With size and strength on its side, Liberty plans for meaningful season

Sam Morris

Liberty High School football players Senituli Fakauho, Ty Byrd and Sam Tai.

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Monday, Aug. 23, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Coach Rich Muraco

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Liberty High football coach Rich Muraco talks about the 2010 high school football season.

What a difference a year makes.

At this time last year, the Liberty High football team had never made the playoffs and only had five Southeast Division victories in the school’s five-year history.

Now, after reaching the Sunrise Regional semifinals last year, the Patriots have their eyes set on a bigger prize: competing for a state title.

“There is definitely a different feeling about training camp this year as compared to past years,” Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. “Our seniors have stepped up because they know we have a legitimate chance to do something special.”

Liberty took third in the Southeast last year and beat Canyon Springs by one point in the Sunrise quarterfinals. While the Patriots eventually fell to state runner-up Del Sol in the regional semifinals, they had done enough to change the program’s expectations.

Liberty will be led by senior defensive end Sam Tai, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound defensive end who is one of the valley’s most sought after college prospects and part of the 25-member all-Sun preseason team. Tai has scholarship offers from the likes of Arkansas, Colorado, San Diego State and UNLV.

However, he’s not the Patriots’ lone weapon — especially on the line.

Senituli Fakauho, a 6-foot-1, 330-pound senior guard, was All-Southeast Division selection in 2009 and one of several big bodies up front. The others include three-year varsity starter PJ Taeao (6-foot-3, 300-pounds) at guard, senior Daniel Filimona (6-foot-2, 250-pounds) at tackle and list of others who form arguably the state’s top line.

While Liberty will be big and strong, its one weakness is team speed. It’s an Achilles’ heel that worries Muraco.

“If we play against a team like Canyon Springs that has a lot of team speed, if they have time to throw the ball, they will beat us deep,” Muraco said. “That scares me as a coach. You just hope our front seven will get enough pressure.”

Senior Ty Byrd is one of Liberty’s top players (and likely the fastest) and will start on both sides of the ball. He will share touches in the offensive backfield with sophomore Niko Kapeli.

Sophomore Kai Nacua will start at quarterback, and while he is inexperienced, Muraco feels he can be one of the league’s best passers.

Defensively, Byrd leads the way at defensive back, and is joined by linebacker Kimo Seau, whose uncle is former NFL star Junior Seau.

Liberty will be tested right out of the gate, opening the season Sept. 3 against perennial power Palo Verde . It’s one of the most anticipated non-league games of the season.

“Palo is historically one of the top two or three teams in Nevada,” Muraco said. “If we want to make a claim that we are one of the top teams, we need to play with them.”