Liberty Hill Sports 11-15-18

SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, November 15, 2018 Section B Page 1

PANTHERS IN THE PLAYOFFS LHHS eyes best football title opportunity since mid-2000s

By KEITH SPARKS Sports Editor Every year, teams that are supposed to go deep in the playoffs make surprising exits much earlier than expected, and every year, there are teams that surprise people on the other end of the spectrum, creating Cinderella stories by beating teams nobody thought they could beat.

What’s the difference between those teams?

“Kids that aren’t tired of playing,” Liberty Hill Head Coach Jeff Walker said. “That’s num-

ber one. Sometimes, this time of year, like today wasn’t much fun outside. It was something like 30 degrees and the wind is blowing 100 miles an hour. It’s real easy to be satisfied. ‘We made it to the playoffs. If we go out, at least we made the playoffs. We got our playoff shirt.’ Some want to go play basketball. They’d rather be in the gym, especially when the weather’s like it is right now. You have some kids whose first sport is basketball and they’re out there not having fun, because it’s cold and

nasty. Then you have some where it’s just been a long season. It’s been since Aug. 6 and they’re just ready to go do something else, so they don’t bring the energy or the effort to the game, and if you do that with people like Bay City, you turn your stuff in. You’ll regret it down the road, but at the time, it’s the easiest way.”

As the community has witnessed firsthand, however, that’s not the Panther way.

Starting senior running back

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ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

RACHEL VIATOR GRAPHIC

The road to the playoffs

Panthers enjoy season of highlights, challenges

By KEITH SPARKS Sports Editor The Panthers dealt with a variety of challenges through the regular season, including bigger schools, high-powered passing attacks, a two-week stretch between games, rivalries and tense district opponents.

But each week Liberty Hill found a way, outscoring opponents by nearly 200 points, and losing only once – by a point in overtime – without changing what the Panthers are all about, averaging a 39-point margin of victory over eight wins.

vs. Leander Glenn (W) 49-21 The Panthers’ first football game of the season was a bit of a question mark, considering it was Leander Glenn’s first “official” varsity football team as part of a district. Although they’re a 5A school, the class of 2019 is Glenn’s first senior class, giving Liberty Hill a huge advantage when it comes to experience.

Since then, Glenn has proven to be a legitimate opponent, winning their district at the 5A level and going 6-2 since the loss to the Panthers. Per usual, the Panthers wore the Grizzlies down with their Slot-T offense, and the Grizzlies’ lack

of experience put them at a huge disadvantage.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, they lost starting fullback, Jakob Schofield, for the entire season after he tore his ACL during the matchup with the Grizzlies. @ Hutto (L) 52-51 (OT) Just two games into the season, Liberty Hill faced arguably their most daunting opponent in years. The high-octane Hutto Hippos, led by UCLA-commit Chase Griffin, were a heavy favorite in the game, and for good reason.

See HIGHLIGHTS, Page B4

Running back Trey Seward (#20) gets airborne while finding a crease in the Canyon Lake defense. The Panthers’ win over Canyon Lake sealed their undefeated district championship, giving them a 5-0 record in district and 8-1 record, overall.

Liberty Hill faces ‘dangerous’ Bay City in first round

By KEITH SPARKS Sports Editor The entire objective of the playoff seeding system is to give those teams with the oneseed an earned advantage, allowing them the opportunity to play the fourth-place team in another district.

According to Head Coach Jeff Walker, however, the Panthers got the short end of the stick for their first-round matchup with Bay City.

“Very, very, very dangerous offensively,” Walker said of Bay City. “Probably as dangerous as we’ve seen all year.

Quarterback scrambles really well and can eat up yards fast.

He’s the real deal. He doesn’t probably throw it as well as the Hutto kid, but he runs way

better.”

Bay City’s senior quarterback, Dylan Davidson (#2), is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback whose athleticism could give the Panthers nightmares. According to Walker, he’s capable of scrambling for 20-plus yards at any given moment.

“The scariest thing about them, by far, is their quarterback on the scramble,” Walker said. “He ran for 161 yards against El Campo, and I bet 120 of them were him scrambling. Any time you get him where he has to scramble, he goes. It’s scary. It can be third and 17 and he can go for 25 in a hurry. He’s done it all year.

Every team we’ve seen them play, he’s done that multiple

times. You think, ‘How are they letting him out of the pocket?’ He just finds a crease and goes.”

While Davidson will be priority number one for the Panther defense, he isn’t the only weapon on the Blackcats’ offense. Walker said junior running back RJ Mitchell (#22) is one of the best the Panthers have seen all season, and senior wide receiver James Carter (#9) is capable of catching a 50-plus-yard bomb and taking it to the house.

“Great running back that could be the best one we’ve seen, too,” Walker said. “He’s a big kid, and they have a good receiver, so they like to

See BAY CITY, Page B3

Ability to adjust helps Panthers succeed

Hart recognized for service to Liberty Hill athletics

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Dr. Rob Hart (center), whose retirement becomes official on Dec. 31, was presented with a signed football in recognition of his efforts to improve not only the Panther football facilities, but athletics as a whole at Liberty Hill. From left, Hart was joined by former head football coach and athletic director Jerry Vance, LHISD Board President Clay Cole, former trustee Anthony Stephens, Hart’s wife, Penny, and daughter, Shelby Hart Dudgeon.

By LANCE CATCHINGS Sports Writer After surprising many teams around the state last season by advancing to the state quarterfinals, Liberty Hill Head Coach Jeff Walker, his staff and players knew teams would mark them on the calendar this season.

What the Panthers did not know was that the starting 22 they marched on the field on Aug. 31 against Leander Glenn would hardly be the same team that will take on Bay City Friday night in the bi-district playoff round. Injuries have plagued the Panthers all season, forcing them to use eight different combinations in the backfield through nine games.

“I did not really think this is the exact team we would have headed into the playoffs, because of our injury issue,” Walker said. “Every time we

turn around, someone is hurt and can’t play. At one time, we had seven different backfields play in seven different games.

We moved a center to fullback and then a guard to fullback.

We have a center that is hurt now and will have to move our fullback back to center. It has been one of those years that has been crazy for us. I was not expecting all the injuries that we have had this season.”

