Blogspot Moved

The Liberty basketball blogspot will now be available on Liberty's athletic website. This will make it easier for Blue Jay fans to follow the program on just one site. All the information will be the same and Twitter will still be used, just now it will just be easier to follow. Just bookmark the following link to be taken directly to the new site.

http://athletics.liberty.k12.mo.us/ladyjaysbb

Weight Room Workouts (Sept. 7-10)

Weight Room workouts this week will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Liberty Junior High School. If you are available we will see you there.

Preseason Workouts

This year the preseason workouts for basketball will begin on Monday, September 20th. Workouts will go Monday-Thursday from 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. at Liberty Junior High School. Workouts will include strength training, conditioning and basketball skill improvement. Workouts are open to any girl that is interested in playing basketball in 9th - 12th grade and attends or will attend Liberty High School.

Weight Room Open On Monday

Beginning Monday, August 30th the weight room at Liberty Junior High will be open to any girl in 9th-12th grade that is planning on playing basketball this season. The workout will start at 3:30 p.m. and go for about 45 minutes. This will be a 3 week program until Preseason Condition/Weights begins on September 20th. Workouts will be Monday through Thursday and will be run by Coach Morley and Coach Myrick.

Last Day of the Summer

It was sad that today was the last day of the summer in many ways: no more watching television at 2:00 in the afternoon; no more staying at home with the little guy and not being able to work with the girls for about a month. We had a great open gym today and were able to get up and down a little bit. The coaching staff can tell that we are going to have a good season by the fact that we had 14 girls at the open gym at 12:30 p.m. the day before school starts. Overall it was a very good summer for the program and people got a lot better each time we stepped on the floor.

Pre-season workouts will begin in late September but we will have a weight workout available to any girl not in a fall sport starting August 30th. Time and location are still up in the air but we will let everyone know as soon as possible.

12:30 p.m. Tuesday

Open gym will take place Tuesday, August 17th at 12:30 p.m. at Liberty North High School. We will just get loosened up and then play a little bit. We should have enough for about three teams and will play for about an hour.

Open Gym

We are still trying to find a spot for open gym tomorrow, Tuesday, August 17th. We know that it will be at 4:00 p.m. but just need to find a place to play. With all the fall sports practicing it is tough to find an open area. KMBC Channel 9 will be there to do a story about Liberty and Liberty North basketball, the coaches relationship, and their son. They want to get some footage of the girls playing and working out and the coaches coaching.

Open Gym

We will have an open gym on Tuesday, August 17th at 4:00 p.m. with the location still to be determined. This will just be an opportunity to play a little bit and get up and down the floor. Check back for a location.

Team Camp Results

Liberty's varsity team finished team camp 7-2 overall, winning thier last six games of the camp. After losing to Norwalk (IA) and Ankeny (IA) on the first day, the Jays bounced back on Saturday and Sunday to not lose a game. Liberty defeated Des Moines Valley (IA), Rock Island Alleman (IL), Dallas Center-Grimes (IA), Des Moines Dowling (IA), Newton (IA), Des Moines Lincoln (IA), and Urbandale (IA). Despite playing without a full roster, the Jays were able to play consistently enough on defense to make sure they were in every game.

The Junior Varsity team battled to a 4-4 record for the weekend. Again, playing without a full roster, the Jays did a great job of competing all weekend and made a great showing.

With team camp over the Jays will now take a break until preseason conditioning begins in late September. It was a very successful summer for the program, making huge strides on both ends of the floor.

Team Camp Schedule Announced

The schedule for the Creighton Team Camp has been announced. Below is the schedule for both the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams. You can also go to the following website for gym locations and game rules: http://www.creightonwomensbasketballcamps.com/Individual_Schedules_-_Alphabetized.pdf

VARSITY
Friday
2:40 p.m. vs. Norwalk (IA)
4:20 p.m. vs. West Des Moines Valley (IA)
8:30 p.m. vs. Ankeny (IA)
Saturday
9:20 a.m. vs. West Des Moines Dowling (IA)
2:40 p.m. vs. Alleman (IL)
4:20 p.m. vs. Dallas Center-Grimes (IA)
6:50 p.m. vs. Newton (IA)
Sunday
8:20 a.m. vs. Des Moines Lincoln (IA)
10:00 a.m. vs. Urbandale (IA)

JUNIOR VARSITY
Friday
2:40 p.m. vs. West Des Moines Dowling (IA)
6:50 p.m. vs. Alleman (IL)
8:30 p.m. vs. Urbandale (IA)
Saturday
8:30 a.m. vs. Broken Bow (NE)
10:10 a.m. vs. Pekin (IL)
1:00 p.m. vs. Wayne (NE)
7:40 p.m. vs. Skutt (NE)
Sunday
10:50 a.m. vs. Des Moines Lincoln (IA)

Keep Jack In Your Thoughts

Coach Jack has been in the hospital at KU Med Center and is recovering from heart surgery. Sounds like he is doing really well and ready to come home. If you get the chance to go down and visit him he would really appreciate it any visitors.

