By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
After kicking off their title defense with a 75-45 victory over the Topeka Tropics, the Salina Liberty will hit the road for the first time in 2023 with a trip to Sioux City on Saturday evening at 7:00.
The reigning champs looked excellent offensively a week ago, with rookie QB Jerod Evans earning CIF Offensive Player of the Week honors in the win.
“We put up a lot of offense in our first game and I was very happy with how well Jerod performed especially on so few practices,” Liberty head coach Heron O’Neal said. “It’s a testament to how quick of a study he is. He’s been willing to come here and learn a new offense on short notice and as the game went on he got very comfortable.”
While Salina did concede 45 points on the defensive end, some of that effort was compromised by their lack of a true kicker, as star wideout D-Wash assumed emergency kicking duties last week.
“It was hard to judge our defense in this game just because of the kind of field position we gave up,” O’Neal said. “We struggled a lot and Topeka executed a good offensive gameplan but the field position from our kickoff team has to improve, especially against explosive offenses.”
With a win in hand, the Liberty will go from facing one of the newest teams in the league, to one of its oldest as they get set for a duel with a Sioux City team that looks very similar to last year’s Bandits.
“Sioux City is the most veteran team in the league again this year and that showed with their win total last season,” he said. “They have a lot of veteran ballplayers that know how to play the game and that have played in big games. That’s a testament to their coaching staff and the recruitment they’ve done to bring back a veteran at every position.”
On offense, Salina will have to contend with the likes of Dajon Emory, Claude Davis, and Devon Bridges, who all ran amok in a 75-34 win over the Marshals last week.
“We have to understand what they’re trying to do defensively and we can’t turn the ball over and expect to win,” O’Neal said. “We also have to find a way to win the special teams battle against a team that’s very good in that area.”
On the other side of things, the Liberty will be tasked with corralling new Bandit QB Tasleem Wilson, who fills out an explosive backfield alongside long-time vet Fred Bruno.
In enemy territory on the road, this game will prove to be a real test for Salina, who will look to bring a win back home against one of the league’s big three on Saturday.
“Our poise in our first road game will be critical and it’ll be interesting to see how these young guys handle the travel and playing in hostile territory,” O’Neal said. “We’re also trying to improve upon what we did last week, we feel like we left some points on the board and defensively we didn’t have our best game.”
Kickoff between the Liberty and Bandits is set for 7:00 in Sioux City on Saturday night, and the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.