At the 4A level, a few injuries to vital players can quickly turn a team’s season upside down, but not at Liberty Hill.

Walker and his staff maintain the same high expectations, no matter who is in the game or out of it.

“Other than the injuries, we are where we thought we would be,” Walker said. “Our expectations are always to be undefeated and win a State

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, November 15, 2018

LHHS opens season with Boren’s 700th win

By KEITH SPARKS Sports Editor In their first game of the regular season on Tuesday night, the Panthers had more than their own pride to play for.

Head Coach Barry Boren sat at 699 wins prior to the final buzzer, and the Panthers made sure he got to 700 with a 61-55 win over Hutto.

Boren made it clear, however, that Tuesday night wasn’t about his 700th win. After losing to Hutto in fall league by a big margin, Boren wanted to see his team protect home court on Tuesday.

“Like I told them before, we weren’t playing tonight for my 700th win,” Boren said.

“That’s not the focus. I told them what we’re doing is trying to protect our house this evening. People come in here, and you guys saw the swagger when they beat us in fall league, you saw that, you experienced that, you listened to it, you watched it. It felt like from the tip, we did that.”

In fall league, the Panthers lost to Hutto by 35 points, so Boren was concerned headed into Tuesday’s game, but they used that fall league game to their advantage, practicing against Hutto’s defensive sets and learning how to beat them.

The Panthers struggled against Hutto’s double teams in fall league, but last night, they tore it apart with smart passing.

“They double-teamed us, and we hadn’t worked on it, yet, because it was early,” Boren said of their blowout loss in fall league. “You saw it tonight. They double-teamed us and we panicked some, but we were in better places. Today, we did a walkthrough and set the floor up just like it was set up tonight, and we ran people at the ball and said, ‘Ok, here’s

what you’ve got every time.

Down the line, middle, opposite, behind the ball. If we can get it to the middle, it will just fall downhill. The times that we got it to the middle, executed, and didn’t panic, we got layups out of it.”

Liberty Hill got out to a big lead quickly on back-to-back threes from point guard Carson Perkins and shooting guard Parker McCurdy. Those two shot lights-out all night, being selective with their jump shots and finishing with efficient shooting splits.

The combination of hot outside shooting and steals in the press was too much for Hutto to handle in the first quarter as the Panthers got out to a 23-10 lead headed into the second.

The Panthers’ shooting cooled off a bit in the second quarter, and Hutto was able to get some easy buckets in the paint. The Panthers got a few of their own easy buckets, though, with full-court pressure and steals that led to layups, taking a 3630 lead into halftime.

Both teams struggled to get anything going offensively in the third quarter as fatigue seemed to set in, but every time Hutto made a run, Liberty Hill stifled the Hippos with a timely steal. At the end of the third, the Panthers held a 4739 lead.

The Panthers began to run away with in the fourth, forcing turnover after turnover in the press and getting to the free throw line. The Panthers struggled from the free throw line a bit, but made enough to maintain the lead, winning by a final score of 61-55.

McCurdy finished the game with 15 points, and Perkins and Jareck Naylor each finished with 14 points. Boren admitted the Panthers were

ALEX RUBIO PHOTOS

Liberty Hill Head Coach Barry Boren celebrates his 700th win as a head coach with the Runnin’ Panther basketball team and Blake Boren, his son and assistant coach. Boren’s 700th win came by way of a 61-55 win over Hutto at home on Tuesday. sloppy at times, but leaned on their starters down the stretch.

“We had some chances where we kind of fell apart, but then we got in right spots and made some big plays,” Boren said.

“I think it’s a testament to our guys that have been there a little bit. Parker, Jareck, Cade (Cole), David (Basalla), Carson. Those are the guys whose coattails we kind of rode at the end.”

On Saturday, the Panthers will play a home game against Marble falls at 3:30 p.m., followed by an away game on Monday, Nov. 19 at St. Dominic Salvio and a home game on Tuesday against China Spring at 7:30 p.m.

(RIGHT) Senior guard Jareck Naylor (#12) rises up for a floater over a Hutto defender.

Naylor finished the Panthers’ first game of the season with 14 points in a win.

Lady Panthers open season with 5-2 record

By LANCE CATCHINGS Sports Writer The Liberty Hill girls’ basketball team has gotten off to a solid start to the 2018 season. Following a tournament at Austin Bowie, the Lady Panthers sit at 5-2 with all their games being played on the road so far.

The Lady Panthers competed at the Austin Bowie Be-YOUtiful Classic Tournament Nov. 8-10. Liberty Hill finished in third place due to point differential, despite going 4-1 through five games played.

The Lady Panthers opened the tournament Thursday with a 54-50 win over 6A Austin Akins. Point leaders were Gracie Whitten with 13 and Carissa Vickers with six.

“We had a really slow first quarter,” Head Coach Chris Lange said. “We turned the ball over 13 times in the first quarter alone that game. We were down early and climbed back into it and got the win at the end. We had contributions from a lot of our players.”

The team then won a tight 5753 game over 6A Temple and followed with a 73-14 thrashing of 5A Austin Travis.

“We have a little bit of history with Temple,” Lange said.

“We’ve played them the past couple years, and they moved up to 6A this year. We played well in the first two quarters, and in the third quarter, we built a 19-point lead and let it slip away in the fourth quarter. We had some trouble with turnovers and at times let them back in the game. We jumped all over Austin Travis Friday.

All but one person scored in that game. We had a lot of players scoring, which was a good thing for us. That win put us at 3-0, and after that, they put us in a bracket separated by point differential. Even though we were 3-0, we ended up in second place in that bracket.”

Their lone loss of the tournament was to 6A San Antonio Johnson by a score of 54-41, and Liberty Hill closed out the tourney with a 55-41 win over 6A Round Rock McNeil.

“We had a lot of players scoring, but we had a few turnovers here and there,” Lange said. “Johnson was very talented and had a couple players that could really knock down the outside shot. I thought it was a good back and forth game, and we stayed close the

whole time. We were down by almost 19 at one point and then cut back down to nine, and we had some opportunities. The effort was there from the girls, and I was proud of how they battled through that situation.

We defeated McNeil, and it was a good game. It was a competitive, fun game on both sounds.”

