Liberty North football shuts out Rock Bridge 44-0 in Class 6, District 4 semifinals
Taking care of business is a mantra Greg Jones embodies.
The Liberty North football coach is a titan of prep Missouri football. Jones in his 25-year career had success at five different schools in the state, with his most notable achievement being his two state championships won at Kearney in 2009 and 2015.
No silverware was won Friday in the Eagles’ 44-0 rout of Rock Bridge in the Missouri Class 6 District 4 semifinal, nor was there anything close to high tension or drama in the game. So, why was Jones on the verge of tears?
He’d just clinched a new milestone in his storied career: 200 wins. And as he commended his squad for “taking care of business” in a postgame speech, he simultaneously admired his own triumphs.
“I don’t know if you can describe it,” an emotional Jones said after the win. “Hell, I remember the first one against Hickman Mills (in my) first year at Park Hill High School. … I’ve got coaches that have been with me forever. And then I got players that played for me at Kearney that was a part of a lot of those wins that are coaching for me now, so it’s just a great feeling.”
While rival and No. 1-seeded Liberty narrowly escaped an upset bid in overtime across town against No. 4 Blue Springs, up at Liberty North, things were smooth sailing from the opening kick.
The Eagles’ two-headed machine at tailback, Zac Willingham-Davis and Cayden Arzola, ran roughshod over an overmatched Bruins defense for a combined 228 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Three of those came in a 23-point first quarter that clearly established which team was in control.
No. 2 Liberty North scored on its first three offensive drives, the offensive line creating hole after hole while a multitude of Eagle quarterbacks (Liberty North had three players throw passes) kept their cool and played mistake-free football. From there, and with a white-hot defense in tow, Jones’ squad was able to play on auto-pilot for the final three quarters.
“It’s nice when you can turn around and hand the ball off and get 5 yards,” Jones said of his tailback tandem. “But I think both those guys will tell you that it all starts up front with that offensive line.”
Liberty North’s defense — which hasn’t allowed more than 20 points in a game since Week 3 — didn’t lose any luster Friday, shutting out its opponent for the first time this season in a dominant performance.
No. 3 Rock Bridge’s quarterback-running back pairing, Nathan Dent and Bryce Jackson, combined for 255 rushing yards in their district semifinal win over Troy Buchanan. Against the Eagles, the duo combined for 20 yards. Shutting down space quickly through good positioning and adept tackling was key for Liberty North, and it was rewarded with riches: two fumbles forced, two interceptions and even a safety.
“Our team has came out the last few weeks and set the tempo right from the get-go,” Jones said. “It’s always kind of been my philosophy that defense wins championships, and our defense right now is playing lights out. They got a lot of ball games in ‘em and our defensive staff does a tremendous job with those guys.”
A chance at redemption now awaits. Last year, while 11-0 and considered one of the favorites to win Class 6, the Eagles were shocked in the district championship game by Raymore-Peculiar.
With the win over Rock Bridge, Liberty North is back in the district title game and up against a familiar face: Liberty. The two battled it out on Sept. 4 with Liberty beating its northern neighbors 32-21, but since then Liberty North lost to Raymore-Peculiar, then followed that defeat with an eight-game winning streak.
Liberty’s record sits at a gaudy 10-1, but the scare against a Blue Springs team that finished under .500 may mean there are chips in the armor. It may also mean it’s the perfect time for Liberty North to exact its revenge.
“You can’t win it if you ain’t in it,” Jones said. “We’re going to enjoy the night for a little bit, and then tomorrow morning we’ll be right back up here. We’re going to have to go to work … and get ready to play again next week. And dodge COVID … you got to take care of business off the field as much as you do on the field.”