Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – The wait for week one is long for any football team.

It starts with winter conditioning is followed by summer workouts and finally fall camp.

For Liberty High the wait has been longer than most.

That wait ends on Friday when Liberty High travels across town to face City High in the first varsity contest in program history.

“Our coaching staff spent a lot of nights in the bleachers watching other teams,” Liberty High coach Jeff Gordon said. “Now it’s our job, it’s our opportunity.”

The waiting started more than two years ago before the Lightning had a high school or even a field of their own.

There were 21 freshmen on the original Liberty High roster, 15 of which will make their varsity debut on Friday evening.   

“I’ve been waiting every day,” junior Jack Ankenbauer said. “We couldn’t wait to get to this point, to get into our stadium and to be able to play a varsity game.”

Liberty High opened its doors nearly a year ago today.

Varsity sports began last fall for the volleyball, golf and cross country teams.

The football players had to wait.

Liberty High played a sophomore/freshman schedule last season posting a 6-3 record while playing games on the fields at City High and West High.

They practiced at Van Allen Elementary and North Central Junior High. It was all part of the wait.

“Mentally it was hard to wait when all the other teams were playing and other sports were playing varsity last fall,” Liberty High junior linebacker Dawson Zimmerman said. “It was pretty tough.”
The wait was tough but worth it.

Liberty High is scheduled to play its home opener at its sparkling new stadium on August 31 against Waterloo East.

The Lightning have been practicing inside the state of the art facility for several weeks as crews put the finishing touches on the exterior area around the stadium.

“I can’t wait to be able to run out here and see all the people in the stands,” Zimmerman said. “That’s what we’ve been waiting for all this time.”

First up for Liberty High is a marquee opener against City High at Bates Field.

“There are going to be some nerves,” Zimmerman said. “We know a lot of people over there and it’s going to be nice to play that game and if we come out victorious it’s going to be amazing.

What will Liberty High look like in year one.

The Lightning say the calling card for the program will be tough, hard-nosed football.

“We just to go out and play hard and hit,” Ankenbauer said. “We aren’t going to be the fastest, we aren’t going to be the strongest team but we just have to play with heart and everyone has to do their job.”