The team opened the season with a 62-53 win over Leander Glenn on Nov. 2, followed by a 42-17 loss to Belton, a 6A school, on Nov. 6. Lange said both games were great learning experiences for a young team trying to find the best combination of players to put on the court. Liberty Hill has zero returning starter on the roster and only four players with significant playing experience returning this season.

Point leaders for the win over Leander Glenn were Breon Robinson with 18, Whitten with 14 and Carissa Garza with 11.

“We got contributions from a lot of different people, and our scoring was spread out well,” Lange said. “We had some highs and lows after we jumped out on them early.

We gave up the lead and had to fight at the end to hang on to it. It was a good game and nice to see the girls battle back after giving up a 20-point lead.

They still found a way to win, which was nice to see.”

The Lady Panthers picked up their first loss of the season against 6A Belton, who list five girls at six-foot or taller on their roster.

“Despite the loss, we did not play horribly, but we did shoot the ball horribly,” Lange said.

“We watched film, and the number of missed wide-open shots and layups from the field really hurt us. We turned the ball over a little too much, but defensively, it wasn’t too bad. They scored 42, but I thought after the first quarter, we settled down on defense and maintained. We were not knocking down shots, and if you’re not hitting, you’re going to get beat.”

Lange said his team is finding its identity, and in the beginning of the year, it is not uncommon for that to take a little time with new players.

“We are finding our identity slowly,” he said. “We used this tournament to start a lot of different groups, because we are

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Liberty Hill Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Chris Lange instructs his team from the sideline during a home game last season. The Lady Panthers went 4-1 at a tournament at Austin Bowie High School over the weekend, bringing their overall record to 5-2 this season. still trying to find our starters.

We are learning how to play with each other. It’s tough when you only have four returners and must learn how to mix in another 10 girls with that group. It’s a challenge, and the players and coaches are doing a good job trying to figure it out.”

Lange, who prides himself and his team on defense, said he was mostly pleased with what he has seen through the

first seven games of the season.

“Defensively, we have created some turnovers, which is a good thing,” he said. “Our press still needs some work, but in the half-court defense, we did well. I felt even in the loss to Belton, the adjustments we made and how they responded to their size was big. We are playing fairly well team defense; we just have to cut down on the lapses.”

Tuesday, the Lady Panthers traveled to Killeen to take on 6A Ellison. They will then host Vista Ridge, China Spring and Lago Vista before traveling to the Jack Frost Tournament the last weekend of the month.

The remainder of November will be a grind, but the team will find out a lot about itself during this stretch.

“We have a tough game against 6A Killeen Ellison Tuesday night at their place,”

Lange said. “They have a lot of talent this year, so it will be a challenging game that we can grow from. I am very proud of how the girls are playing, and I always knew we could do it. We will hit a tough stretch here in scheduling, but it will get us ready for the district play, and that is what we are worried about more than anything else.”

By LANCE CATCHINGS Sports Writer The Liberty Hill varsity girls’ volleyball season has ended, but the team is still racking up awards for their district domination.

The Lady Panthers went 10-0 in District 27-4A en route to another district title. Liberty Hill also claimed four of the top six individual postseason awards, including Co-MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Setter of the Year and CoCoach of the Year.

Junior outside hitter Ashley Nelson was named the dis-

trict’s Co-MVP. “It was a great honor to be named MVP for the district,” Nelson said. “I have loved playing volleyball at Liberty Hill for the past five years.

That includes playing junior high and now high school.

I’ve had the opportunity to be coached by the best and had truly awesome teammates that will be friends for life. I’ve always strived to do well in a sport that I love and welcomed being coached on all aspects of the game.”

Nelson said being named MVP encourages her for her

senior volleyball season.

“This absolutely gives me motivation for next year,” she said. “I am looking forward to the challenge and working with our returning and new players. I feel confident that together we will meet this challenge. We had an upset with our finish this season, but it only drives me and my teammates to put forth all effort. We will strive to have the best finish next season.”

Junior Emily Huppee was voted Offensive Player of the Year as an outside hitter. She said when she initially found

out, she was surprised by the selection.

“When I first heard, I was a little surprised,” Huppee said.

“I worked hard for myself and for my team this season. As a team, we worked hard during every practice and workout.

Getting this award makes me want to put in extra work during offseason to be ready for next season. This has changed my mindset for my senior season to continue to work hard and push myself.”

Freshman Emma Parsons was

Volleyball earns district awards

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Bay City Continued from Page B1 throw the bomb and big-play you. They haven’t scored tons of points, which is kind of odd to me, but they have big-play potential all over the field, which as a coach keeps you awake at night.”

Unfortunately for the Panthers, the big play has been their defensive weakness all season. The Panther defense has looked nearly unstoppable at times against the run, but the Hail Mary has been an issue on more than a few occasions.

“We do not match up with them,” Walker said. “I would have rather played any other team in that district. This is just not a good matchup for us, so I’m a little concerned.”

With all that being said, why did the Blackcats finish fourth in district and barely squeak out a playoff spot? It isn’t for lack of talent, according to Walker, but they’ve simply “shot themselves in the foot.”

“People look at them and go, ‘Well, they’re 4-6, and we’re 8-1,’” Walker said. “People see their record and that they finished fourth in district, but if anybody could see the film on them, they shoot themselves in the foot. That’s the only reason they’re not 10-0. Every game I’ve watched, they’re the better team. They just fumble the ball at the wrong time, get a punt blocked at the wrong time. It’s

that time after time after time.”

As a coach, Walker said it’s unsettling to have to rely on another team making mistakes, but that may be what it comes down to with the Bay City Blackcats.

“You just hope they continue to do it,” Walker said. “I told somebody today, if they don’t continue to shoot themselves in the foot, they can win it all. They’re that talented. As a coach, it scares you, just because you’re banking on them making some mistakes, and I’ve never done that before.”

As far as adjusting from facing Canyon Lake’s run-heavy Slot-T last week to a high-octane Spread this week, Walker said it shouldn’t be an issue, considering they’ve faced the Spread all season.

“It’s not hard to adjust, because we’ve seen Spread all year,” Walker said. “We’ve seen everything they’ll do to us all year. They run a little more option and that kind of stuff on offense, but we’re probably more comfortable playing against the Spread right now, because that’s what we’ve seen more often.”