Thoughts & Prayers Out To Coach Phillips' Family

On Saturday Coach Stephanie Phillips from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, MO passed away. She had been fighting colon cancer for the past three years. Liberty was able to help send over $1000 to her family during the "Kick The Poo Out of Cancer" night this past season. Liberty opened the season last year in the Kickapoo Classic and played Kickapoo for the first game of the year. In the short time that the coaching staff got to know Coach Phillips they were very impressed with what she has accomplished at Kickapoo, producing a state power in her tenure. We send out our thoughts and prayers to her family.

http://www.kspr.com/sports/Friends-and-Family-Honor-the-Life-of-Stephanie-Phillips-98579204.html

Camp Starts Monday

At 9:00 a.m. Monday morning we will start our high school camp. The camp is open to anyone interested in playing basketball that will be entering 9th-12th grade at Liberty High School. The camp will go through Thursday.

NO WORKOUTS NEXT WEEK

There will not be workouts next week, July 13-15. I feel it is best to save up our energy and concentrate on the following week for our camp and team camp. We will be going for 7 straight days that week. I also want you to enjoy your summer and come into camp hungry and ready to work.

If you haven't done so already, please let me know if you will be going to Team Camp at Creighton July 23-25. The camp is open to all 9-12 graders. We will be taking 2 teams up there and you can find the information and forms for the camp under the link on the right side of the blog.

We will see you on July 19th at 9:00 a.m.

Going to Creighton???

If you are planning on going to Creighton for team camp July 23rd-25th and haven't told Coach Morley yet you need to do so by Wednesday, July 7th. You can just email or text him to let him know. Just trying to decide if we will have one or two teams participate in Omaha.

Also, any 9th-12th grader that is planning on playing basketball next winter is highly encouraged to attend camp at Liberty High School July 19th-22nd from 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Workouts Still On This Week

Workouts are still on for this week. Coach Werner will be there to conduct the workouts, both on the floor and in the weight room. Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. JV & Varsity Northland League games are at Lawson this week.

Jays Keep Rolling Along

Liberty was able to continue playing well this week in the Northland League, defeating Oak Park (42-17) and Park Hill (36-11) on Thursday night in Smithville. All the girls had a good week of workouts both on the floor and in the weight room. The coaches are very excited about how well the girls are working and the improvement that they have seen the last 3 weeks.

We wish a speedy recovery to junior guard Mackenzie Kern. She spent the last few nights in the hospital battling flu-like symtoms. If there was anyone that is going to fight hard to get better it's Mac. Get better soon.

Northland League

After two weeks of games in the Northland League, Liberty has moved to 4-0 this summer in the Varsity Division. The Jays have defeated North Kansas City, St. Pius, Park Hill South and Platte County. There are four games remaining in the league, which will take place the next two Thursdays (Smithville on June 24th and Lawson on July 1st).

In the JV Division, Liberty has a split squad with both Liberty and Liberty North players. Going into the last game tonight Liberty is 1-2 in the league. They beat St. Pius and lost to North Kansas City and Park Hill South.

This has been a very competitive league so far this summer and is giving the players a great opportunity to compete at a high level during the off-season.

Jays Have Great Week Of Camp

Despite the numbers being a little lower than last summer, the Jays had a great week of camp and had a lot of fun with the campers. The camps were for 3rd-5th graders and 6th-8th graders. There were a total of 43 campers combined for both camps and they were able to participate in fundamental drills, contests and games.

The coaches at Liberty are hosting two more camps this summer: a Shooting Camp for 3rd-8th graders July 19th-22nd from 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. at Liberty High School and a High School Individual Camp for 9th-12th graders July 19th-22nd from 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The cost for the camp is $40 and youcan preregister or register at the door.

Thursday Workouts/League Info

Thursday's workouts are at 12:30 p.m. at SVJH. Also, Thursday is the first night of the Northland League. For the workouts and league Liberty and Liberty North will combine forces and play together for the summer. If you want to play in the league you are highly encouraged to be at workouts Thursday so we know what our numbers will be for the league. If you can't be at workouts and want to play in the league you need to immediatley contact your respective coach. The Northland League is for girls going into their sophomore, junior or senior season unless you have talked to Coach Morley.

