Liberty will battle more than McQueen in trip to Reno

By Case Keefer (contact)

Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010 | midnight

The first thing Liberty coach Rich Muraco did when he reached the practice field Wednesday evening was distribute hand warmers to some of his players.

For Liberty, there’s more to preach this week than assignments, discipline and ball control. The coaching staff also must prepare their team for how to deal with cold weather leading up to the 1 p.m. Saturday kickoff in Reno against McQueen in the state semifinals.

“The other day it was windy and cold, and a couple of the kids started whining,” Muraco said. “I stopped practice and brought all of them together and started yelling at them. I said, ‘If this is cold, wait until Saturday.’ I don’t know what else to say to the kids.”

The Reno forecast calls for weather in the 30s with a 30 percent chance of snow. It’s quite a change from when the Las Vegas high school football season started in August and temperatures sometimes eclipsed the 100-degrees mark.

Teddy Efthemeou, a senior linebacker and Liberty’s leading tackler, speaks for the majority of the Patriots when he says it will be the coldest game he’s ever played in. He barely remembers the last time he had to battle frigid weather in a game.

“It was probably when I was little,” Efthemeou said.

Between the weather and the nine-hour bus ride, the Las Vegas team always has more obstacles to overcome in the annual playoff game in Reno. Many teams have struggled over the years in the matchup.

Most recently, Palo Verde lost the 2008 state championship 7-6 to McQueen in Reno. To their credit, none of the Patriots are even acknowledging the elements as a factor.

“I think you can overcome it with your brain,” said senior linebacker/defensive end Spencer Hill-Hale. “You’ve got to think it’s not even cold and be a man about it.”

Even if Liberty can battle through the possible snow, its facing a stiff test against traditional power McQueen.

Like Liberty, McQueen is 11-1 on the season and got there by overpowering their opponents. They primarily run the ball with senior Nick Shepard, who has nearly 1,500 yards and is averaging seven yards per carry.

“They are like a mirror image of us,” Muraco said. “It’s like we’re playing against us up there. They run the ball 90 percent of the time and are extremely physical up front.”

Look for a battle at the line of scrimmage as the Patriots have moved the ball all season behind dominating performances from their massive offense line — which features PJ Taeao, Senituli Fakohu and Daniel Filimona.

McQueen likes to do the same.

“The tougher team is going to win,” said junior safety/wide receiver Jeremy Lagasca.

Muraco can’t imagine a team tougher than his. All year, Muraco has put the Patriots through tests simply to improve their mental toughness.

They ran an extended amount at the beginning and end of every practice, went through intense workouts all summer and dealt with a coaching staff that isn’t shy when it comes to yelling and demanding maximum effort.

“They’ve kept pushing us,” Hill-Hale said. “Through all that hard work, none of us are just going to give up because of the travel or because it’s cold out. That’s not going to be a factor.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.