For the first time this season, the Panthers are almost 100-percent healthy, minus those they lost for the season months ago. They will, however, be without starting cen-

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ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Running back Shane Gonzalez (#44) breaks a tackle during the Panthers’ 47-0 win over Canyon Lake on Friday. Gonzalez recently returned from injury, strengthening the backfield. ter Josh Lapuszynski, who’s out with a shoulder injury but should be back next week if the Panthers stay alive. Junior Ryley Rosenbusch (#62) will take his place, who hasn’t had a whole lot of playing time this season, but Walker said should

be able to hold his own despite a lack of size.

The Panthers’ first round matchup with Bay City will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 at Buffalo Stadium in Giddings.

Liberty Hill defensive end Kory Schmidt (#22) celebrates a turnover during the Panthers’ district win over Canyon Lake. Friday’s shutout was the Panther defense’s first of the season and the first time Canyon Lake had been shut out all year, giving the defense a valuable confidence boost headed into a playoff matchup with Bay City on Friday.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Adjustments Championship every season.

The injuries are not under our control, and unfortunately, they have happened often to us this year. Otherwise, we are about where we expected.”

The defense has also evolved over the year. After giving up 52 points to 5A state-ranked Hutto in their lone loss of the season, the Panther defense has been on a tear. They have allowed 30 points only one other time this season and shut out their last district opponent, Canyon Lake.

“We knew this season we had a lot of potential on the defensive side of the football,” Walker said. “We moved a lot of kids into new positions, and sometimes it takes some games to get rolling again.

Our quarterback last year is now our linebacker. We have a wide receiver that is now a linebacker. We have a couple that were on junior varsity last year that filled in and have done good jobs. It does not surprise me where we are right now with them. We figured it would take them a little time, because we had some kids in

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spots and weren’t sure they could play. Watching them in offseason, we felt like they had the skill set and ability to play those positions. I think we are progressing like we want to.

We still need some guys in the secondary to step up, but we are happy with our effort. We shut out a Canyon Lake team that had not been shut out all year, which says a lot about our defense.”

To the untrained eye and with the high scores they’ve put up, you may think the Panther offense is without mistakes, but Walker believes there are still things to clean up entering the playoffs, which isn’t unexpected.

“Offensively, we are running about how I expected so far,” he said. “We are still making a few mistakes that we should not be making at this time of year. We always expect perfection and realize that may not always be the case. Mistakes will happen, and I make a lot of mistakes myself on Fridays.

It is unfortunate that since the first game of the year, we have not had who we thought

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Kyle Harrison has been a leader on and off the field for the Panthers this season, and he said not a single person on the team has that mindset. In fact, he gets the sense they’d all like to play 20 more games.

“I haven’t heard any talk about wanting the season to end or going to play basketball or anything,” Harrison said. “A lot of us are seniors, and we want it. We know this is our last ride and we don’t want it to end. We don’t want just six more games, we want 20 more games. It’s too short for us right now, so we want to make it last.”

For some teams, simply getting a playoff berth would be considered a success, but Walker knows that’s not how Liberty Hill operates. On the other hand, that isn’t how Bay City would like to go out, either.

“Luckily at Liberty Hill, just going 8-2 and making the playoffs is not a good season,” Walker said. “That’s a bad season, so we’ve got that going in our favor, but we are facing a team that doesn’t want to

end their season knowing that they’re a really good football team that finished 4-7.”

Defensive Coordinator Kent Walker isn’t concerned at all about his defense’s motivation at this point. In fact, he thinks they’re more energized now than they have been all season, considering what’s at stake.

“That’s the beauty about Liberty Hill,” Kent said. “This is when the real season begins.

The kids are more excited now than they were 10 weeks ago.

That’s the wonderful thing about coaching in Liberty Hill is the kids of Liberty Hill.

They have a goal, and the goal is to win the next game. I’m excited about it, and I’m excited for our kids.”

Like his running back and defensive coordinator, Head Coach Jeff Walker doesn’t think his team is ready to hang the cleats up, either, but knows the comfortability factor is something he’ll have to fight.

Last week, video of his pregame speech showed Walker using a loss to Canyon Lake in junior high as motivation for his team headed into last Fri-

our starting 11 would be play together. The guys that we have in the game are giving it all they got, and I do think we are getting better. It is just frustrating when you can’t put your top 11 out there for various reasons. Offensively, our backs are running hard and our line is doing better.”

The Panthers’ unique Slot-T is a total team offense that does not solely focus on one player, so the players’ ability to adjust from one position to the next is that much more important.

“What allows us to have success is that we have smart kids,” Walker said. “We could not do what we have done this year without kids that are extremely smart. Our offense is sophisticated. You can’t just go from fullback to center and not be a smart kid. We have said all year that one of our advantages has been having bright young men that can move into different positions.”

Hard work is the only thing that has kept the wheels turning in the right direction for the 2018 Panthers, despite

their injuries. As they prepare to take on Bay City, there are sure to be other challenges, but just like they have all season, they will evolve to handle whatever comes their way.

“We’re not as concerned with Bay City as we are with ourselves,” Walker said. “Our kids realize that we have a pretty good football team this year. They also realize that we are not good enough to get off the bus and beat anybody. We must work at it. The hardworking kids that show up everyday and give us their effort are the type of kids we have. We will have a lot of challenges moving forward, and they know it. Our seniors understand and know what’s coming. Last year, we had to go into overtime in the first round with Boerne. We understand how important every practice and every rep in practice is. It is important we give our best game on Friday night.”

Liberty Hill is set to play Bay City Friday night in Giddings.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

day’s game. As a head coach, motivating athletes and keeping them focused is a huge part of the job, and Walker seems to be a cut above the rest at it.

“As a coach, you’ve done it long enough that you do read how your kids are feeling,” Jeff said. “If they seem tired, I think smart coaches can lighten up a little bit and still get some work out of them.”

At this point in the season, Jeff Walker believes rest is a huge part of staying in the hunt for a State Championship. With that in mind, the coaching staff has shortened practices pretty significantly, confident that his team knows what they need to do.

