Liberty (MO) Men's Basketball

Pre-Season Meeting Scheduled

2011-08-23T07:25:00.003-05:00

There will be a boys basketball meeting after school at 3:00 in the gym on Wednesday, Aug. 24th. If you are not involved in a fall sport your attendance is required. The meeting will last 15 mins.

On to Sectionals for BlueJays

2011-02-28T21:54:00.002-06:00

After claiming a District Championship against Kearney Friday night, it's on to Sectionals this Wednesday. Liberty will play Park Hill South at the Independence Events Center at 3:00. The Tribune's Chris Geinosky wrote the following article:

http://www.kccommunitynews.com/liberty-tribune-sports/27023149/detail.html#

BlueJays Win Battle Against Bears

2011-02-23T20:56:00.002-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays started their post-season journey with an 86-54 win against William Chrisman. A good shooting night, solid defense, and balanced scoring aided the Jays. Five players posted double digit scoring led by Isaiah Norfleet with 18 points. Jordan Lewis had 13, Denton Koon and Austin Weese each had 11 and Max Francisco chipped in 10.

An on-line article written by the Tribune's Chris Geinosky is posted here:

http://www.kccommunitynews.com/liberty-tribune-sports/26973972/detail.html

Up next are the Kearney Bulldogs Friday night for the district championship at 8pm at Winnetonka HS. The Lady Jays face Kearney at 6pm.

Jays Win Battle vs Bulldogs

2011-02-18T21:54:00.003-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays win their last regular season game against the Grandview Bulldogs Friday night by a score of 77-61. After a fairly even first quarter, the Jays were ahead 14-10, Liberty dominated the 2nd frame winning it 21-4. The lead for the Jays peaked at 29 midway through the 3rd quarter.

Leading scorers for the game were Denton Koon with 27, Isaiah Norfleet, 19, and Jordan Lewis with 15 points.

Up next for Liberty is District #15 play on Wednesday, Feb 23rd at Winnetonka. The opponent will be either North Kansas City or William Chrisman.

Jays Power Way to Win vs Ray-Pec

2011-02-16T08:07:00.002-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays played a solid 4 quarters of basketball Tuesday night in their effort to defeat the Panthers of Ray-Pec. The Jays were victorious 69-57. Leading scorers for the game were Isaiah Norfleet with 14 points, Jordan Lewis, 14, Ben Hansen, 10, and Max Francisco and Denton Koon each finished with 9.

Overall, the Jays played with a lot of poise and toughness. Things didn't always go their way as the Panthers forced the BlueJays into a plethora turnovers but a hot shooting night overcame some adversity. The Jays made 65% of their shots in the 1st half and finished the game by converting 56% from the field.

"Besides passing the ball to them too many times, we had 17 assists on 22 field goals for the game," stated Coach Stirtz. "That's a very acceptable number of assists for a game. Overall, our staff was very pleased with how we played with great effort and pride. Austin Weese, Brandon Chapman, Francisco, Norfleet, and Koon really battled in the paint. Our guards played solid perimeter defense and that was a big factor in the outcome too."

The Jays close out the regular season this Friday night at Grandview.

Note: The video above is of Ben Hansen's remarkable 'And 1'.

Senior Night Article is On-line

2011-02-16T08:04:00.002-06:00

You can read Chris Geinosky's story on Senior Night 2011 at the link listed below.

http://www.kccommunitynews.com/liberty-tribune-sports/26878667/detail.html

BlueJays Considered for Team of the Week

2011-02-14T08:43:00.002-06:00

Today is the last day to vote on the survey on http://www.kmbc.com/ to see which of the four teams will be highlighted on the news this week. You can vote as often as possible. Here are the current standings:

Which team deserves to be in the Hy-Vee Hoops spotlight?

Votes
Percentage of 3,163 Votes
Liberty - Boys
1,169
37%
Truman - Girls
1,445
46%
Shawnee Mission South - Boys
268
8%
Wyandotte - Girls
281
9%

District Games are Announced

2011-02-12T19:59:00.003-06:00

The Class 5, District 15 seeds were determined Saturday at the host school, Winnetonka. Earning the #1 seed was Winnetonka; #2, Liberty; #3, North Kansas City; #4, Kearney; #5, Fort Osage; #6, William Chrisman. The tournament dates are set for Monday, Feb. 21st, Wednesday, Feb 23rd, and Friday, Feb 25th.

Mon. Feb 21st: 5:30pm: North Kansas City vs William Chrisman

7:00pm: Kearney vs Fort Osage

Wed. Feb 23rd: 5:30pm: Liberty vs NKC/WC winner

7:00pm: Winnetonka vs Kearney/Fort Osage winner

Fri. Feb 25th: 8:00pm: Boy's Championship

Seniors Go Out in Style

2011-02-11T21:40:00.004-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays, after a slow start, beat the St Joe Central Indians at Cokely Fieldhouse tonight 73-62 in front of another capacity crowd. The performance by the Jays was a little extra special because of Senior Night 2011.

"I thought our seniors played well. Their desire to succeed tonight was impressive to me. They took a lot of pride in making sure their last game at Cokely was a "W". Each senior had the opportunity to speak to the team about what this game meant to them. It was very inspiring and motivating and I think it showed on the court," remarked Coach Stirtz.

After a sluggish opening quarter, which concluding with the Jays down by 4 points and only scoring 10 points, Liberty bounced back with a 22 point second quarter. However, the defense allowed the Indians 20 points so the deficit was 2 at halftime. After being in early foul trouble, Jordan Lewis had a 9 point 2nd quarter and teamed with Isaiah Norfleet who had 10 points in the frame.

The third quarter belonged to the Jays who out-scored the St Joe 23-10. Eleven points in the quarter by Denton Koon was the big difference. "The big key to our 2nd half performance was our defense. We took some pride on stopping our man and being mid-line to help much better. Our defensive boards were key to enable us to get our transition offense going," stated Coach Simpson.