It is $25 to play in the league and that money is due on Thursday before the first game. Cash will be the easiest form of payment because this money is to pay the officials for the entire summer. If you do write a check you will need to make it out Coach Morley.

The league schedule is posted on the blog, you can see when and where the games will be played throughout the summer.

Lady Jays Take Soccer Championship

The Liberty Lady Jays soccer team dominated the state tournament and capped off the season with a 7-2 victory in the Class 3 State Championship Game over Pattonville High School. The Jays broke two records in the blowout; most goals scored and largest margain of victory in a title game.

Congratulations goes out to Kaysie Clark, Kelsey Goff, Shea Groom, Mackenzie Kern, Maddie Mason, Alex Neely, Marriah Schweitzer, and Jenna Turner, all members of the basketball team too. The state title this year gives the girls a great opportunity to repeat next season and in between there try to win a state title in basketball.

SUMMER LEAGUE UPDATE

Anyone that is planning on playing in the Northland League that is going to be a sophomore, junior, or senior will need to attend at least the workout on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. at South Valley Junior High. This way we have an idea of who all is going to be playing that night. Also, any girl that is going Liberty North and will be a sophomore or junior can play with us in this Northland Leage and needs to be at the workout on Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Each player will need to pay $25, preferably cash, to play in the summer league. This cost helps us with the cost of the league. The first game is a Varsity game at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Junior Varsity game at 6:30 p.m. at St. Pius High School. Each team will play two games and the schedule can be found under the "Links" portion of the blog. The coaches will determine who plays on which team.

Summer League

Just a reminder that summer league starts on Wednesday, June 9th for freshmen and Thursday, June 10th for varsity and junior varsity. Workouts also begin on Tuesday, June 8th at South Valley Junior High at 1:00 p.m. If you are planning on playing in the summer leagues it is highly recommended that you be at workouts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Summer Schedule Coming Soon

The summer schedule will be posted here by next week. The only thing that we think is really important to be at this summer is our camp July 19-22 at LHS. Have a great end of the school year and we will see you soon.

Summer League Schedules Released

Liberty will have three teams this summer in the Northland League. The teams will be a varsity, junior varsity and freshman team. The varsity and junior varsity will play double-headers on Thursday nights and the freshmen will play double-headers on Wednesday nights. The freshmen league begins on June 9th and the varsity/junior varsity league begins June 10th. All the freshmen games will be played at Park Hill High School. The varsity and junior varsity games will be played at St. Pius (6/10), Platte County (6/17), Smithville (6/24), and Lawson (7/1). Each player participating in the league will be required to pay $25 to help pay for entry fees.

Varsity Schedule
June 10th @ St. Pius
5:30 vs. NKC
7:30 vs. St. Pius
June 17th @ Platte County
5:30 vs. Park Hill South
7:30 vs. Platte County
June 24th @ Smithville
5:30 vs. Oak Park
7:30 vs. Park Hill
July 1st @ Lawson
5:30 vs. Lawson
7:30 vs. Winnetonka

Junior Varsity Schedule
June 10th @ St. Pius
6:30 vs. NKC
8:30 vs. St. Pius
June 17th @ Platte County
6:30 vs. Park Hill South
8:30 vs. Platte County
June 24th @ Smithville
6:30 vs. Oak Park
8:30 vs. Park Hill
July 1st @ Lawson
6:30 vs. Lawson
8:30 vs. Winnetonka

Freshman Schedule @ Park Hill
June 9th
8:00 vs. Oak Park
9:00 vs. Fort Osage
June 16th
7:00 vs. Park Hill South
9:00 vs. Park Hill
June 23rd
5:00 vs. NKC
6:00 vs. Kearney
June 30th
8:00 vs. Platte County
9:00 vs. Staley

Jays Car Hopping At Sonic

The Liberty girls basketball team will be car hopping at Sonic on Saturday, May 8th from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The girls will be at the Sonic (closest to LHS) in Liberty on 291 Highway raising money for the basketball program. All the tips the girls receive will go directly to help the program with the expenses that occur during the basketball season. Please come out and enjoy some food and drink and support the Liberty girls basketball team.

Dell Takes Over Friend Program

Isaiah Dell, Liberty's C Team coach from this past season, will become the head boy's basketball coach at Friend High School in Friend, Nebraska. Friend is 35 miles southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. Coach Dell spent just one season on the staff at Liberty High School and will be sorely missed. He led the C Team to a 6-6 record on the season.

