The Liberty boys basketball team has advanced to the Class AA Region 3 co-final three years in a row.
In those regional clashes, the Raiders gave Bluefield and Wyoming East all they could handle before falling late.
Somehow, Liberty still seems to be battling for respect.
“Any year you hang with those guys at their place, it is worthy of respect. Every year our goal is to earn respect for our program and our school. We are never talked about as that threat to get there, but we still end up in that (regional) position.”
On paper, a return trip to the regional co-final championship appears tough for the Raiders this year. Transfers and graduation have left several key holes that will need to be filled.
“This team has a chance to be special, but they will have to work hard. We are putting a ton of effort into our defense. Hopefully the offense comes more naturally and we can do some scoring off our defense,” Williams said. “I think we have some stuff to build on for the future. We also have a couple of really good freshman that will see some playing time here and there.”
This year the team will be centered around three returning juniors, Kris Bowman, Riley Marty and Jadon Acord.
“I have had some new guys to mix in before, but they usually were basketball smart. This year I have two guys that know what it takes to play varsity and the rest are just getting a taste of it,” Williams said. “It will take time to figure out combinations. There are times that we will have to run with the freshman on the floor. Outside of that it will be JV guys stepping in for their first shot at varsity.”
Bowman will once again man the point guard position and is the only returning starter for the Raiders.
“Kris is probably the biggest bright spot of the season,” Williams said. “He knows he has to step in and knows he has to take on more of a scoring role. He can’t set back and just be a point guard anymore.”
“It’s a nice thing to have a guy who you have already turned to as your floor general. Now he is ready to put the team on his shoulders and lead by example,” Williams went on to say. “He is more of a lead by example guy. He worked a lot this summer on his shot and it is more improved. He is also more aggressive going to the basket.”
Acord enters basketball season coming of a stellar cross-country season that saw him qualify for the state meet at Cabell Midland High School.
“Jadon played some big minutes for us last year. I probably could have played him more than what I did, but we had such a good rotation going. He is not selfish and he is definitely basketball smart. He can pick up the pieces for us. His game is more the mid-range and that is where he excels. He can also step down in the post if we need more of an inside threat. Whatever you need out of him, he doesn’t question it and he just goes with it.”
Marty is described as the most athletic player on the team and Williams feels if can get him to play within himself, he could be a big-time player.
“Riley just has to understand what he does well and focus on that. He tries to do things outside of his comfort zone, which I like to a certain extent. We need him to do the things that he does well and grow off of that,” Williams said. “I think he has taken on that responsibility. I have seen a big difference early on with him and I am excited to see what he turns out to be. He can really be one of the more athletic kids in the area as far as getting to the basket. He is a leaper that is a really good rebounder.”
Overcoming the doubters is nothing new for Liberty. Williams admits this team will have to grind and work hard, but that too has been a staple of his program.
“I think they are willing to work. That comes from the way we run the program. We are not going to promise more than what we are capable of. I am a straight shooter with them,” Williams said. “We are going to have to fight every single game like it is a championship game and learn from our mistakes. Hopefully we can see plenty of growth by the end of the (regular) season.”