Overall, Norfleet led the Jays with 24 points, followed by Koon with 21 and Lewis with 18.

Up next are road trips to Ray-Pec on Tuesday and Grandview on Friday of next week.

Senior Night at Cokely

2011-02-11T12:21:00.004-06:00

Tonight will be the last home game for our six outstanding Seniors. Derrick Johnson, Austin Weese, Jordan Lewis, Ben Hansen, Isaiah Norfleet and Denton Koon will tip off against St. Joe Central this evening. Another capacity crowd is expected so arrive early to get a great seat. In addition, the ceremony honoring our seniors will take place immediately after the Junior Varsity game is completed.

Go Jays!

District Tourney Information

2011-02-07T12:10:00.003-06:00

The following schools will participate in the Class 5 District #15 boy's basketball tournament at Winnetonka HS: Winnetonka, Fort Osage, North Kansas City, William Chrisman, Kearney, and Liberty. The seed meeting will be this Saturday. Here are the dates and times of possible games:

Monday, Feb 21st: Seed #6 vs Seed #3 @ 5:30pm. Seed #5 vs Seed #4 @ 7:00pm

Wednesday, Feb 23rd: Semifinal upper bracket including Seed #1, @ 5:30. Semifinal lower bracket including Seed #2, @ 7:00

Friday, Feb 25th: Boy's Championship Game @ 8:00pm

Total bracket information can be located on the following website:

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictWinners.aspx?alg=5&class=5

Great Crowd Cheers Jays to Courtwarming Win

2011-02-05T06:27:00.003-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays won their Courtwarming game over the Blue Springs Wildcats 65-49 Friday night. With a packed Cokely Fieldhouse and the Cokely Crazies in full force, it was a great atmosphere for high school basketball.

The Wildcats started the game off strong with a solid first half, especially a good first quarter. They had a one point edge after the first frame. Ben Hansen's 4 free-throws, Denton Koon's 5 points and Max Francisco's 4 points kept it close during the opening quarter. Then Jordan Lewis caught fire in the 2nd quarter. He scored 10 points and a Hansen deep 3 pointer helped the Jays edge in front 32-29 by halftime.

The second half was owned by Liberty who at times stretched their lead close to 20 points. Isaiah Norfleet did some damage to the Wildcats in the 2nd half by scoring 11 points.

In the end the Jays had 4 players in double figures: Lewis, 17 pts; Norfleet, 15 pts; Koon, 13 pts; and Hansen, 12 pts.

"The staff was very pleased with how we played in the 2nd half. We were very close to playing some good basketball in the first half too, but we just made some simple mistakes that Blue Springs capitalized on. We corrected those mistakes in the 2nd half. We were very pleased with how Austin Weese and Max Francisco guarded their post player. He's big, strong, and very active. We thought our guys played with a lot of intensity and that helped them win the battle," stated Coach Stirtz. "We would like to thank our great fans for coming out to Cokely to pack the Fieldhouse."

Up next for the Jays are their last two home games of the season. Liberty hosts Columbia Hickman on Wednesday and St Joe Central on Friday, which will be Senior Night.

Revised 9th Grade 'B' Team Tourney Schedule

2011-01-31T14:47:00.003-06:00

The following is the revised tournament schedule for the 9th grade 'B' team:

All game will be played at the Blue Springs 9th grade center.

Liberty vs LSN, Feb 3rd, 5:30pm, North gym;
If win-Feb 4th, 5:30pm, South gym
If lose-Feb 4th, 5:30pm, North gym
Final round games will be held in both gyms, at either 4pm or 5:30 pm, on Feb 7th.

Go Jays!

BlueJays Tackle Tigers 58-43

2011-01-29T06:54:00.007-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays used a strong and consistent beginning to the game to beat the Lee's Summit Tigers 58-43 Friday night at Lee's Summit. In the opening quarter Ben Hansen made 2 three point shots and Kyle Rutliff added another to help the Jays to a 19-4 edge at the end of the 1st quarter. Although the BlueJays offense wasn't as productive in the second frame, the Jays still held a 25-12 lead at halftime.

The Tigers mounted a solid comeback in the 3rd quarter and cut their deficit to as few as 5 but an old-fashioned three point play by Denton Koon stopped their run. In addition to Koon's play, the defense, who played an outstanding game of controlling Lee's Summit's shooters, stepped up and got some keys stops and rebounds.

Koon led the way with 20 points, Hansen finished with 10, Jordan Lewis with 9, and Rutliff had 8. The Jays made 22 out of 38 shots (58%) and were an efficient 5-10 from beyond the arc. Liberty held the Tigers to a 37% field goal percentage and had a 32-17 edge on the boards.

The Jays travel to Blue Springs South next Tuesday and then are back home against Blue Springs for Courtwarming.

In the JV game, the BlueJays scored the last 13 points of the game to win 56-42. Up by one point at the time, the Jays played great defense, made their lay ups and free-throws to ice the game.

Congrats Jays on two very solid wins!

Miracle Finish by the Jays

2011-01-25T21:28:00.003-06:00

A Ben Hansen tip-in at the buzzer lifted the BlueJays to victory over a tough and talented Park Hill squad tonight at Cokely by a score of 48-47. Down by as many as 5 points late in the game, the Trojans mounted a strong comeback to take a 1 point lead with 17 seconds left. But a foul on Park Hill gave the ball back to the Jays with plenty of time to a shot and 2 tip-in attempts to win the game. The shot and first tip-in were unsuccessful but Hansen delivered at the buzzer for the game winner. It was his 9th point of the night.

Leading scorers in the game were Flint of PH with 22, Koon of LHS with 15 and Nsenki of PH with 14.

The BlueJays would like to thank the Cokely Crazies for an awesome 'White Out' game and all the fans for supporting our Coaches vs Cancer contest.

Up next are the Tigers of Lee's Summit on Friday. Go Jays.

