Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – There were a few tears shed in the Liberty High locker room on Monday as there often are following a season-ending loss.

For most of the Liberty High contingent the disappointment after a Class 5A quarterfinal loss to top-ranked Johnston quickly gave way to a sense of accomplishment for the best season in program history.

Eighth-ranked Liberty High had its storybook season come to a close with a 73-45 loss to defending state champion Johnston (24-0) at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“At the beginning of the year I don’t think anyone would have picked us to be here,” Liberty High coach Jaime Brandt said. “The fact that we battled all year long to get here was a huge accomplishment in itself and when we saw we were facing Johnston we prepared, we worked as hard as we could and we gave it our best shot but what a year for us to get here.”

Johnston stretched its winning streak to 50 games with the quarterfinal win over the Lightning on Monday.

The Dragons shot 70 percent in the first half and 57 percent for the game while advancing to the 5A semifinals for the eighth consecutive season.

“They are on a whole different level,” Brandt said. “They are just a really, really good, talented, aggressive basketball team. They’ve been here before, they are used to playing at Wells and they didn’t have the first-quarter jitters that we came out with.”

The result on Monday stung for the Lightning.

It didn’t overshadow what was a record-setting season for Liberty High.

Liberty High (17-7) set a single-season record for wins while advancing to the state tournament for the first time.

“Once you get there the first time you hope you have opened up the door,” Liberty High junior Natalie Ramsey said. “I look forward to continuing to come back here and continuing to improve each season. We’ve set a precedent and we will look to improve from here.”

Liberty High started a pair of seniors in Monday’s quarterfinal in guards Janessa Mosley and Maddie Casey.

Casey had a team-high 13 points in the quarterfinal loss, including four 3-pointers which added to her program-record 3-point count.

“That was our main goal just to make the state tournament, we weren’t focused on who we had to play so making it has been an amazing experience,” Maddie Casey said. “Yes we are disappointed but we accomplished our main goal and I think this is just the start for our program.”

Ramsey had 11 points and eight rebounds on Monday while sophomore guard Ava Casey had nine points and a team-high three assists.

Both return along with the rest of the Lightning roster that includes freshman Natalie Schechinger who had five points and two rebounds on Monday and juniors Madilyn Meyer and Kennedy Goodheart.

“I think next year is goal is going to be to make it here again,” Casey said. “After being here this year I don’t think there is any question that will be the goal again.”

Johnston jumped to a 15-1 lead and less than five minutes into the game.

The Dragons made 11-of-16 first-quarter field goal attempts and led 24-7 after the opening quarter.

Liberty High was just 2-of-15 from the floor in the opening quarter.

“They are just a different level,” Brandt said of Johnston. “We didn’t shoot the ball great in the first quarter and I think if some of those shots would have fallen early it would have given us a little bit of confidence but again, they are a very, very good basketball team. We gave it our best shot but it just wasn’t our day to beat them.”

Amani Jenkins had 16 point to lead three Johnston players in double figures.

Ari Phillips had 15 points and seven rebounds and Jaliya Kinnetz had 13 points while Jenica Lewis had eight points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Liberty High shot 33 percent from the floor in the game and was 8-of-25 from 3-point range.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Brandt said. “This group has just bought in from day one. Probably the closest team I have every coached. They love each other, our coaching staff respects and loves them and it’s just been a really, really fun year and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Liberty High             7   13  13  12  –  45

Johnston                   24  27  17   5   –  73

Liberty High (44) – Ava Casey 3-4 0-0 9, Janessa Mosley 1-2 0-0 2, Kennedy Goodheart 0-4 0-0 0, Natalie Ramsey 3-15 4-6 11, Maddie Casey 4-11 1-2 13, Natalie Schechinger 2-2 1-2 5, Brynlie Walker 1-1 0-0 2, Sydney Van Heukelom 0-0 2-2 2, Sydney Heiden 0-0 1-2 1, Totals 14-43 9-14 45.

Johnston (73) – Jenica Lewis 3-9 1-2 8, Ari Phillips 7-9 0-0 15, Adaya Phillips 4-5 0-0 8, Kelli Kalb 4-8 0-0 8, Amani Jenkins 7-10 1-1 16, Sidny Pohlman 1-2 0-0 3, Jaliyah Kinnetz 5-7 1-1 13, Paige Andernacht 1-3 0-0 2, Sydney Felice 0-2 0-0 0, Hannah Haxton 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 32-56 3-4 73.

3-point field goals – Liberty High 8-25 (A. Casey 3-4, Goodheart 0-4, Ramsey 1-5, M. Casey 4-10), Johnston 6-21 (Lewis 1-5, Ar. Phillips 1-1, Kalb 0-4, Jenkins 1-4, Pohlman 1-2, Felice 0-1, Kinnetz 2-4). Rebounds – Liberty High 22 (Ramsey 8), Johnston 33 (Ar. Phillips 7, Ad. Phillips 8). Assists – Liberty High 8 (A. Casey 3), Johnston 17 (Lewis 8). Total fouls – Liberty High 9, Johnston 11. Turnovers – Liberty High 14, Johnston 11. Fouled out – None.  Technical fouls – None.

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