“We’ve lightened up about the last four weeks,” Jeff Walker said. “I was already coming off the field at 6:20, and at the beginning of the year, we were going until about 7:30 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We lighten it a little bit, which sounds crazy.

Come playoff time, you think, ‘Boy, now there’s no tomorrow. You need to get every rep you can,’ but you want the kids

to be fresh. We’ve been doing it long enough, so we feel pretty comfortable with what we’ve got.”

The importance of rest should really come into play the deeper the Panthers go into the playoffs, which Harrison thinks they have their best shot at doing since he arrived on campus nearly four years ago. With the removal of Waco La Vega and China Spring from their region, the Panthers could face some favorable matchups after a tough first round.

“Not only just facing our opponents, because we don’t really look at that; we look at our team,” Harrison said. “With what we’ve got, we can have a long run if we play how we have been. The teams we’re facing are not La Vegas and China Springs, but it’s mostly our team that’s going to get us the wins.”

Considering the performances the Panthers have had as of late, Harrison’s mindset seems appropriate. On the defensive end, that confidence in themselves should only continue to

PANTHER TRUE

increase coming off of their first shutout of the season against Canyon Lake. Defensive Coordinator Kent Walker said it’s something they’ve been aiming for all season, so to accomplish it during the last regular season game should give them a boost moving forward.

“It’s good to get a shutout at any time,” Kent Walker said.

“The kids have been striving to get a shutout the entire season, so that’s the goal week-in and week-out is to not let the other team on the board. Moving into the playoffs, it’s good, and we hope to carry that momentum into the playoffs with us.”

Although the stakes have increased, Head Coach Jeff Walker said their routine won’t. Since his arrival close to two years ago, he’s preached on the importance of keeping a routine, and that hasn’t changed.

Harrison said his team’s approach won’t change, either, aside from knowing what’s now at stake.

“The only thing that chang-

es for us is knowing that if we lose, we go home,” Harrison said. “It’s a little different going in. We’ve got to be more focused and play how we can. Don’t ease up on anybody now. We’ve got six more games, only one more for sure, so that’s how we’re going to play it.”

If the Panthers are able to get out of the first round, 2018 could be their best shot at a State Championship since the mid-2000s. After playing Bay City, the Panthers will likely matchup with Gonzales, then Sealy, and one of either La Vernia, Grulla, Lampasas, Brazosport, La Feria, Beeville Jones, Needville, or Canyon Lake in the Regional Championship, all of which the Panthers would likely be favored over.

For now, however, the Panthers are taking it one week at a time with Bay City currently in their sights.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, November 15, 2018

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Whitten ready to lead new-look Panthers

By LANCE CATCHINGS Sports Writer Senior point guard Gracie Whitten is no stranger to challenges.

Last season, she ran the second unit for the Lady Panthers and played significant minutes with the first team. With Liberty Hill losing so much talent to graduation over the summer, she knew coming into her senior season she would be one of their keys to success.

“Last year, the team had played together for almost seven years and we had everything down,” Whitten said. “It was easy to step on the court, because we knew how to play with each other. This year, it is a whole new team and we are young. We must come up with new dynamics for the game to figure out how to play with each other. I think that is the hardest thing to deal with.

Learning how to work as a team is the most important thing we can do.”

Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Chris Lange has watched Whitten improve year after year and believes in her ability to help lead this team.

“I told Gracie, along with the other seniors, that she has to lead by example on the court and off the court,” Lange said. “They have to lead the young players and show them how we want things done and what’s expected of them. That

Highlights Griffin was as good as advertised, throwing for a whopping seven touchdowns and marching the Hippos down the field with consistency.

The Panthers however, would not be outdone. Hutto’s defense was no match for the Panthers’ Slot-T offense, often looking lost as Liberty Hill fooled them with ball fakes.

Running back Kyle Harrison had what may have been the best game of his career, finished with 323 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

The Panthers converted a huge-fourth down in the final minute of the game, followed by a QB sneak from Jacob Cearley and a two-point conversion from running back Shane Gonzalez that tied the game. Hutto scored a touchdown on their first possession of overtime, but so did the Panthers. Opting to go for two and the win, Liberty Hill went with a read option that fell apart quickly, ending the game with a one-point loss. Hutto currently remains undefeated at 8-0. @ Manor (W) 38-12 Physically, the Panthers were clearly outmatched against the 5A Manor Mustangs, but per usual, that didn’t matter.

It did, however, lead to the lowest-scoring game of the season for the Panthers, who had a hard time running the ball against what looked like grown men on the other side of the ball.

Nobody had more than one touchdown for the Panthers against Manor, a stark contrast from the Hutto game where Harrison scored five touchdowns on his own. This time, the wealth was spread around as five different Panthers scored a touchdown.

After leading 14-6 at halftime, the Panthers were able to find some breathing room in the second half, thanks in part to running back Shane Gonzalez’ first 100-yard rushing performance of his career.

Eventually, Liberty Hill’s rushing attack wore the Mustangs down en route to a 38-12 victory. vs. Pflugerville Connally (W) 89-34 Connally was yet another 5A team that had all the physical advantages over the Panthers, but were out-schemed and out-executed to near perfection. The Cougar defense looked like it had never seen the Slot-T offense before, and the Panthers were able to run the ball at will in what ended up being the highest-scoring game in Liberty Hill history.

Gonzalez and Harrison both ran for exactly 112 years, with Gonzalez getting into the end zone four times and Harrison getting in twice on the ground

is a tough role to fill, and she does a good job of handling that. She has run the point a long time, so she understands the role of being a point guard.”

One thing Lange admires about Whitten is that she serves as a spark for the team.

“She usually comes out firing,” he said. “In the seven games we’ve played, she has been the first bucket in four of them. It is nice to have someone come out and not be afraid to take that first shot. She leads when she is on the court and when she is on the bench. That is what we will need from our seniors this year.”

Whitten trained hard over the summer to not only improve the physical aspect of her game, but the mental side, as well. Last season, her team had a size advantage on the inside, but this season, Whitten believes they will need to play smarter to be successful, considering their lack of size relative to last season.