Coaches vs Cancer Game Tonight

2011-01-25T12:15:00.003-06:00

On the court this evening, Liberty will face off against Park Hill, but in a bigger contest the Jays and Trojans will join forces to battle cancer. Coaches from both teams have joined the fight against the disease during Coaches vs Cancer week. The following is some information about tonight's game:

· Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.
· Over 2000 Div I, II and III collegiate coaches participate
· Over 100 high school coaches participate
· Coaches wear sneakers to raise awareness
· Started by Norm Stewart in 1993
· Coaches vs. Cancer has raised nearly $50 million since its inception to support the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a life-threatening disease.
· Our goal is to raise $1000 tonight to contribute to the cause.

For more information about the cause, click on the following link:

http://www.cancer.org/Involved/Participate/CoachesvsCancer/about-coaches-vs-cancer

We look forward to seeing you at Cokely tonight and supporting the fight against cancer.

30 Point Scorers

2011-01-24T21:33:00.004-06:00

Blue Jay Basketball Quiz Question:

Can you name the last four players to score 30 or more points in a game?

1. Denton Koon- 2011 vs St Joe Central; 34 points

2. Adam Trout- 2000 vs Lee's Summit North; 32 points

3. Nick Larson- 2006 vs William Chrisman; 31 points

4. Shaun Adams- 2009 vs William Chrisman; 30 points

Jays Battle Back to Beat SJC

2011-01-22T06:58:00.002-06:00

After a solid first half against St Joe Central, which gave Liberty a nine point halftime lead, the Indians outscored the Jays 23-13 in the 3rd quarter. This made for an exciting game down the stretch. With the momentum in favor of SJC, the Jays used a left-handed tomahawk dunk by Denton Koon to get the Jays going again. Koon's dunk, along with his 32 other points, sparked the Jays and they won 66-61. For more about the game click on the link below:

http://www.kccommunitynews.com/liberty-tribune/26578879/detail.html#

The CW Stessman tourney was pleased to announce the members of the all-tournament team and the 2011 Hustle Award winner.

All-Tourney team

T. Kalinoski- Olathe East

C. Cook- Olathe East

A. Wiggins- Leavenworth

A. Jordan- Raytown

D. Koon- Liberty

Hustle Award Winner

A. Greenburg- Leavenworth

Tourney Is On As Scheduled

2011-01-20T10:21:00.002-06:00

The CW Stessman Tourney is on as scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20th.

Kearney vs Center @ 4:00pm

Raytown vs Staley @ 5:30pm

Leavenworth vs St. Joe Central @ 7:00pm

Liberty vs Olathe East @ 8:30pm

BlueJays Sting Yellowjackets

2011-01-19T11:52:00.002-06:00

The Jays won their opening round game of the CW Stessman basketball tourney 76-62 Tuesday night against Center. Players in double figure scoring were: Denton Koon, 22 pts; Isaiah Norfleet, 19 pts; Jordan Lewis, 14 pts.

For an on-line story about the game visit the Liberty Tribune website at the following link:

http://www.libertytribune.com/sports/boys-basketball/c.w.-stessman-tourney-update-first-round.html

Up next for the BlueJays is Olathe East on Thursday at 8:30pm. Go Jays.

Schedule for Wednesday, Jan. 12th

2011-01-11T21:39:00.003-06:00

Practice will begin @ 2:00 following the girl's practice. It will be over by 4:15. Players must contact their coach if you can't make it due to the road conditions.

Schedule for Tuesday, Jan 11th

2011-01-11T08:44:00.003-06:00

There will be practice today, Jan. 11th, from Noon-2:15. The gym will open at 11:15am. If you are unable to make it to practice due to the road conditions, you must contact your coach. The Sophomore game vs LS West has been cancelled. A make up date has yet to be determined.

Tournament Brackets

2011-01-10T13:49:00.003-06:00

The JV and Varsity teams will be participating and hosting tournaments next week. The JV team will travel to William Chrisman HS on Monday, Jan. 17th and play Fort Osage at Noon. The winner of the game will play at Thursday, Jan 20th at 6:30.

The Varsity Jays will the CW Stessman tournament beginning Tuesday, Jan 18th. The Jays will play the Center Yellowjackets at 8:30 on Tuesday. A solid field has been selected to play in the tourney. Such teams as St Joe Central, Olathe East, Leavenworth, Staley, Raytown (under the direction of former LHS JV coach Brandon Weis), and last year's State Champions, Kearney will make for an excellent tourney.

The brackets can be found on the athletic website soon. http://athletics.liberty.k12.mo.us/jaysmbasketball

Weather Cancels Activities

2011-01-10T10:34:00.003-06:00

There will be no practice for the HS team today and the 9th grade games vs Park Hill have been cancelled. Also, the gift exhange for the HS team will be postponed. Practices and games will resume tomorrow.

BlueJays Tame Panthers

2011-01-05T21:28:00.004-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays displayed some heart and pride in defeating Park Hill South tonight at Cokely Fieldhouse by the score of 65-60. The Jays did not play well in the first half. Missing some layups and free-throws put them down by 12 at halftime. The 3rd quarter wasn't much better as Liberty trailed by as many as 18 points. However, the Jays didn't quit and battled back and made it a very exciting finish. Three players, Jordan Lewis, Ben Hansen, and most of all, Brandon Chapman hit some key three pointers to mount the comeback. Overall, the Jays won the 4th quarter 19-8 and scored the last 8 points of regulation to force overtime. It was Chapman's 3 with 15 secs left that knotted the game at 56 and then a great defensive play by Hansen to steal a pass and extend the game 4 more minutes.
In overtime, baskets by Denton Koon and Isaiah Norfleet gave the edge to the Jays and then Lewis made 4 of 4 free-throws to seal the game. Lewis finished with 16 and Norfleet had 13.
There's no rest for Liberty as they travel to Lee's Summit North on Friday in a huge conference game.
In addition, the Junior Varsity and Sophomore teams won this evening at Cokely. The Freshman team won as well against PH South 55-48.

