Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – Leading into last season the big question for many people outside of the Liberty High football program was the quarterback position.

The Lightning had just graduated Graham Beckman who threw for better than 5,000 yards and 59 touchdowns in two seasons leading the offense.

Reece Rettig answered any questions about the quarterback production quickly and resoundingly last fall throwing for a school record 2,719 yards while leading Liberty High to the best season in program history.

Prior to his breakthrough junior season last fall Rettig spent two seasons as the varsity backup quarterback behind Beckman.

It was during those two seasons that Liberty High head coach Scott Chandler picked up on a trait that stood out about Rettig above any other.

“He’s hyper competitive,” Chandler explained. “I think that is something that takes one to know one a little bit and that’s kind of the way that I always was and that’s definitely the way he is.”

The competitive nature for Rettig developed out of necessity.

Rettig grew up with two younger brothers and admits he never wanted to lose to either at anything.

By the time Rettig hit high school athletics he had developed a competitive nature that set him apart.

“You don’t play something to tie, you don’t play something for fun I think you play to win,” Rettig said. “It’s more fun to win and that’s obviously what we are trying to do.”

Even while spending two seasons as the backup to the best quarterback in program history Rettig refused to quite competing.

When he finally got his opportunity to lead the Lightning offense last season Rettig used that competitiveness to immediately carve out a leadership role.

“He wants to win everything, if it’s a sprint in practice, if it’s one competition period, whatever it is he wants to win,” Chandler said. “I think that really permeates your team especially when you see one of our leaders doing that.”

In his first season as a starter Rettig quickly established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the state.

Rettig led Class 5A in quarterback rating (202.8) and total offensive yards (3,272) last season and ranked second in passing yards, passing touchdowns (32) and total offensive touchdowns (39).

He was one of only two quarterbacks in the state to pass for 2,500 yards and rush for at least 450 yards, finishing with 482 yards and six touchdowns on his way to earning second team Class 5A all-state honors.

Rettig didn’t care about those numbers.

The only thing he did care about was winning and the Lightning did more of that last season than any time in program history, going 10-2 and reaching the 5A semifinals for the first time.

“I don’t think it matters what accolades I get or anything like that, I only care about winning,” Rettig said. “I don’t care if I throw for however many yards, I’d rather win the game and hand the ball off 50 times than throw five touchdowns and win the game. I want to win and I really don’t care how.”

A three-sport athlete that also plays basketball and baseball, Rettig started his offseason by studying the film to see where he could improve.

Even coming off the best season for a quarterback in the state Rettig was far from satisfied.

“We go over the plays that we struggled with and even on the good plays, I’ll see we got 20 yards but it could have gone for 50,” Rettig explained. We are always nit-picking stuff and I think that is the competitive piece in us.”

Rettig enters his second season as the starter a little bit bigger and stronger at 5-foot-10, 175-pounds but a lot more experienced and a lot more comfortable.

“He’s improved just understanding our offense and the more time you are in it the more you understand it, that happens at every level,” Chandler said. “As a who was already pretty far along, probably further along than anybody we’ve had he’s just continued to grow there.”

Rettig completed an impressive 73 percent of his passes last season (185-of-253) and had 32 touchdowns to just three interceptions while averaging 14.7 yards per completion.

Chandler believes Rettig will be even better throwing the ball this season.

“I think where I’ve seen him improve this offseason is throwing the football,” Chandler said. “I think he got better as the season went on last year, he got more confident and I think he’s got the ability to do it some of it was just questioning ‘am I putting enough behind this ball’ but I’ve seen him grow a lot there.”

The goal for Rettig remains the same as always – win.

He says his competitiveness coupled with the success last season has Liberty High seeking more winning than ever before.

“I think it has rubbed off on other people,” Rettig said. “We have a lot of guys that really want to win. It’s no secret what we are trying to do.”

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