Jul 01, 2023

Salina's Heron O'Neal collects CIF Coach of the Year honors

Posted Jul 01, 2023 6:54 PM

By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor

Another thrilling season of Champions Indoor football is officially in the books, and Salina Liberty head coach Heron O'Neal will have yet another piece of hardware to add to his collection after being named Co-Head Coach of the Year.

Alongside Gillette HC Cedric Walker, O'Neal collects the third Coach of the Year honor of his career, and his second while with the Liberty (2019).

Under his direction, Salina improved from 3-21 in their first two seasons, to 49-17 over their last five campaigns, including a 6-4 postseason record, four straight championship appearances, and a title in 2022.

This year's team saw more of the success that the Salina faithful have come to expect, finishing second in the league with an 8-2 regular season record, and finishing runner-up to the eventual champion Omaha Beef.

The Liberty finished out the year second in scoring offense (45.5 ppg), and in total offense (220 yds/g), while holding opponents to just 210 yards per game on defense.