BlueJays Tame Wildcats

2011-01-05T08:21:00.002-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays got back into conference action Tuesday night with a road trip to Blue Springs. The Jays were victorious by a score of 63-40. Three players were in double figure scoring: Jordan Lewis, 16 pts; Denton Koon, 14 pts; Isaiah Norfleet, 12 pts.

"We were pleased with how we passed and shared the ball on offense and we thought the players did a very nice job of following the scouting report on defense. Overall, any time you can get a road win in our conference it's a quality win," stated Coach Stirtz.

Up next for the Jays is Park Hill South and Cokely Fieldhouse tonight.

Big Week for the BlueJays

2011-01-04T12:27:00.002-06:00

The Jays begin a busy week of action this evening at Blue Springs then it's home contest verses Park Hill South on Wednesday. On Friday the Jays travel to Lee's Summit North to battle the Broncos.

Get your updates on the blog or twitter throughout the week.

Go Jays.

Pictures from the WJC Tourney

2010-12-31T19:44:00.005-06:00

These are two of the great pictures taken by Jeff Billings, Marty Williams, and Jack Smith of KCSC Sports. Above, Liberty's Brandon Chapman gets fouled in the act of shooting, makes the shot and the free-throw to complete a huge old fashioned three-point play.

You can view these and other outstanding pictures at http://www.kcscsports.net/

Jays Go Down in Defeat to Bulldogs

2010-12-30T23:32:00.002-06:00

The Jays struggled in the championship game against Grandview in the William Jewell College tournament losing 54-38. The BlueJays had a disappointing display of offense shooting only 32% from the field and making only 1 of 15 three point attempts. Leading scorers for the Jays were Isaiah Norfleet with 13 points and Jordan Lewis with 11.

Denton Koon and Lewis earned All-Tournament Team honors. Norfleet, who led the Jays in scoring two out of the three games, also played well.

Up next is a three game week beginning with road games to Blue Springs and Lee's Summit North on Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesday Liberty hosts Park Hill South.

Jays Advance to Title Game

2010-12-29T23:47:00.003-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays advanced to the championship game of the WJC Tourney with a 59-57 win over Park Hill. Leading scorers were Denton Koon with 17 points and Jordan Lewis with 15. Koon also grabbed 11 rebounds. Austin Weese and Ben Hansen combined for 17 timely points. But it was Junior Brandon Chapman's old fashion three point play that put the Jays up late in the game. Then the Trojans made a remarkable 3 pointer to tie the game with 17 seconds left. With 6 seconds left Chapman found an open Hansen who was fouled and he made both free throws to give the Jays the edge.
In the championship game, the Jays will face Grandview at 9pm on Thursday, Dec. 30th. Go Jays.

BlueJays Sink Vikings

2010-12-18T13:49:00.004-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays battled Shawnee Mission West in the 10:30am game of the Hy-Vee Shootout at Avila University. Liberty won 68-47. The Jays led from the beginning going up 7-0 and then 16-6 by the end of the first quarter. Jordan Lewis' opening three pointers helped get the Jays rolling on the offensive end but it an intense defense that was the main difference in the game. The BlueJays went on to lead by 14 at halftime thanks to Denton Koon's 10 first half points. The third quarter belonged to Isaiah Norfleet as he scored 9 points in the quarter. Koon finished with 20 points, Norfleet with 13, Lewis with 11. Austin Weese and Kyle Rutliff each added 8 points.

"The staff was pleased with our defensive execution this morning," mentioned Coach Phil Simpson. "Our players have had the opportunity to focus on defense for the 97% of the last three practices and our performance showed the positive attitude, maturity, and leadership skills they possess."

In a surprise ceremony immediately after the game, Denton Koon was awarded the Hy-Vee Scholar/Athlete scholarship for his excellence in the classroom and on the court. Congrats and well deserved!

Up next for the Jays: Blue Spring South at Cokely on Tuesday, Dec.21st.

Blue Jay Basketball News

2010-12-16T21:30:00.003-06:00

Updates from the Liberty Basketball Program

The Jays will face St. Pius in the first round of the William Jewell Tournament. Game time is set for 7:30pm on Monday, Dec. 27th.

The Freshman team defeated Platte County 61-7 last night.

The Freshman host Liberty North at LHS Friday night at 7pm.

For the past 17 years BlueJay basketball players have donated a Saturday morning to give back to their community as helpers in the Mayor's Christmas Tree Food Drive. Players assisted in moving and delivering close to 500 boxes of food. Pictured above is Sam G. loading a box.

Up next for the Varsity Jays is the Hy-Vee Shootout at Avila University. Liberty plays SM West at 10:30am.

Freshmen Jays Win Championship

2010-12-12T10:50:00.003-06:00

The LJHS Freshmen won the championship game of the Park Hill tournament Friday night by defeating Park Hill South 45-44. The Jays started out a little slow and by got down 9-12 at the end of the first quarter but they responded well in the 2nd quarter. Brady Newland hit a baseline jumper and 2 3's in about a 90 second span and we were up 27-20 at half. Liberty led by about 5 for the rest of the game until the last 3 minutes. The Jays got down by 1 with about 90 seconds left and were forced to trap on defense for the first time all game. It resulted in a turnover for PHS with 50 seconds left. A play designed with multiple options was called and Reece Frizzell got the ball inside and scored to put them up 1 with 15 seconds left. The BlueJays ran the same defense again and tipped the pass on the double team. They ran the ball down and PHS had to foul with 3 seconds left, clinching the game.
"We put forth a solid effort, and I really think we will grow from this experience", mentioned Coach Rouse. "I was very impressed with the effort we put forth. It was a great test for us".