"I am very happy for Coach Dell and wish him nothing but the best with this new position," said head coach Mike Morley. "He was a very key component in our success this past season."

Dell will be replaced on staff by Zach Werner.

Werner To Replace Dell On Staff

Liberty Junior High School 8th grade coach Zach Werner will take over the C Team job for next season. Werner is a Social Studies teacher at Liberty High School and has spent the last two seasons coaching the 8th graders. Werner will be in charge of the C Team and be a big part of the scouting and on floor coaching for the varsity team as well.

Summer Camp Dates Set

The Liberty girls basketball program will be hosting four camps this summer for girls ranging in ages from 3rd grade through 12th grade. There will be two camps in June and two camps in July this summer. The cost for each camp is $40.

Day Camp, June 7th-10th at South Valley Junior High School.
3rd-5th Grade Day Camp: 8:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
6th-8th Grade Day Camp: 10:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Day Camp, July 19th-22nd at Liberty High School.
9th-12th Grade Day Camp: 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Shooting Camp, July 19th-22nd at Liberty High School
3rd-8th Grade Shooting Camp: 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

Coach Jack Smith Honored

Liberty assistant coach Jack Smith was awarded with the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association, Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award last night at the annual GKCBCA banquet held at the Independence Event Center.

Liberty High School 1967 graduate Jack Smith has been roaming football sidelines at William Jewell College and sitting on benches at Kansas City gymnasiums for 44 years serving as the Liberty Blue Jay team manager. For his efforts, Smith will be recognized on Saturday, April 10, as the recipient of the Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association. The awards banquet will be held at the Independence Events Center and is a part of the Missouri/Kansas All-Star games, the DiRenna Awards, and All-Academic Teams.

The Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award is a “who’s who” of Kansas City basketball. Past recipients have included former William Jewell College assistant basketball coach Lee Kariker and longtime Raytown coach and administrator Tom Goddard.

Smith, 63, helps both boys and girls basketball programs at Liberty High serving as team manager and also is the ball boy for the Blue Jay Football Team. For the past four years he has served as program assistant for the Boys Basketball Team.

“Jack means a lot to our program,” said Liberty Boys Head Basketball Coach Roger Stirtz. “He’s always excited about the team and how he can help them. But most importantly, Jack is about helping others. That’s why this award is so special…it’s time for us give to Jack and recognize him for everything he’s done for us.”

Jays Ranked #8 In Final Poll

Finishing the season 22-7, winning the Suburban Big 7 Conference and making it to the state quarterfinals were enough to have Liberty ranked #8 in the final Missouri Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association poll. The Jays were ranked as high as #6 during the season.

http://mosports.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1071871

KC Star All-Northland Team

The Kansas City Star has selected Maddie Mason and Jenna Turner to the All-Northland 2nd Team. Mason and Turner also earned All-Suburban Big 7 and All-District 16 honors this season. Mason also garnered Missouri Basketball Coaches Association All-State honors.

http://varsity.kansascity.com/custom/article&news_id=3766

Banquet Ends The 2009-2010 Season

The Liberty girls basketball team celebrated a great 2009-2010 season with their banquet on Monday night. The ceremony included a great dinner, player recognition and the comradarie of a group of girls that had a very successful season. All three teams at Liberty High School finished with a combined record of 42-16. C team finished 6-6, the JV was 14-3 and the Varsity was 22-7.

The night also was used to aknowledge Jack Smith and his dedication to the girls basketball program. Jack will be the recepient of the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association's Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, April 8th.

A big thank you is sent out to everyone that helped make this banquet a huge success. Without your help the night would not have been as special.

Mason Named To MBCA All-State Team

Liberty junior, Maddie Mason, was named to the 2010 Missouri Basketball Coaches Association All-State team for Class 5. With the All-State honor, Mason also collected All-Suburban Big 7 and was named the District 16 Player of the Year. Three other players from the Suburban Big 7 were also named to the All-State team; Azia Washington and Cee Cee Burris from Blue Springs, and Lauren Dudenhoeffer from Lee's Summit North.

Sami Wynne Honored

Sami Wynne was honored last night by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), recieving the Champions of Character Award. The award is to honor student-athletes that meet the Five Core Values put forth by the NAIA; Integrity, Respect, Resposibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership.

Being the only senior on the team this season, Sami had to really take on a leadership role that no other member of the team had to worry about. This was an easy nomination from the coaches because of the way Sami displayed these five values everyday, on and off the court.

