion Acohido, and the Patriots are again quickly scoring. Sometimes, they switch between power running and the spread on a play-by-play basis. And it seems to work because they are averaging more than 50 points per game. “I think it is real difficult (to prepare for),” Muraco said. “(The opposition) has to pay attention to what personnel group is running on and off the field. It’s two different styles of defense they have to be ready to play.”

3. Liberty has confidence: Unlike most in-state teams who play Gorman, Liberty players are confident they can compete. Part of the confidence comes from a preseason scrimmage where the first-team Liberty offense scored against the first-team Gorman defense. Sure, it was just a scrimmage, and it was contested in August. But Liberty gained the confidence they can play with Gorman, because they briefly already did.

4. Liberty has Ethan: One player doesn’t make or break a football team with 22 starters. But Dedeaux, a wide receiver and defensive back, is every bit as good as the athletes — Tate Martell, Tyjon Lindsey, Alex Perry, Biaggio Ali-Walsh and others — at Gorman. If Dedeaux can shut down Lindsey, Martell’s favorite target, in pass coverage, that makes the Liberty upset bid more obtainable. Dedeaux has five interceptions on defense, and has caught 30 passes for 695 yards and eight touchdowns on offense. Perry and safety Bubba Bolden will challenge Dedeaux all game when Liberty has the ball, and that will be a fun battle to watch. It’s three players who have competed against each other for years, are friends off the field and will eventually represent our city in college.

5. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut: Eventually, Gorman will lose to a Nevada opponent. Maybe it won’t be this season, or in the next five. But of its seven straight appearances in state championship games, this is easily the biggest challenge. Liberty can play and they aren’t afraid. For Gorman, the matchup is similar to those against out-of-state opponents — the Gaels will be challenged. While my prediction is 41-17 in favor of Gorman, this score will be close at halftime. Gorman will be tested before pulling away late.

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