Jays 'Find a Way'

2010-12-07T21:34:00.003-06:00

The opening of conference play could not have been more exciting as the Jays hosted the Lee's Summit North Broncos at Cokely Fieldhouse. With LSN scoring the first 8 points of the game it looked like the Jays could be in for a long night. However, they bounced back strong and actually had a 3 point lead after the 1st quarter thanks in part to Jordan Lewis' 9 points. It was back and forth during the 2nd but LHS held on to a 1 point lead at halftime. Isaiah Norfleet hit a layup at the buzzer giving the Jays the slight edge. During the 2nd half the consistent BlueJays played better on both ends of the floor pushing their lead to 9 points. But the Broncos wouldn't go away for long. They stepped up the defensive pressure and forced the Jays to take some quick shots. This helped them regain the lead in the 4th quarter. However, Denton Koon saved his best basketball for the end and along with Brandon Chapman taking a big charge late in the game, the BlueJays prevailed 66-63. Lewis led the team in scoring with 26, followed by Koon with 16, and Norfleet with 12. "I'm satisfied with the win tonight primarily because we showed some heart and effort this evening. This is not the easiest way to begin a season with 3 games at Kickapoo and one day of practice before an extremely tough conference opponent but I need to acknowledge the determination of our players and credit them for a nice performance," remarked Coach Stirtz. Next up for the Jays is Lee's Summit on Tuesday, Dec. 14th.

Kickapoo Classic

2010-12-05T12:35:00.002-06:00

The Liberty BlueJays had a good opening weekend of the 2010 basketball season by winning two out of three games at the Springfield Kickapoo Classic.
The Jays began play with a matchup against Springdale Har-ber. The Wildcats had already played 3 games so they had the first game 'jitters' out of the way. But that didn't phase the Jays as they raced to a 44-27 lead at halftime. They extended to 27 points during the second half and finished with a 82-59 final. Denton Koon and Jordan Lewis each had 18 points and Isaiah Norfleet had 12. Each member of the team scored in the game.
Friday night's game against Fayetteville, Ark. was a big test. With the largest lead of the game being 5 points, it was a back and forth battle. Down 1 with 10 seconds to play, the Jays had their chance but ended up losing 57-59. Again, the top 3 scorers were Koon, 20 pts; Lewis, 16 pts; and Norfleet, 13 pts.
Next the BlueJays faced St. Louis Imagine College Prep in a Saturday afternoon finale. They rebounded from a bitter defeat the night before by dominating the first quarter 23-13. However, the Bears bounced back and cut the lead to 2 by halftime. But the opening play in the 3rd quarter, a dunk by Koon, spurred on the Jays and they continued to execute well in the 2nd half and win 69-52. A huge performance by Kyle Rutliff, 16 points, and Lewis, 23 points helped the cause.
Lewis was selected for the All-Tournament Team for his outstanding play.
The Jays have no time to rest as they open up conference play at Cokely Fieldhouse on Tuesday night against one of the best teams in the Metro, Lee's Summit North. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm.

Tip-Off Dinner Moves Outdoors

2010-11-28T20:10:00.003-06:00

The Blue Jay Basketball program annually begins the season with a "Tip-Off" dinner and this year it took place in a slightly different format. Steve, Traci and Denton Koon hosted a bonfire and cookout Sunday evening and it was enjoyed by all the players and staff.
Kyle Rutliff, a Junior guard, stated, "The dinner was a perfect way to get the season going. Hanging around the fire was a great bonding experience and it gave us time to hangout outside of the basketball court."
Malcolm Mustin, a Junior forward, said, "It was a fun time. It helps our team chemistry and team bonding. There was a lot of fun interaction between the guys around the fire and then playing games once we moved inside."
The Jays get the season started Tuesday with a Sophomore game at Rockhurst. The Varsity Jays travel to Springfield on Thursday to play in the Kickapoo Classic over the weekend. Check the blog/twitter for updates.

Jays/Lady Jays Host Successful Scrimmage

2010-11-19T21:56:00.003-06:00

The boy's and girl's basketball programs hosted their annual Blue-White Scrimmage Friday evening at Cokely Fieldhouse. A great crowd turned out for a preview of the 2010 teams.
Games began with the Sophomore boys under the direction of Coach Brandon Smith. Junior Varsity Coach Kevin Baker had his players go next. Both teams excuted well offensively, played hard defense, and took care of the basketball.
After the JV game, the boys team out-shot the girls team in the 3 point contest. The winning team of Kyle Rutliff, Jordan Lewis, Denton Koon, and Ben Hansen captured the traveling trophy. They are pictured in the same order above.
Next up was the varsity squad. The Blue team battled back from an early and large deficit to force an 18-18 tie. Coach Simpson summed up his comments. "As a coaching staff, we were pleased with some of the results, however, there's a lot of room for improvement. Some of our intentions were good, but the execution on both ends of the floor needs to get to the next level quickly."
The night ended with over 100 Blue Jay t-shirts being won by fans for making a free-throw.
The Jays would like to thank all the fans who came out to Cokely to watch. Go JAYS!

Blue/White Scrimmage Details

2010-11-16T12:28:00.005-06:00

The Blue Jay and Lady Jay Basketball programs will hold their pre-season scrimmages on Friday, Nov 19th in Cokely Fieldhouse. It will be a great time to view this season's new squads. There will be a parent meeting for each program beginning at 6pm. Listed below are the scrimmage schedules. Make sure to practice your Free-Throw skills as you'll have an opportunity to win a Blue Jay t-shirt for a $1 shot.

6:00pm Parent meetings
7:00pm Sophomore boys
7:10pm Junior Varsity Girls
7:25pm Junior Varsity Boys
3 pt shootout: Girls vs Boys
8:00pm Varsity Girls
8:20pm Varsity Boys
Make a FT for $1; Win a T-Shirt!!

High School Basketball Player Meeting

2010-10-24T21:18:00.003-05:00

There will be a boys basketball meeting for any Sophomore-Senior interested trying out for the team on Tuesday, Oct 26th @ 3pm in the gym. If you’re currently participating in a fall sport, see Coach Stirtz.

