Great expectations greet Liberty football players as practice officially begins

There’s a certain buzz in the air, one known only to the boys of fall and their ravenous fans.

Football is back.

High schools across the state are permitted to begin official in-season practices Monday and while it’s the magical time of year where everyone is 0-0 and everyone feels like they have a chance at the state playoffs, Liberty High School in Henderson has extra reason to be optimistic.

“We’ve been pretty good the last six years and there’s a lot of expectations that we place on the kids and the kids place on themselves,” head coach Rich Muraco said. “I feel like I know what to expect from our offense.”

Quarterback Kenyon Oblad threw for 3,106 yards and 34 touchdowns in his sophomore season last year and wide receiver Darion Acohido enters his senior year coming off a campaign in which he caught 57 passes for 824 yards and six touchdowns.

Oblad in particular is someone Muraco has high hopes for. He enters his junior year with two years’ experience as the starting quarterback, and has begun taking a leadership role in the offense.

“It’s almost like having a little coach out on the field with you,” Muraco said. “It’s exciting from my standpoint.”

Liberty has been the benchmark of excellence since Muraco took over. The Patriots have won either 10 or 11 games the last six years and made it to the state title game last season.

So if you’re a football player at Liberty, you’re accustomed to a year-round schedule. After the title game in December, the players took some time off before hitting the weight room in January. Then spring football. Then a summer intramural program that functions as practice.

So when practice starts on Monday, it’s nothing new to the Patriots.

“Monday’s no special day to us,” Muraco said. “The following Monday when we put pads on, that will be special, and Thursday when we put helmets on, that’ll kick it up a notch.”

Liberty has made the playoffs every year under Muraco and came one game away from the ultimate goal last season. Hopes are understandably high for the Patriots and their fans, and another trip to the championship game is not unrealistic.

Whether that means an eventual rematch with Bishop Gorman High School, the team that has eliminated Liberty from the playoffs the last two years, remains to be seen. It’s not on Muraco’s mind, though. Only one thing is.

“We have the same goals every single year and that starts with making the playoffs,” Muraco said. “You have to make the playoffs before you can do anything else.”

Justin Emerson can be reached at jemerson@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @J15Emerson