“We lost a lot of size to graduation, and we are getting a lot of young players to fill those shoes,” she said. “We are having to work smarter than we did last year because of the height and skill that’s gone. As seniors, we are trying to figure out the best way to go into this season, losing so many good athletes. We must walk the new girls through things, and

we are mixing in freshmen just to get new people in the right positions. It can be difficult teaching young players everything, but it is a learning experience.”

The Lady Panthers opened the season with a 62-53 win over Leander Glenn and a 4217 loss to Belton, followed by a 4-1 showing at the Be-YOUtiful Classic tournament in Austin last weekend.

“Overall, at the Bowie tournament, I thought we played really well,” Whitten said.

“We beat several big schools, and the game we lost was close to Johnson. We must keep our composure in tough games. For young girls on varsity, it can be a lot of added stress and anxiety playing on the court with older girls. I think we have a lot of room to grow, but we are playing better than I thought we would.”

Running the point guard position, Whitten is often relied on to bring the ball up the court, set the offense in motion and make the right play. It can be a lot of added pressure, but she is up to the challenge of fulfilling that role for her team.

“In certain games, I felt I could have done better,” she said. “Handling the pressure is a lot more for me this year, because I must work smarter and harder than I did last year.

It is more stressful being a leader, but I wouldn’t want it

any other way. Playing with new people for the first time is a challenge, but it is an exciting challenge. I know we have room to grow, so I am excited to see that happen for us.”

Whitten’s speed and agility make her a threat on the court at all times, but her greatest contribution may be from outside the three-point line. Last season, she lit up Burnet by going four for four from outside the arc in a key district matchup. Whitten feels like her shooting has improved, so teams should beware.

“Our shooting game will have to be a lot better this year,” she said. “I worked with my dad over the summer to get my shot better, and we tried to get all of our guards more consistent. Shooting is something that will make a large difference in whether we win or lose this year. If we shoot consistently in games, then we put ourselves in a much better position. We really need the girls on the wings, me included, to step up and do our jobs shooting well.”

Whitten and the Lady Panthers play their first home game of the season Monday against Vista Ridge. Tuesday, ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO they will host China Spring in the second game of a home Liberty Hill point guard Gracie Whitten (#4) brings the ball up back-to-back. Both games are the court during a game against Temple last season. This season, Whitten is expected to take on an even bigger leadership set for 6:30 p.m. role with the departure of some important seniors to graduation over the summer.

Continued from Page B1

and once through the air. Defensively, the Panthers were dominant throughout most of the game, as well, holding Connally to -20 rushing yards on the evening and coming up with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

The Panthers’ record-breaking performance was the perfect way for Liberty Hill to celebrate Homecoming.

@ Fredericksburg (W) 69-7 Heading into their first district matchup with Fredericksburg, the Panthers were coming off of two-straight bye weeks, something that’s almost unheard of in high school football. Unfortunately, the Panthers’ unique offense and their outright dominance makes it hard to find anybody outside of the district willing to play them.

While the bye weeks made Head Coach Jeff Walker nervous about complacency, the Panthers showed everything but. Walker called it the best performance he’s seen from his defense since he arrived at Liberty Hill, holding the Billies to just one score.

Injuries in the backfield forced Liberty Hill to trot out yet another new set of running backs, but Blake Simpson proved a valuable asset with 248 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries.

Harrison, although rushing for a pedestrian (for him) 140 yards, scored four touchdowns on the evening on just 12 carries. vs. Lampasas (W) 55-27 After an explosive performance against Fredericksburg the week prior, the Liberty Hill offense put up somewhat of a dud against the Lampasas Badgers, which sounds silly considering they won by 29.

For the Panthers’ standards, though, that’s a close game.

Liberty Hill had a hard time getting anything going with the running game in the first half, outside of a 64-yard touchdown run by Harrison, forcing them to punt on two straight possessions – a rarity for the Panther offense.

Uncharacteristically, Liberty Hill’s passing game is what kept them in this one, as quarterback Jacob Cearley kept multiple drives alive with huge third- and fourth-down conversions to give Liberty Hill a 21-13 halftime lead.

If the Hutto game wasn’t Harrison’s best performance of the regular season, it was this one. Harrison finished with 319 yards and five touchdowns, most of which were in the second half. Cearley had two 40-plus-yard rushing touchdowns, as well, making it arguably the best game of his young varsity career.

@ Burnet (W) 62-26 Prior to the Panthers’ matchup with the rival Burnet Bulldogs, everybody in the state favored Liberty Hill in a blowout. Burnet had won only two games on the season against two much smaller schools, and the Panthers were regularly putting up 50-plus points per game.

To everybody’s surprise, the Bulldogs looked like the better team in the first quarter, seemingly taking a page out of Hutto’s book by throwing lots of wide-receiver screens in the flat, which gave the Panthers trouble. Despite a rough start that allowed the Bulldogs to find success with the passing game, the Panthers held a 2012 halftime lead.

Walker claimed he said little to nothing to his team during halftime, but you wouldn’t know it by watching the game.

Liberty Hill rattled off 35 unanswered at one point over the third and fourth quarters to take a 62-19 lead, highlighted by a pick-six from cornerback Matthew Montes, before giving up a late touchdown after the game had been all but decided. @ Taylor (W) 77-12 Following two of what Walker would consider disappointing performances against Burnet and Lampasas, the Panthers entered their matchup with the Taylor Ducks looking to find momentum. The game was chippy from the get-go, as the Ducks were flagged for multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for being too physical after the whistle.

Taylor took advantage of two Panther turnovers and some questionable officiating in the first half that erased what would have been back-to-back touchdowns for the Panthers.

A first quarter interception by the Ducks and a big return gave allowed them to keep it close, as Liberty Hill led just 14-12 at the end of the first.

The second half was all Liberty Hill, as the Duck defense began to wear down, giving the Panthers a 35-12 halftime lead thanks in large part to two big touchdown runs from newly-appointed fullback Kristian Taggart. Highlighted by a 99-plus-yard touchdown

by Harrison after a Duck punt was downed just inches from the opposing end zone, the second half was all Liberty Hill, as well, as they kept the Ducks from scoring even once in the final three quarters.