Kickapoo Basketball Tourney

2010-10-14T12:46:00.001-05:00

The Blue Jays' schedule for the Dec 2-3-4 Kickapoo Tournament has been released.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2

4:30 Springfield Glendale vs. Fayetteville (AR)

6:00 Liberty vs. Springdale (AR) Har-Ber

7:30 Kickapoo vs. St. Louis Imagination Prep

FRIDAY DECEMBER 3

4:30 Springfield Glendale vs. St. Louis Imagination Prep

6:00 Liberty vs. Fayetteville (AR)

7:30 Kickapoo vs. Springdale (AR) Har-Ber

SATURDAY DECEMBER 4

Noon Springfield Glendale vs. Springdale (AR) Har-Ber

1:30 Liberty vs. St. Louis Imagination Prep

3:00 Kickapoo vs. Fayetteville (AR)

Athletic Department to Host Recruiting Seminar

2010-10-06T20:58:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday October 19th, LHS and LNHS are hosting a guest speaker from Dynamite Sports. This presentation will cover the recruiting process as well as the collegiate eligibility standards for all levels of competition. Attendees will also learn techniques to market themselves as well as learn how to apply for grant money at lower level NCAA schools. The event will be held in the Liberty North High School cafeteria at 7:00 PM and is geared for freshmen through seniors.

The following is a link to Dyamite Sports: http://www.thecoachescircle.com/school/38

Coach Johnson of Princeton Visits With Jays

2010-10-05T12:44:00.001-05:00

The Liberty Basketball Program were fortunate guests of Princeton Head Coach Sydney Johnson on Monday afternoon. Coach Johnson, in town to visit future signee and current Blue Jay senior Denton Koon, attended a workout and spoke to the team.

As the only three year captain in the history of Princeton basketball, he obviously addressed leadership skills. Coach Johnson’s belief in ‘Interactive Leadership’ involves every member of the program/team being locked into the goals and purposes of the team. This requires effective communication from the youngest players on the team, to veterans, to captains and other leaders. This also channels in the opposite direction.

In addition, Coach Johnson spoke to a level of energy, that if high enough, will result in a return of performance tenfold by those surrounding you which would include teammates and coaches.

New District for Jays

2010-09-24T09:30:00.003-05:00

The Missouri State High School Athletic Association recently announced district pairings for the '10-'11 season. It can be viewed at the following website:

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/ClassAndDistrictAssignments.aspx?alg=5&class=5

Pre-Season Begins Monday

2010-09-09T14:36:00.003-05:00

Pre-Season workouts for 9th-12th graders will begin Monday, Sept 13th after school. Meet in the gym for warm-ups and have both running and basketball shoes ready. The workouts, which will run Mondays-Thursdays, will be over around 4:45.

Shooting Clinic for Chinese Visitors

2010-09-01T21:05:00.004-05:00

China loves basketball. That fact was very evident as Coach Stirtz held a short shooting clinic for twelve students from Tian Jia Bing High School in Liuyang, China. They arrived in Liberty on Thursday, August 26 and have experienced Liberty High and Liberty North schools.

"They simply love the game," remarked Coach Stirtz. "Any time they have a break in their schedule they ask for a ball so they can shoot baskets. During the little clinic, they were great listeners to what was being taught and then they did their best at practicing the new skill. It was very special to see their passion and enthusiasm for the game."

Basketball has taken China by storm. With the creation of the USA Olympic Dream Team in '92, the world was introduced to and inspired by the next level of basketball. Lately, its been Yao Ming who has taken the country's status as hero. Although, Kobe Bryant could be considered just as popular as Yao in China. To put it in perspective, there are about 300 million Americans in the US. China has 300 million people playing basketball. That's a love of the game.

"We love basketball," states Jenny, one of the exchange students. "The older generation in China plays a lot of table tennis but the young people play basketball. We love Yao, Kobe, and LeBron."

The visitors were given a BlueJay wristband, a BlueJay basketball t-shirt, and a Stat Pack/Scrapbook as gifts from the program.

Pre-Season Basketball Meeting

2010-08-20T09:54:00.002-05:00

There will be a boys basketball pre-season meeting after school on Monday, Aug 23rd in the gym. Anyone not involved in a fall sport should attend.
Players will begin lifting weights on Tuesday, Aug 24th, after school. Pre-season workouts will begin Sept. 13th.

Koon Selects Princeton

2010-08-06T20:34:00.002-05:00

The Liberty Basketball Program is extremely proud to announce Denton Koon has committed to Coach Sydney Johnson and Princeton University. Koon, a 6'7 senior forward, had plenty of scholarship offers from colleges across the nation but elected to verbally commit early in the recruiting process. The following is an question/answer segment with Denton.

What made Princeton so attractive to you in terms of athletics/basketball?

"Princeton's basketball program is on the rise and since the head coach (Sydney Johnson) has been there the program has done a complete turn around. Also they play a style offensively with a lot of cuts which I like and they take pride on defense in terms of holding the other team to a low total."

You have about a year before you become a Tiger but what are your basketball goals for your freshman season?

"As a freshman, I would really like to go on to an already successful team and make an impact that will help us reach the next level ( no matter what that may be) by playing a good amount of minutes."

Everyone knows that Princeton is 1st class when is comes to academics. What makes the university so impressive academically and what do you plan to major in?

"I am not 100% sure what my major will be yet, but the university itself is so impressive because (for example) you can be sitting in a classroom with a professor who has won a Nobel prize in their area of study and also you are always surrounded by some of the smartest kids your age in the world."

Summarize the top 3 reasons why you decided on Princeton.

