Liberty continues to roll, powered by stifling defense

By Jesse Granger

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015 | 1 a.m.

This week the Liberty Patriots broke into the Top 10 in USA Today’s regional rankings, but it hasn’t changed their mindset.

Friday night the Patriots got off the team bus like they always do. They walked into a hostile stadium full of fans screaming at them, like they always do. Then, they performed the intimidating pregame ritual — the Haka dance — like they always do.

Then the Patriots proceeded to maul their Southern Nevada opponent, like they always do.

Liberty’s 44-6 route of rival Silverado on Friday night continues a stretch when the Patriots have outscored their Nevada opponents 277-62.

A towering defensive line anchored by senior Alofania Tevaseu was the definition of dominant from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

Silverado, which entered the game averaging 24 points per game, ran the ball 22 times for a grand total of minus-25 yards.

Of the 22 rushing attempts, only eight of them crossed the line of scrimmage.

“A lot of it is because of depth and we are able to rotate a lot of defensive linemen in there, and we are able to bring a lot of pressure,” Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. “They did a great job tonight.”

Silverado starting running back Keikiokalani Misipeka was visibly frustrated as he was bombarded with tacklers, sometimes before he could even get a full grip on the handoff.

He finished the game with seven carries for negative eight rushing yards.

“Our defensive line stepped up our game and started punishing their offensive line,” Tevaseu said. “We are just a bunch of sharks. In my head I’m just thinking to get after them.”

Perhaps the only thing more intimidating than the Haka dance was Tevaseu himself. After breaking his hand just two weeks ago, the senior defensive tackle wielded a red cast on his right arm as he tore through the offensive line again and again.

“For him to play like he did was amazing,” Muraco said. “He rushed to the doctor to get the cast on today and get cleared. He wasn’t able to practice all week but he played great tonight.”

Tevaseu sacked the quarterback once, but overall the Patriots defense got to the passer seven times, and pressured them on nearly every pass attempt.

“If you don’t have but one and a half seconds, and you are so worried that you’re going to be hit every time you throw the ball it’s a huge advantage to the defense, so my hat is off to them,” Muraco said.

The defense forced two turnovers and a pair of safeties to carry the offense, which struggled early on.

“I wouldn’t say we came out flat or anything, but we were just missing things ever so slightly,” Muraco said. “An overthrown pass here, a receiver goes a little slow out of his break there. We felt like everything was there, and it was just a matter of time until we started completing those.”

Sophomore quarterback Kenyon Oblad had a rough start, with a stretch in the first half when he threw eight consecutive incompletions and an interception.

But with eight seconds left in the first half, Oblad found Bryan Roland for a 34-yard touchdown to put Liberty up 18-6.

“For Brian to go up and get that ball that was underthrown and make a great play on it, that was really big momentum for us going into half,” Muraco said.

“I think that was what got us boosted,” Tevaseu said. “We came out of the locker room all excited, and made the adjustments we needed to finish them off.”

Oblad finished the night 9-of-23 for 244 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Ten different Patriots rushers got carries and amassed a respectable 146 yards on the ground.

Ethan Dedeaux caught two passes for 84 yards on offense, but more impressive was his play at cornerback.

At only 5-foot-8, 160 pounds, Dedeaux was dwarfed by 6-foot-3, 193-pound Silverado receiver Devion Clayton, who he was regularly matched up with.

“Ethan is one of the best athletes in the state and he can jump,” Muraco said. “And if he can’t out jump the guy, he knows how to knock the ball away.”

Dedeaux held Clayton in check for most of the night and came away with a key interception on the 1-yard line in the first half.

Liberty out-gained Silverado 390-90 and left a likely playoff-bound Skyhawks team looking helpless.

The Patriots get a bye week before they host Las Vegas High in the season finale on Nov. 6.

Jesse Granger can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Jesse on Twitter at twitter.com/JesseGranger_.