Sports see more »

LIBERTY HILL—In 1775, American patriot Patrick Henry was quoted in The Llano News, or one of its predecessors, as saying, “Give me liberty or give me death.” The Jacket girls and boys must have thought, January 20, 237 years later, they got both. The Lady Panthers pulverized Llano 71-18 and 32 basketball minutes later, the Boys from the Hill reached the century mark in a 100-34 punishment. (See related story, but you’ve been warned.)

“It’s probably one of the better Liberty Hill teams I’ve seen,” Llano girls’ head coach Daryl Friedrich praised. “They have size, speed, athleticism, and they shot the ball well against us.”

None of what happened earned a paragraph in Ripley’s Believe it or Not. The Panthers’ record reached 25-4, and they entered the game in the top ten in the state according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. This is a powerhouse.

Kourtney Bevers and Jessica Green are outstanding athletes, and Friedrich thinks, “They’re fifth-year seniors!” Bevers scored 13 points in the first quarter, and Liberty Hill, pressing better than a cleaners in Highland Park, led 23-6. The defense would cause an unofficial collection total of 30 turnovers.

“It’s the best team I’ve had,” fourth-year head coach Matt Kirschner declared. “It’s the most balanced; you don’t know who the best player will be each night. I don’t want stars; I don’t want the other team keying on one person.”

This star-less bunch hit nine three-point field goals, but no one more than a pair. Bevers wound up with 18 points, and nine others in white, gold, and some purple also scored. Macy Floyd decided to leave the bench to pick up her dozen.

“We’ll play everybody,” Kirschner advised. “We put in 2-3-4 girls at a time. We’re trying to wear you down.” I’m worn down just writing this stuff.

Give Kirschner credit. He zapped the press after his team had zapped Llano 44-9 by intermission. It was 64-15 through three quarters.

Give Friedrich credit, too. No bellyaching, no excuses. “Our kids were never down; they worked hard the whole game.” He emphasized the energy submitted by the reserves, led by Sarah Hasty.

Liberty Hill wrapped up a perfect 5-0 mark for the first half of district play. The Jackets are 1-4.

I asked Friedrich: how far can the Panthers go in the playoffs? “They have the talent to go as far as they want. If they shoot the ball as well as they did against us, they can beat almost anyone in the state.”