This was running back Shane Gonzalez’ first game back from injury, and he proved to be a huge addition to the Panther backfield, finishing with a team-high three touchdowns and 162 rushing yards on 18 carries, splitting the work with Harrison, who finished with

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Brady Brewer (#2) celebrates a forced turnover by dunking the football between his legs into a Panther-branded trash can, putting his own unique spin on a tradition that Defensive Coordinator Kent Walker brought with him to Liberty Hill. one touchdown and 230 yards championship already sealed, dominance for the Panthers, on 18 carries.

Liberty Hill had nothing to who scored 20 in the second gain from the win, and Walker quarter and 20 in the fourth vs. Canyon Lake (W) 47-0 was afraid that shutting down while rarely allowing even a Prior to the start of the 2018 Canyon Lake’s version of the first down for the Hawks.

Harrison finished with 186 season, Canyon Lake was Slot-T would show the rest of widely viewed as the only the state how to shut down his rushing yards and four touchteam that might challenge Lib- own. Regardless, the Panther downs, Gonzalez finished erty Hill for the district cham- defense dominated the entire with 100 rushing yards, Trey pionship, but that soon faded game, shutting out the Hawks’ Seward finished with 78 rushas Canyon Lake lost back-to- offense completely for their ing yards and one touchdown, and Taggart finished with 60 back district games against first shutout of the season.

The first quarter was what rushing yards and two touchFredericksburg and Lampasas, both of which the Panthers most expected, as both teams downs. Drake Oberpriller had beat with relative ease. took time off the clock with a team-high 11 tackles, folThe Hawks are one of the long, drawn out, run-heavy lowed by Austin Knox, Cory few teams in addition to the possessions, and the Panthers Jellison, and Trey Riley with Panthers that run the run- scored the only touchdown of 10 each as the defense forced heavy Slot-T offense, which the quarter to take a 7-0 lead two fumbles and an intercepwalked said he “hated” play- at the end of the first quarter. tion by Brady Brewer. ing against. With the district The rest of the game was utter

Thursday, November 15, 2018

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Page B5

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Page B6

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, November 15, 2018

LIBERTY HILL INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL NEWS

Red Ribbon Week

Liberty Hill Intermediate School students have been busy during the month of October.

We celebrated Red Ribbon Week Oct. 22-26. Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention program. It is estimated that more than 80 million people nationwide participate in Red Ribbon events each year. It was a fun week, with a different theme each day, but it was also an opportunity to reflect on the seriousness of what this week means.

Daily themes were as follows: Monday - “Give Drugs the Boot!” - wear your boots Tuesday - “Don’t Let Drugs Mix You Up!” - mismatched clothes Wednesday - “A Clean Life Lets You Travel Far” - Tacky Tourist Day Thursday - “Real Heroes Don’t Do Drugs!” - Camo or Superhero shirt Friday “Panthers

who enter know that we are a school that celebrates kindness.

G/T program

Grant Hillam, 5th grader, proudly demonstrates his hands -free flashlight invention as part of the G/T program.

(Courtesy Photo) PAWS-itively Don’t Drugs!” - Panther gear

Do

Kindness Rocks

LHIS celebrated Kindness Rocks Week Oct. 29 - Nov. 2.

This week was planned and presented by the No Place for Hate student ambassadors.

Each morning during an-

GOLD HONOR ROLL 1ST SIX WEEKS 5TH GRADE AHERN, ALEXANDER ALBRECHT, CARSON AMTHOR, PERRY ANAYA, ALEXANDER AYALA, LAYLA BAREFIELD, BRODY BASE, JADEN BEDRE, LAUREN BELL, CORBYN BICE, HALEY BLACK, RYLAN BOLTAN, ISABELLA BOYD, JACK BRADLEY, CAEDMON BRAZIEL, CODY CAIRD, RORY CALVERT, CALEB CANTRELL, RICHARD COGGIN, CAMDEN DAVIS, MADELYN DEAN, BRANDON DELGADILLO-PENA, ALEJANDRO EDWARDS, MEGAN EHRSAM, AINSLEY FAJARDO-LUJANO, EMILY FARR, MADISON FIGIOLI, PAUL FRIDAY, JESSE GERTEN, RITA GIESSINGER, MAGGIE GONZALEZ BAUTISTA, NATALY

GRAVES, TEGAN GRAY, BARRETT GREEDY, JEFF GREENLEES, MARGARET GROSS, AVERY GROSS, WYATT HANEY, SAVANNAH HARDEN, JASMINE HARRISON, CARTER HENSLEY, IRASEMI H E R N A N D E Z - PA R E D E S , JADIRA HILLAM, GRANT HIMMER, ABIGAIL HUDDLESTON, REAGAN JACKSON, EMMA JACKSON, ZOEY JAMES, WILLIAM JAMEYSON, KYLIE JOHNSON, BRENDEN JOHNSON-QUAIFE, PENELOPE JOHNSTON, MAKENZIE JONES, KARSON JONES, TALON JORDE, DEANNA KUBIAK, KALE KUHN, KYLIE LEARY, KELSIE LEVY, MADISON LUNA, ATHALIA MACFARLANE, MADISON MADDOX, MICHAEL MAROON, MADISON MIN, SAMANTHA MUENNINK, KAYLEE

nouncements, we had a thought for the day about kindness and students were challenged to do a kind deed each day.

During their lunch/recess time, students had the opportunity to paint a small rock with an encouraging message or colorful decoration. These rocks will be placed in a rock garden Sixth grader Ashlyn Jarvis paints kindness rocks during her in front of our school to let all lunch period. (Courtesy Photo) MULLENS, CAMDEN MULSKI, MEHKENZIE NASH, PAITYN NICHOLAS, SKYLER NOTTINGHAM, PRESTON PACHECO, SYDNEY PARKER, CASEY PEARSON, CAVIN POMEROY, LUKE PRICE, ELENA PRICE, MADISON QUANSAH, VANESSA QUEVEDO, KAYDEN REID, BECCA RUSSELL, JORDYN RUTHERFURD, GUNNER SCHNEIDER, BROOKE SCHRANK, HUDSON SCHREIER, ARIA SCHROCK, BRENT SHELTON, ANNABELL STAPLETON, EMMA STEMMONS, RENEE SYLVESTER, KAITLYNN SYLVESTER, KELSEY TANKSLEY, CADE TUCKER, ELIJAH VALLEJO, ALISTER VAN ANTWERP, JONATHAN VUTHY, HALLY WASHINGTON, KAYLEE WATSON, GABRIEL WOOD, BRYSON YEARGAIN, CAMERON