Along with Sami, Christian Brinser, also received this honor.

Schedule Loaded With State Finishers

This season's schedule for Liberty was littered with teams that finished in their respective state tournaments. In the Jay's Class 5 Liberty had three regular season games with teams that finished second and third in Missouri. Liberty went 3-0 during the regular season against Blue Springs (2nd) and Springfield Kickapoo (3rd). Liberty got a split on the season with O'Hara who took third place in Missouri's Class 4 Tournament. St. Thomas Aquinas, who beat Liberty in the Hy-Vee Shootout, took second place in Kansas' Class 5 Tournament. For the entire regular season Liberty played eight of their 25 games against teams that made it to at least the quarterfinals in their own state tournaments.

Liberty finished 22-7 on the season and won the Suburban Big 7 Conference with a record of 11-1. The Jays had juniors Maddie Mason and Jenna Turner both make All-Conference and All-District. They also had Honorable Mention All-Conference selections in senior Sami Wynne and junior Kelsey Goff.

Banquet Date Set

The Liberty Girls Basketball team will be having their end of the season banquet on Monday, March 29th at 6:30 p.m. The event will take place at LHS in the Cafeteria. The evening will be a wrap-up to a great season and a chance for the coaching staff to recognize and honor the girls.

Honors Coming In For Jays

Liberty juniors Maddie Mason and Jenna Turner have been named to both the Suburban Big 7 All-Conference Team and the All-District 16 Team. Along with Mason and Turner, junior Kelsey Goff was Honorable Mention All-Conference and All-District. Senior Sami Wynne was also named to the Honorable Mention All-Conference Team.

Big 7 All-Conference
Cee Cee Burris - Blue Springs
Lauren Dudenhoeffer - Lee's Summit North
Maddie Mason - Liberty
Tyonna Snow - Blue Springs
Jenna Turner - Liberty
Azia Washington - Blue Springs
Desiree Smith - Lee's Summit
Zakila Smith - Blue Springs South
Ashley Creason - Lee's Summit North
Abby Eagleburger - St. Joseph Central

Big 7 Honorable Mention
Kelsey Goff
Sami Wynne

Tough Schedule Pays Off

Liberty played the second toughest schedule in Missouri this year, all classes, and were still able to win 22 games. Only St. Joseph's Academy from St. Louis had a tougher schedule. Despite not playing with a full roster of players due to other conflicts, the Jays were able to not only win the Suburban Big 7 Conference (11-1) but also won the District and Sectional Championships. With only one senior on the team, Sami Wynne, Liberty will look to reload again for next season.

Liberty's Season Ends In Quarter Finals

Liberty had their season ended Saturday by Blue Springs in the Quarter Finals of the Class 5 State Tournament, 43-32. The game was a struggle for the Jays (22-7) from the start, as shots would not fall and turnovers never allowed them to get into any rhythm. Despite the struggle, Liberty led 15-12 midway through the second quarter, but Blue Springs was able to finish the half on a 7-0 run to take a four point lead into the break. The third quarter was not good for either team as both teams combined for nine total points, Blue Springs 5, Liberty 4. In the fourth quarter Blue Springs was able to push the lead to nine points and Liberty could never get any closer as the Wildcats did a good job of running time off the clock and having the Jays chase them all over the court. For the game Blue Springs outshot Liberty from the free throw line 28 to 6, and that was the difference in the game.

Jays PG Makes US Team

Liberty point guard Kaysie Clark recently was named a member of the Under 17 US World Cup Soccer Team. Clark was an All-State selection last year in soccer as a sophomore and has been working toward making this team for the past two years.

Clark has only played in 13 games this season for Liberty as she has been attending workouts and tryouts to become a member of the US National Team. Kaysie will leave on Saturday to travel to Costa Rica and help qualify the US Team into the World Cup that will take place this fall.

Despite only playing in 13 games this season, Clark was able to help the Jays in not only those games but in practice to help prepare her teammates. As much as the coaching staff wishes that Kaysie was here for all 28 games so far this season, the opportunity and honor of being selected to the World Cup Team is something that will not happen again.

Liberty Too Much For Chrisman

Liberty used another very solid defensive game to take William Chrisman out of any flow on the offensive end and secured a 50-35 win in the Sectional match-up. The Jays used great second and third quarters, outscoring the Bears 29-12, to put the game away. Liberty (22-6) will now square off against Blue Springs (25-3) again in the Quarter Final game played at the University of Central Missouri at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Jays Claim District Title

Liberty used a great defensive effort to beat St. Joseph Central on the road in the District 16 Championship Game, 45-35. The Jays (21-6) will now face off against William Chrisman (20-9) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night at the Independence Event Center.

