Eric Castellon is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Liberty High School for AZPreps365.com

The Liberty football team is set to open its campaign at home on Oct. 2, when the Lions take on the top-ranked team in Arizona, the Chandler Wolves. It proves to be a fierce matchup of two high-caliber squads, as both teams are coming off very successful 2019 campaigns.

Last year, the Lions went 10-4, topping off the season with a 34-28 overtime victory over the Red Mountain Mountain Lions in the Conference 6A Championship game. As for the Wolves, they are also coming off a championship run of their own, as they defeated the Saguaro Sabercats in the Open Division Final, 42-35.

Lions coach Colin Thomas returns for another chance to hoist the trophy come December. 

“We took it one game at a time last year, got us a championship, and we’re gonna try and take it a game at a time this year too,” Thomas said.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, not a single player for Liberty has decided to opt-out of the upcoming fall season so far, despite growing health and safety concerns for the student athletes due to COVID-19.

Liberty will be getting a handful of key players back this year as well, mainly on the defensive side of the ball. Two of the Lions’ key pieces on defense last season who are returning are junior safety Jax Stam and senior safety Shane Pitts.

Pitts led the Lions’ defense in interceptions with four and also served as the team’s kicker, converting 56 extra points, along with going 7-for-9 on field goals. Stam led the team with 10 passes defended, as well as total tackles with 105, five for a loss.

On offense, despite the departure of quarterback Jonah Guevara, the Lions have a capable replacement this season in senior Brock Mast. 

“Brock got a little bit of experience last year, and we’re excited to see how he does this season,” Thomas said.

Sophomore running back Zaccheus Cooper returns after tallying 669 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a freshman, which was part of a huge rushing attack for the Lions’ offense last year.

When asked which game means the most to him, Thomas did not hesitate to answer. “Every game this year is going to be challenging, no doubt about it,” he said. “Best way to look at it is to take it one game at a time, much like we did last year.”

To students and parents, the game most likely to be circled besides the home opener against top-ranked Chandler comes two weeks later, when the Lions host a rivalry game against the Sunrise Mountain Mustangs.

Even more of a game to keep an eye on will be the week before the big rivalry, when the Lions travel to Mesa to take on the Red Mountain Mountain Lions in what is set to be an intriguing rematch of the Conference 6A Championship game last December.