Home News Football Guide:

New attitude key for Liberty in quest for the playoffs

Heather Cory

Liberty, behind a strong senior class, feels it will reach the playoffs for the first time since the school opened in 2002. The leaders of the class include, clockwise from left, running back Ian Jackson, linebacker Carlos Tautoto and linebacker Sage Nua.

By Jared Harmon (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Liberty

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Liberty team page & schedule
Liberty roster
Colors: Red, white and blue
Coach: Lou Markouzis, sixth year, 10-34
Homecoming game: Oct. 3 against Basic
Key players: LB/FB Sage Nua, QB Ryan Doty, LB/RB Carlos Tautoto, RB Ian Jackson
Prediction: Patriots have the best season in the school’s six year history to make first-ever playoff appearance

Liberty could be on the way to its first playoff appearance.

Patriots coach Lou Markouzis, who has been at the helm since the school opened in 2002, said this is the year the Patriots could break through.

“We really feel we are playoff-bound,” Markouzis said. “We have had that goal in sight before, but now we have a new attitude. We’ve asked for a tough, no-questions-asked mentality from the kids, and they’ve bought into that philosophy.”

Markouzis expanded his coaching staff to include eight assistants who have helped overhaul the program.

“It’s really exciting to be working with a team that we know has so much potential,” Markouzis said. “This is the best senior class we’ve ever had. ”

With senior linebackers Carlos Tautoto and Sage Nua returning, Markouzis expects a much tighter defense — last year’s yielded 33 points per game. The duo averaged 12.35 tackles per game last year and plan to help the Patriots make history.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement already, which is nice,” Nua said. “Our defense looks a lot better.”

While the Patriots lost their top two receivers to graduation — Austin Niggemeier and Garrick Powell combined for 888 yards — their top running back, Ian Jackson, will return to see if he can be a bigger factor in this year’s offense and improve on last year’s 391 rushing yards.

“We are going to run a ball-control offense where our goal is to grind it out and manage the clock,” Markouzis said.

Jared Harmon is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-8922 or jared.harmon@hbcpub.com.