Liberty Advances

Liberty out played Oak Park in the final two minutes and was able to score the last six points of the game and advance to the District Championship game, defeating the Oakies 38-32. Oak Park executed their game plan to perfection and dictated the pace of the game. Liberty would make some small runs and push the lead up to four points but Oak Park hit clutch threes in the second half to stay close.

Liberty (20-6) will now face off against Big 7 opponent St. Joseph Central at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Liberty has beat Central twice this year but both games went down to the wire. The last time the Jays played Central in St. Joseph they escaped in overtime with a 31-28 win. The winner of the game Saturday will take on the winner of the Truman/William Chrisman game on Wednesday in the Sectional game at the new Independence Events Center.

Liberty To Face Oak Park

Oak Park was able to beat Winnetonka in the first round of the Class 5 District 16 tournament 36-18 and will face Liberty at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday night at St. Joseph Central High School. With the win Oak Park improved to 10-15 on the season. Liberty will look for their 20th win of the season Thursday as they sit at 19-6 going into the District Tournament.

Playoff Time Is Here

Liberty will be looking to build off of a great regular season with a deep run in the state tournament which starts on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. for the Blue Jays. Liberty (19-6, 11-1) will face the winner of Oak Park/Winnetonka game which is played on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. The District Tournament will be played this year at St. Joseph Central High School. The other side of the bracket has Central playing the winner of the Park Hill/Park Hill South game. The championship game will be on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=6&class=5&district=16

BIG 7 CHAMPIONS

Big 7 Final Standings

Liberty 11-1

Blue Springs 10-2

Lee's Summit 7-5

Lee's Summit North 6-6

St. Joseph Central 6-6

Blue Springs South 3-9

Ray-Pec 0-12

Liberty Sweeps Central on Senior Night

Liberty was able to get a JV/Varsity sweep on Wednesday night against St. Joseph Central on Senior Night. The varsity team used some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch and some timely rebounds to pull out a 48-42 win over a very big Central team. With the win the Jays won the Suburban Big 7 outright and finished the regular season on a five game winning streak. Liberty (19-6, 11-1) is now off until next Thursday when they will play the winner of the Oak Park/Winnetonka game at 6:00 p.m. in the semi-finals of the district tournament.

Senior Night

Liberty will be honoring their lone senior tonight, Sami Wynne, when they face off against St. Jospeh Central at 7:00 p.m. This is the last regular season game of the year for Liberty (18-6, 10-1) who is looking to win the Suburban Big 7 Conference outright. The Jays hold a one game lead over Blue Springs and a win tonight would give Liberty their first conference title since the 2003-2004 season.

Jays Win Big 7 On Huge Comeback

Liberty used a furious comeback in the final 3 minutes of the game Monday night against Lee's Summit North to secure at least a share of the Suburban Big 7 Conference Title. The Jays battled back from a 40-30 deficit to score the final 11 points of the game and defeat the Broncos 41-40. Jenna Turner hit the nights biggest shot as she banked a three from the wing with 13 seconds to go to give the Jays the win. Liberty now improves to 18-6 on the season and 10-1 in Big 7 play. The Jays will finish off the regular season on Wedensday night when they host St. Joseph Central. With a win Liberty will win the Big 7 Conference outright for the first time since 2004. Wednesday's game will also be Senior Night for the Jays. Liberty will honor Sami Wynne on the night as she is the only senior in the program.

Liberty Defeats Blue Springs South

Liberty used a great first half to jump out on Blue Springs South and win Thursday night 53-35. The Jays (17-6, 9-1) held the Jaguars scoreless for the first 11 minutes of the game and were able to finally get the offense rolling late in the first quarter to bolt out to a 30-11 lead at the break. The second half was an even match up as Liberty traded baskets with South.

Liberty is one win away from clinching at least a share of the Suburban Big 7 conference title. Liberty will host Lee's Summit North on Monday night with revenge on their minds. The Broncos were the only team to beat the Jays this year in conference, 34-31, back on January 14th.

Monday night will also be a fund raiser for Kickapoo's Head Coach Stephanie Phillips. Coach Phillips is battling cancer and both Liberty and North are trying to raise as much money as they can for her and her family.