"I decided on Princeton with 3 major reasons being the academic prestige, a up and rising basketball program, and its location. Academic prestige- I just mean when employers see that I have a degree from Princeton, it's such an advantage in the job market and just in life. Up and rising basketball program- Coach Johnson has turned things around and I truly believe that going in as a freshman I will have the opportunity to play for 4 straight Ivy League titles. Location- Not only the fact that Princeton is a 45 minute tram ride from NYC, but just the location on the east coast, where I can meet new people and come upon new outlets for my entire life."

New Jersey isn't that close to Liberty so will distance from home be something difficult for you to adjust to?

"I'm sure at first I'm going to miss my mom a little bit, but the fact that I get to use basketball to take me to a different part of the country for at least 4 years of my life is a pretty neat concept. I am excited to see the differences in life between two totally different regions of the country."

In terms of the recruiting process, you made your decision fairly early. What are the advantages to you for having the decision made?

"I believe there are a lot of advantages to making my decision early in the recruiting process. First off I just think it allows me to go into my senior with no pressure for making the decision later, and I can just enjoy myself. Also I think that this helps Princeton in their recruiting because now they have a spot locked in that they like, and can focus on getting other crucial components to help us win. Finally I think making this decision early is beneficial because I won't feel to much pressure to over perform this next season to impress some college, I know that I can just relax and play my game to the best of my abilities to help us win."

Congratulations to Denton and his family on his decision and the tremendous opportunity that awaits him.

Update on Coach Jack Part III

2010-07-14T19:46:00.003-05:00

Jack's surgery was postponed to begin at noon today instead of the scheduled time of 9am this morning. His successful surgery lasted about 6 hours. His heart is functioning better after the procedure although the doctors were only able to perform one bypass. The other arteries doctors were hoping to operate on were too damaged, but there could be an opportunity at a later date to insert two stents. Along with better heart performance after surgery, Jack is recovering as good as possible. His family will notify us about when visitors will be welcome. He is expected to stay in the hospital for about a week, so any note or card would be much appreciated.

Update on Coach Jack Part II

2010-07-12T21:59:00.003-05:00

I visited Jack in the hospital this evening and his spirits are good and he feels fine, however, that somewhat 'hides' his current condition. He has blockages in 6 arteries of the heart. Two are 100% blocked, another is 99% blocked, and another three have an 80% blockage. A main heart artery is open and clear which is good news. What this means is Jack will have a multiple bypass surgery on Wednesday morning. Jack will remain in the hospital for 7-10 days after surgery.
Any notes or cards for Jack can be sent via email (rostirtz@liberty.k12.mo.us) or delivered to the LHS front office in care of Coach Stirtz.
Please continue to keep Coach Jack in your thoughts and prayers.

Update on Coach Jack

2010-07-12T17:15:00.002-05:00

Coach Jack is currently in the hospital at KU Medical Center. A team of doctors is discussing the plans for Jack's treatment for the following conditions:
1. Blocked artery of the one he had a bypass on about 15 years ago.
2. Other arteries are not operating at 100%.
3. Kidneys are not functioning as they should.

Doctors typically don't do a second bypass on the same artery but in this case they might need to and with other arteries not in the best condition, conditions are likely for a multiple bypass. The kidney issue might be a result of the dye used in Jack's stress test last Thursday.
Once more information is known, we will post it.

Coach Jack Undergoes Heart Treatment

2010-07-07T20:48:00.003-05:00

Coach Jack, 63, has two blocked arteries on the front side of his heart. He's undergoing tests tomorrow (Thursday) at Liberty Hospital. Plans are to admit him to KU Med Center on Monday. The doctors are planning to do angioplasty and install two stents. If this works, they expect to send Jack home on Tuesday! If the stents don't work they'll have to do bypass surgery. Jack was at work today on light duty.

Please keep Coach Jack in your thoughts and prayers.

Jays Do Well in Summer League Play

2010-07-01T09:57:00.002-05:00

The Liberty Blue Jays finished a successful summer league schedule last night winning 2 out of 3 games by the Liberty Blue and White teams. Overall, the 3 teams combined for a 25-5 record. More important than a solid win-loss perspective was the valuable experiences the players got by participating in the league.

"Our teams played well during the league, stated Coach Smith. The effort, commitment level, and team play was pleasing to the coaching staff. We thought our players got a lot of the league and performed well."

Jays Have Successful Team Camp

2010-06-20T23:25:00.002-05:00

The Blue Jays returned to Stillwater, OK for the the Oklahoma State team camp for the 2nd time in 5 years on Friday and over the course of the weekend they played a lot of basketball...and had some fun also.

"I like attending the camp for a few reasons," stated Coach Stirtz. "It's well organized, the facilities are nice, and we're usually the only team from Missouri which allows us to play teams we never see from Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas."

After a slow start in the games on Friday (1 win, 2 losses), the Jays rallied to win their next 5 games in a row and make to the semifinal round of the tournament on Sunday. "We got a better every game we were there," mentioned Coach Simpson. "We were proud of our guys. They really stepped up each game and improved on what we asked them to do. Our offense was much more fluid and purposeful over the camp and our team defense started to come together."

"Every player made more of an impact in each game and they all gained more self-confidence in what they can bring to the team," remarked Coach Stirtz. "I've been to a number of team camps and this was one of my favorites with the players that went and what we got accomplished."

Blue Jays Host Elementary Camp

2010-06-10T21:08:00.004-05:00

3rd-5th grade camp K-2nd grade camp

The Liberty Basketball Program hosted it's annual summer basketball camp this week. It was an awesome week of basketball with the campers. They listened well, worked hard on improving their games, played with a lot of hustle. Some of the more fun and exciting times were during the Hot Shot, Buzzer Beater, and the ever popular 'Shooting Carnival'. But nothing tops the temendous effort and fun of league games.

Our Blue Jay players and coaches would like to thank the campers for a great week of basketball. Thanks for making it one of the best camp weeks of all-time!

Also, a special thanks to Stasi Sports and Godfather's Pizza for their assistance in our camp.

