Photo Credit: Jeff Stead/PrepsKC 
It’s been nearly two decades since Liberty last raised a district championship trophy.
But thanks to a dominant defense and relentless running attack, the Blue Jays snapped that streak with a 28-7 victory against Blue Springs South on Friday night to claim the Class 6 District 7 championship.
Senior running back Jaxon Hicks delivered another exceptional performance, rushing for 278 yards and two touchdowns to fuel the offense, while Liberty’s defense held a potent Jaguars offense to its lowest point total of the season.
With the win, the Blue Jays avenged a previous loss against Blue Springs South on Oct. 11, and Liberty coach Chad Frigon said this championship performance shows how many strides his team has made in recent weeks.
“They came in here tonight a lot better football team than we were in the middle of the season when we played,” Frigon said. “I’m just proud of how they’ve kept getting better each week and starting to come together as a team.
“They just really played hard. I’m proud of how they played.”
During the first matchup between the two teams, Blue Springs South established an early lead and surged to a big win, 41-24, behind its strong running game. But this time around, Liberty returned the favor.
On his team’s second drive of the game, Hicks got the Blue Jays on track with some highlight-reel running plays and eventually punched it in to give his team the lead. On Liberty’s next drive, quarterback Connor Hatfield increased the lead with a perfect, 36-yard scoring strike to Jax Froehlich that put the Blue Jays in control.
“The first time we played them, we got behind and had to play catch-up,” Frigon said. “We don’t hide anything. We’re a power-run team, and we get after it in the trenches.
“… We knew that we needed to stay tight or get ahead early, and we were able to do that.”
Facing a two-score deficit, Blue Springs South’s offense clicked into gear and responded with a lengthy scoring drive. Quarterback Ayden Wilhelm threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Denney in the final minute before halftime to get the Jaguars right back into the game.
But Blue Springs South couldn’t seem to recapture the success of that crucial scoring drive during the second half.
“We were excited at half because we didn’t play very well the first half,” Blue Springs South coach Alan Wilmes said. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t make plays when they needed to happen.”
Meanwhile, Liberty seized the momentum during a pivotal third-quarter sequence. Leading by just a touchdown in the third quarter, Blue Jays defensive back Kale Mortimer snagged an interception, and Hicks finished off the ensuing drive with his second touchdown run of the game.
The city’s leading rusher, Hicks racked up his second-largest rushing total of the season (281 yards) and surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark for the sixth time. What’s more, he established the new single-season rushing record for Liberty, breaking the mark previously held by Lee Thompson.
“Our o-line all season long steps up big. Tonight’s no different,” Hicks said. “I trust my guys more than anyone else in the state. They’re the best o-line in the state, and I’m just grateful to be in the position I’m in.”
On the other side of the ball, Liberty’s defense seemed to save its best for last and never allowed the Jaguars to get within striking distance down the stretch. Despite two drives into Liberty territory in the fourth quarter, Blue Springs South turned the ball over on downs each time.
Liberty linebacker Isaiah Hung said the team’s preparation made all the difference and allowed the team to avenge last month’s loss against Blue Springs South.
“I think that was our biggest week of defense we’ve had all year,” Hung said. “We’ve had a bunch of star performances, but I’d say this week, we really just came together and knew we had a chance and wanted to be the underdog.
“We took advantage of it.”
Despite the loss, Blue Springs South put together one of the biggest turnarounds in program history this year, bouncing back from a one-win season a year ago to put together an 8-3 campaign.
“It was special, especially these seniors,” Wilmes said. “Just to believe in us and work hard every day and come together and have some really good wins and play a lot of really good football.
“I’m super proud of them, and so thankful for them. They’re great kids, and we’re going to miss them.”
Next week, Liberty has the chance to avenge another regular season loss against Park Hill, and Frigon said he’s thrilled to have the chance to coach another game with this squad.
But before looking ahead to next week, Frigon reflected on the team’s district championship. After all, he’s been a part of the Blue Jays’ coaching staff since 1995 and has served as the program’s head coach since 2011.
And without a doubt, he said this victory will go down as one of the most memorable in the 320 games he’s spent on the sidelines at Liberty.
“I love this program, love our community and our school,” Frigon said. “I look forward to every Friday night, regardless of what the score of the games are. It’s been great, and I’m excited for these kids the rest of the way.”