Liberty's Defense Too Much For Ray Pec

Liberty used a huge second quarter to extend a 12 point lead to 34 points at the half against visiting Ray Pec on Monday night and won 59-20. The Jays (16-6, 8-1) led 17-5 to end the first quarter but cranked up the defense, causing 21 first half turnovers, to lead 41-7 at halftime. In the third quarter Liberty extended their lead to to 43 points before sitting in a 2-3 zone the fourth quarter.

In the JV game, Liberty used the same type of defensive intensity to defeat the Panthers 48-17.

Jays Upset Blue Springs

Liberty used a great team effort to beat Class 5's #6 ranked team, Blue Springs, on the road to take sole possession of first place in the Suburban Big 7, 52-51. Liberty (15-6) improved to 7-1 in the league, knocking Blue Springs (15-3) to 6-2.

The Jays will try to build off of the big win when they finally return home for the last four games of the season, beginning with Ray-Pec on Monday at 7:00 p.m.

Kick The Poo Out Of Cancer

On Monday, February 15th, the Liberty girls basketball team will try to raise funds for Kickapoo Head Coach Stephanie Phillips and her battle with cancer. Coach Phillips recently had to take a leave of absence to spend time with her family and battle this disease.

Liberty (14-6, 6-1) will host Lee's Sumit North (14-4, 5-3) on that night at 7:00 p.m.

Liberty & Blue Springs Square Off Thursday

Liberty (14-6, 6-1) and Blue Springs(15-2, 6-1) will decide who is the front-runner for the Suburban Big 7 title on Thursday at Blue Springs when the two teams square off at 7:00 p.m. Both teams will enter the game with 6-1 Big 7 records and the winner will have a full one game lead on the other to decide the champion. Blue Springs is currently on a six game winning streak since losing to Liberty back on Januaray 4th. The Wildcats have won their last six games by an avearge of 25 points per game. Liberty enters the match up, winners of four of their last five.

Liberty Falls To #5 Rock Bridge

Liberty fought hard for four quarters but their struggles from the free throw line doomed them in the end. The Jays (14-6, 6-1) lost at the #5 ranked team in Class 5, Columbia Rock Bridge, (17-2) on Saturday, 41-37. Liberty was only able to make 5 of 17 free throws in the game and those proved to be the difference in the final, as Rock Bridge made 17 of 20 free throws.

Rock Bridge has defeated Liberty twice this season in very close games, also beating the Jays in the semi-finals of the Unilever Tournament in Jefferson City, 41-36.

Liberty now gets a few days to rest and practice before they travel to their final road game of the year at the #3 team in Class 5, Blue Springs, on Thursday night. Liberty and Blue Springs are tied at the top of the Suburban Big 7.

Jays Send Out Thoughts To Coach Phillips At Kickapoo

The coaching staff at Liberty would like to send our thoughts to Coach Phillips at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, MO. Liberty played Kickapoo in the first game of the season. Coach Phillips is in an ongoing battle with cancer and has stepped down to fight the disease and spend time with family.

http://www.news-leader.com/article/2010100127040

Lady Jays Congratulate Coach McCabe

The Liberty Lady Jays program would like to congratulate Coach Chris McCabe on being hired as the new boy's basketball coach at Liberty North High School. Coach McCabe is a huge supporter of the program and we wish him the best of luck. Coach McCabe is currently a Varsity Assistant with the Liberty boy's program.

Jays Get Sweep At Hickman Mills

Liberty went to Hickman Mills on Tuesday night and got a Junior Varsity/Varsity sweep over the Cougars. Liberty's Varsity team improved to 13-5 on the season with a 46-33 win over the #3 ranked team in Class 4. The Jays will get back into Big 7 play on Thursday when they travel to Lee's Summit.

Jays Remain In State Rankings

At 12-5, Liberty dropped from #6 to #7 in the latest Class 5 Missouri Sportswriters Poll. Liberty begins a very busy week on Tuesday when they travel to Hickman Mills. Hickman Mills is ranked #3 in Class 4 with a record of 14-4. On Thursday the Jays will look to get a season sweep over Lee's Summit. The Jays defeated the Tigers 38-36 at home in December. On Saturday, Liberty will travel to Columbia to face-off against the #5 team in Class 5, Rock Bridge. Rock Bridge defeated Liberty 41-36 in the Unilever Tournament in Jefferson City over Christmas break.

Jays Take Care Of Jaguars

Liberty used a huge second quarter to pull away from Blue Springs South in the 5th place game at the Blue Valley North Tournament, 62-45. The Jays (12-5, 5-1) outscored South 24-10 in the second quarter to erase an early five point deficit and take a 13 point lead into the locker room at halftime. The second half saw Liberty able to get the ball inside and shoot 13/19 from the field to extend their lead to 23 points midway through the fourth quarter.

