I’d only had the chance to cover a couple of games this season – both Class 3 – heading into this past Friday night when I traveled to Lee’s Summit North to watch the showdown between the Broncos and Liberty North. I didn’t really know what to expect.
While both teams were ranked in the Top 5 of Class 6 – Liberty North tied for No. 1 at the time, Lee’s Summit North No. 4 – all I could really do to gauge each team was look at their scores this season. And while each team had impressive wins, it never tells the full picture, so I was excited to see both teams on the field.
And, boy, they did not disappoint.
A 38-35 thriller won by the Eagles had me ready for more. Can we just skip ahead to the playoffs?
While there are some other very good Class 6 teams in the area, these two seem to stand above the rest at the moment. Neither team had played a game closer than 18 points from another Class 6 team until this meeting. You never know what will happen come playoff time, but these two teams seem destined to face off again.
The biggest thing that stood out to me as I watched was that both teams had a handful of capital “D”, Dudes. I know, not the most analytical or technical term, but you know what I mean. Guys that were beasts on both sides of the ball, for both teams. Guys that were fast, elusive, and athletic. Guys that you know are going to be playing football on Saturday’s.
What might have surprised me the most was that a lot of key players for Liberty North weren’t seniors. There were several times I was impressed by a player, looked at the roster and saw he was a sophomore or junior. The Eagles are going to be a problem for years to come.
But both teams are focused on this season, and for Liberty North they have some unfinished business from a season ago.
They were one win away from playing for a state championship, losing 24-17 to eventual state champion Ray-Pec. After a Week 1 loss to Class 7A third-ranked Bentonville, Ark., the Eagles have been on a mission. They won their next four games by outscoring their opponents 170-37, including getting some revenge on the Panthers with a lopsided 42-14 win.
There’s definitely a special feeling to this 2021 season so far.
“We feel like this is our year,” Cayden Arzola told me after the win Friday night. “But we have to stay humble.”
Head coach Greg Jones echoed that same thing to me a little while later. I asked him if his record was 5-1 now. He told me he didn’t know. He didn’t care. While the regular season wins and conference championships are great, it’s all about gearing up for the playoffs in a few weeks. Jones will have his team ready.
And so will Bronco head coach Jamar Mozee. I loved what he told me after the game, too, about how this loss should make his team angry. I didn’t see any of the postgame stuff as bulletin board material or players being cocky. Both teams seemed to know that while this game was big, there could be an even bigger one in a few weeks.
I, for one, wouldn’t mind a part two.