GOLD HONOR ROLL 6TH GRADE ACHUMUMA,MONIQUE-ALY ALI, ZAYNA ALLAIRE, JOHNATHAN BLAKE, LILLY BOTTOMS, LINDSEY BRAND, NATALIE BRECKEL, CHASE BROCHUE, DELANEY BRODERICK, SHELBY BYE, KARSON CALHOUN, GEORGE CAMPBELL, CADEN CARTER, ADDISON CEARLEY, CARSON CLARKSON, ANDREW CLIFTON, AMBER CLOUD, LOGUN COLICHER, CADENCE DANNELLEY, KATELYN DAUGHERTY, AVERY DAVIS, JAEDEN DOEHLER, EMMA EGIZIO, ELLA ETTINGER, AUBRI FARIA, EMMA FILLMORE, EZRA FINLEY, JOSEPH FITZNER, ADDISON FOSTER, COLE GARNER, GRACIE GENTRY, DEBRA GOMEZ, LAYLA GRAZIOPLENE, KATE GREEDY, ELLE

GREENWOOD, RYDER GUERRA, NICHOLAS GUNTHER, AVERY GUZMAN, KIMBERLY HANSON, COLE HARRINGTON, BROCK HARRIS, ADDISON HARVEY, SPENCER HAY, HALEY HERNANDEZ, MONICA HERT, ELIZABETH HIGHT, AVA HODGES, AVA HOWARD, BLAKE HUBBARD, ELAYNA HUDNALL, KARLEA HUNTER, MASON JAMEYSON, LILY JARVIS, ASHLYN JUSTICE, CLARA KEEN, NATHAN KLEIN, JACE KNIGHT, TENNESSEE LAZCANO-LAZCANO, ANA LEE, ADDISON LEVY, HAILIE LINDGREN, GARRETT LIVELY, ANDREA LORANCE, DANIEL MADERIA, HALEY MCBEATH, HAYDEN MCCARN, LANEY MCCLOSKEY, AUGUST MCKINNEY, JACQUELINE MIERS, DILLON MILLER, AMELIA

The G/T program at Liberty Hill Intermediate is entirely student driven. Each student decides what s/he wants to learn; it may be a new skill, a service project, an invention, or maybe just more about an existing interest. Limited only by their imaginations, students research, ask questions, contact experts, problem-solve, and collaborate with peers in order to reach their learning goals. After peer review and reflection, they share what they’ve learned with the world.

Grant designed a handsfree flashlight holder with a 3D printer for the purpose of assisting campers. He decided to share his creation with his Boy Scout troop.

MILLIMAN, CORBIN MONK, RILEY MULSKI, MEHKAYLA MUNDY, GABRIELLA MUTCHLER, MICHAEL OLIPHINT, TAYLOR OSBOURN, TUCKER PAGACH, KAITLYN PARKER, DAVID PAYNE, HUNTER PENNINGTON, ANNA PHILPOTT, JETT PITTMAN, SCARLETT PLEMON, ELLA POMEROY, RACHEL RADZIWON, BRADEN RICHARDSON, ERIK RIOS, ALENA RIOS, EMILY RIVAS, ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ, JAELYNNE SCOTT, JAXSON SHELTON, ELIJAH SIMS, PRESLEE SINGLETON, CODY SMITH, DEREK SMITH, MEGAN THOMAS, ANALIA TOBIAS, ALEXANDRO TUNNICLIFFE, REAGAN VECCHIONE, JADEN VICKERS, SPENCER VILLANUEVA, GABRIEL WAGNER, COOPER WATSON, ETHAN WATSON, LILY

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Signing Day at LHHS

Eight Liberty Hill senior athletes gathered in the gym on Wednesday to make their college signings official. From left, Kaden Dydalewicz signed to play baseball at TCU, Wyatt Cheney signed to play baseball at Oklahoma State, Cole Alexander signed to play baseball at University of Central Arkansas, Pudge Carlisle signed to play baseball at Western Texas College, Eliana Luna signed to run cross country at Lyons College, Abby Covington signed to play softball at Regis University, Carissa Garza signed to play softball at UT Tyler, and Kinsey Kuhlmann signed to play softball at the University of Mississippi. Individual features on each of these athletes and their futures in their respective collegiate sports will be in upcoming editions of The Independent.

VOLLEYBALL

named Setter of the Year. Parsons said she was thankful for the selection, but would not have been surprised if another setter on her own team got the award instead.

“I was very honored to be chosen for district setter, and it felt even better as a freshman,” Parsons said. “I think the award has really motivated me to work as hard as I can during offseason in order to keep improving myself and our team over the next few years.”

Head Coach Gretchen Peterson was voted Co-Coach of the Year for District 27-4A. First team all-district selections were sophomore Lili Wilkins, senior Claire Kubesh and senior McKenzie Wukasch. Second team all-district selections were sophomores Kindsee Es-

Continued from Page B2

camilla and Emilee Allred. Seniors Allison Van Klaveren and Mia Hernandez earned honorable mention recognition.

Peterson said all players were well deserving of their awards, and it all comes from a total team effort.

“The fact that we have placed so many on our all-district team proves the point that we needed all of our players this season,” Peterson said. “They all did a great job of stepping up, and it was nice to see our district opponents recognize that, as well. Every player that stepped on the court had a job to do, and they all did it well.”

Academics are a big part of the Lady Panther volleyball program, as well, and 11 players earned academic all-district honors. Ashley Nelson,

Morgan Flores, Allison Van Klaveren, Ella Shipper, Emily Huppee, Emilee Allred, Emma Parsons, Caitlin Workman, McKenzie Wukasch, Molly Meldau and Claire Kubesh all made sure to be exceptional in the classroom as well as on the court.

“Volleyball is a huge com- goals for themselves than high mitment,” Peterson said. “I school. It is hard to make good think the work ethic that drives grades, miss school and stay up these girls to be good volleyball players is the same thing that allows them to be great students. They work hard and have high expectations for themselves. They have bigger

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late after games and practice.

They made the commitment and honor that really well.”