Liberty will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Hickman Mills for another tough non-conference matchup. This game was changed from February 10th because of a scheduling conflict on that date. Hickman Mills defeated Blue Valley North in the 3rd place game of the tournament.

Liberty Handles Metro Academy

Liberty advanced to the Consolation Championship by defeating Metro Acadmey 53-28. The Jays (11-5, 5-1) will now face fellow Suburban Big 7 foe Blue Springs South on Friday at 4:00 p.m. in the 5th place game of the Blue Valley North tournament.

Jays Fall In BVN Opener

Liberty faced a familiar foe in the first round of the Blue Valley North Tournament. The Jays lost to O'Hara in a very tight, back and forth game, 39-38. In the first meeting between these two teams this season Liberty was able to defeat O'Hara in double overtime down in Springfield. Liberty (10-5, 5-1) will now face-off against Metro Academy at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Metro lost to the host school Blue Valley North in the first round 40-25.

Jays Bounce Back

It took a half of basketball for Liberty's defense to kick in but in the Jays were able to pull away in the 3rd quarter from Ray-Pec and defeat the Panthers 69-45 on Saturday. Liberty (10-4, 5-1) led 39-31 at halftime, which was the most points the Jays scored in a half this season.

The win on Saturday followed up the first Big 7 loss of the year from Thursday night at Lee's Summit North, 34-31. Liberty will be back in action this week when they open the Blue Valey North Tournament on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. against a familiar foe in O'Hara. Liberty defeated O'Hara 61-54 in double-overtime in the Kickapoo Classic.

Jays Set To Battle LSN

Liberty will take on Lee's Summit North tonight in another very tough road, Suburban Big 7 game. The Jays (9-3, 4-0) are coming off a 41-30 win over Blue Springs South Monday night and are looking to stay atop the Big 7 standings against the Bronchos (9-2, 3-1).

Liberty will to try to slow down the inside game of LSN's two post players, Ashley Creason (6'2")and Division I-bound Lauren Dudenhoeffer (6'0"-North Dakota State University). Along with fellow senior Codi Fritchie, these three plaeyrs account for 83% of the scoring for LSN.

After the LSN game Liberty will play their make-up game with Ray-Pec on Saturday, Jan. 16th at 12:30 p.m.

Jays Face Hot Blue Springs South Monday

Liberty will return to the court on Monday when they travel to Blue Springs to play at South. Both teams are coming into the game on winning streaks, with Liberty winning two in a row (Blue Springs and Lee's Summit West), while South has won three in a row (Ray Pec, Webster Groves, and Parkway South).

Liberty is currently 3-0 in Big Seven play while South is 1-2 in the Big Seven.

Weather Changes Jays Schedule

The Liberty basketball team will have some changes to their schedule due to the weather outside. Liberty's game at Ray-Pec tonight has been postponed until Saturday, Jan. 16th, when the JV will tip-off at 11:00 a.m. and the Varsity game will follow.

Liberty has also had to postpone their rematch with Columbia Rock Bridge from this Saturday, Jan. 9th until Saturday, Jan. 30th. Game times will remain the same, with JV tipping off at 1:00 p.m. and Varsity to follow.

The Jays will not practice Thursday or Friday this week and will look to get back into the gym Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, as they are getting ready for another Suburban Big 7 game at Blue Springs South Monday night.

Jays Knock Off Blue Springs

Liberty used a great first quarter and held on to defeat Blue Springs at home 46-39. The Jays (8-3, 3-0) jumped out on the Wildcats early in the game and took a 16-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. Blue Springs fought back and cut the lead to 20-16 at halftime. Another good start to the third quarter gave the Jays some breathing room and they were able to hold on down the stretch to snap Blue Springs 36 game Suburban Big 7 winning streak.

Liberty will play again on Thursday when the travel to Ray-Pec for another Big 7 game following the Junior Varsity game.

Liberty's JV team also used a strong first quarter and then finished strong to defeat Blue Springs by 12 in the first game of the night.

Liberty Jumps Back In To Big 7 Play Monday

Liberty will get right back into Suburban Big 7 play on Monday night when they host the defending conference champions Blue Springs at 7:00 p.m. The game will follow the Junior Varsity game at 5:30 p.m. The Jays will then play another conference game on Thursday when they travel to Ray-Pec for games at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Liberty is currently 2-0 in Big 7 play and 7-3 overall.