Liberty back for more after rough first year

Nick Christensen

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2004 | 9:49 a.m.

SUN RANKINGS

1. Foothill -- Not much has changed since a strong '03.

2. Silverado -- A weakened Southeast plays to Skyhawks' strengths. 3. Green Valley -- Much higher expectations from last year's 1-8 season.

4. Coronado -- Depends on how much the loss of Hatch hurts.

5. Basic -- Rebuilding year with another Montano at QB.

6. Liberty -- Scored just 12 points last year -- against 3A schools.

2003 STANDINGS

(division record in parentheses)

1. Coronado...7-2 (3-1)

Lost in Sunrise semifinals to Desert Pines

2. Foothill...8-1 (3-1)

Lost in Sunrise semifinals to Las Vegas

3. Silverado...3-6 (2-2)

Lost in first round to Desert Pines

4. Basic...7-2 (2-2)

Lost in first round to Las Vegas

5. Green Valley...1-8 (0-4)

6. Liberty0-8

PAST STATE CHAMPIONS

No Southeast team has won a state championship.

Monday -- Northeast

Today -- Southeast

Wednesday -- Southwest

Thursday -- Northwest

Friday -- Preseason poll

The news is mixed this year for Liberty High School.

The Patriots are a year older, a year wiser, and probably will do a lot better than their 0-8, two-touchdown 2003 season. But this year, they will play six 4A teams, after playing a schedule that was against almost entirely 3A opponents in 2003.

At a minimum, they hope to score more than two touchdowns -- and the first extra point or field goal in school history wouldn't be bad, either.

The Patriots are off to a good start. In a preseason scrimmage against new school Spring Valley on Saturday, Liberty scored three touchdowns -- and held the Grizzlies scoreless. The regular season starts Friday for Liberty, when it visits Bonanza, which went 3-6 last season.

Liberty coach Lou Markouzis has no visions of a state title in 2004, nor 2005. Liberty's enrollment of just under 1,100 is the lowest of any public 4A school in Nevada. Its zone, south of Silverado Ranch Boulevard and between Interstate 15 and the Seven Hills area, is a slowly growing mix of newer apartments and old ranch-style homes. There's just not a great talent pool for Liberty football to draw from, especially compared to, say, Palo Verde and its 3,500 students.

"Last year, it wasn't a normal camp," said Blake Niggemeier, a junior who will start this year at quarterback for the Patriots. "People slacked, and didn't come," and many who stayed just went through the motions.

After an opening-week 65-0 drubbing by Shadow Ridge, the other school that opened in 2003, the season might as well have been over. Niggemeier, who sat out because of academic ineligibility last season, said nothing he could do could boost his young teammates' morale.

"After the first game we played, I was in shock," he said. "I never had a game like that. Everyone was down."

Despite their lack of maturity on the field, Markouzis said the Patriots were easily able to put what happened last year behind them.

"The kids put things in perspective," he said. "They knew in spite of our losses, they were playing guys two or three years older than them. They knew we weren't lacking so much in skill as in maturation. ... In spite of our scoring, in spite of our record, a lot of positives came out of last year."

One of those positives was Niggemeier's improving his GPA to 3.8, far above what he needed to be academically eligible to lead the Patriots.

And last year's floundering plays right into Markouzis' strategy for getting his team ready. Make fewer mistakes than the other team, he said to his team at a recent practice, and know that they're likely going to underestimate you.

And the young Patriots are responding. Leaders, such as Niggemeier, have emerged on the team, and for the first year, the Patriots were able to use an offseason conditioning program.

Niggemeier said the coaching staff has also been tougher.

"If you mess up, you're in trouble. If you drop a ball, go run a mile," he said.

The Patriots' opponents know it's likely their teams might try to sleepwalk through the Liberty game. Clark High School also went winless last year, and the Chargers' season opener is against Liberty on Sept. 3. Clark coach Carlton Lamb said he's emphasizing to his team not to take the Patriots lightly.

"I talked to the guys last week. You never underestimate any of your opponents," he said. "I'm sure they're very hungry."