Jays Complete Great Week of Camp

2010-06-04T22:22:00.003-05:00

The Liberty Basketball Program hosted an awesome week of camp. The coaching staff was very impressed with the learning that took place and also with the campers enthusiasm, hustle, teamwork, and energy level.

Caleb Davis, a LMS 6th grader, said the following about the camp, "First of all, the best part of camp was scrimmaging. I also liked learning about the new picks in the motion offense. I think that will help me. Plus, the shooting drills we learned will benefit me."

Jacob Goodman, an 7th grader from SV, remarked, " I learned how to become a better teammate and how to be a more effective post player."

Pictured to the right are former Blue Jay All-State players Nick Larson, '07 and Shaun Adams, '09 as they spoke to the campers about what it takes to be a great player.

Thanks campers for a great week of hoops!

Adams Inks With WJC

2010-05-13T07:45:00.002-05:00

In a signing ceremony on Tuesday in which 12 Liberty athletes signed their letter of intent to participate in college athletics, Blue Jay hoopster Bryan Adams, pictured above at the table, formally committed to William Jewell College. Joining Adams on stage from the left, WJC head coach Larry Holley and parents Mark and Julie Adams. Congratulations Bryan! Blue Jay fans look forward to following your success on and off the court at WJC.

Adams Selects WJC

2010-05-03T10:46:00.004-05:00

The Liberty Basketball program is pleased to announce Senior post man Bryan Adams will continue his playing career at William Jewell College. The 6'7 forward chose the Cardinals over 7 other four-year schools. Adams, a two-year starter for the Jays, answered the following questions for the blog:

WHY WILLIAM JEWELL COLLEGE?

I chose WJC for a lot of reasons. First, their academics are great. Secondly, I've known their coaches and players for awhile and I'm very comfortable with them and I really like them. Finally, the opportunity to go NCAA Division II is very exciting and I'm looking forward to experiencing it with my new teammates.

WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO STUDY?

Currently I'm undecided. I had planned to study athletic training or physical therapy but WJC doesn't offer those majors so I might delay those plans and study business over the next four years and then see where I'm at.

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO JOINING FORCES WITH FORMER JAYS NICK LARSON AND CHRIS WESTON?

Yes! It will be fun. I hope I don't spent too much time in practice banging with Nick under the basket because he'd have an advantage. But if I can beat him up and down the court, I like my chances.

WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE LIKE STAYING IN LIBERTY FOR COLLEGE?

I like Liberty. It's better than a lot of other places. WJC is 4 minutes from my house and it will be great for my parents and high school coaches to come watch our games.

Larson is looking forward to having Bryan as a teammates. He stated, "I'm excited to play with Bryan. I played with his brothers Eric and Shaun while I was in high school and they were very competitive and hard workers. Bryan will be the same way. It's always good to see local talent stay close to home to play."

Bryan will sign with WJC in a ceremony on Tuesday, May 11th at Liberty High School beginning at 3:00.

2010-04-22T10:56:00.002-05:00

As the school year comes to a close, don't forget that camp season is about to heat up!Don't miss out on these opportunities offered by the Liberty Men's Basketball Program this summer!If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact one of the Blue Jay Coaches by email, or call, 816.736.6836

SHOOTING CAMP Grades 6-7, May 24-27 @ LHS, 5:30pm-7:00pm

This will be the 6th year for the Blue Jay shooting camp and it continues to improve each year. The focus of these 6 hours of shooting is individual attention on the fundamentals of shooting. During the camp, shooters will be taught: proper fundamentals, the breakdown of the shot, how to get open, how to learn from their own shot and teach themselves, how to grade a shot. They will also have their shot analyzed (written form by a HS coach), have their shot videotaped (Day 1 and Day 4) and be sent a DVD of them shooting, and be taught how to practice shooting correctly in order to be a great shooter. Information learned during camp will be collected in the shooter’s notebook.

POINT GUARD/POST MAN CAMP Grades 6-7, May 24-27 @ LHS, 7:00pm-8:30pm

This is the 4th year of the Point Guard/Post Man Camp. The High School coaching staff is looking forward to teaching specific position skills that are essential for success at the point guard and post man positions. The role of the point guard is one of the most valuable on the team. He is one of the big keys to success. In our camp the point guard will learn: advanced ball handling drills (focused on speed, control and court awareness); passing skills (using each hand with a focus on accuracy and timing); leadership skills (being vocal, gaining respect of your teammates, becoming an extension of your coach); leading the fast break (seeing the floor, using traffic, finding numbers); shooting off the dribble; understanding game situations; feed the post; delay game strategies and how to get to the free-throw line.The post men will learn: post moves (fundamentals of post offense, gaining position, going over both shoulders to shoot); footwork and agility drills; post passing; rebounding and rebounding position techniques (offense and defense); running the floor (finishing on the break, shooting the trail jumper); being a great screener; developing range on the jump shot, how to get to the free throw line; shooting more consistently from the free throw line.Information learned during camp will be collected in their notebook.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT/TEAM CAMPS

Grades K-2 -- June 7-10 -- 9:00am-10:30am -- SVMS

Grades 3-5 -- June 7-10 -- 10:45am-12:15pm -- SVMS

Grades 6-8 -- June 1-3 -- 7:00pm-9:00pm -- LJHS; June 4--8am-10am

These camps offer players a fun, learning environment to improve their skill levels. All aspects of the sport are taught. With the older ages, actual Blue Jay plays, strategies, and philosophies are taught giving the players an advantage going into their next season.

NOTES

· All camps are $40 which make them the best value in the Metro.

· All listed grades are for the 10-11 school year.

· Ways to register: 1. Walk up registration; 2. Through the athletic office at LHS: http://athletics.liberty.k12.mo.us/

Any questions, please contact one of the Blue Jay Coaches!

Off-Season Basketball Information

2010-04-12T22:48:00.002-05:00

Junior High Players at South Valley and Liberty Junior High going to Liberty High School:

Check your student email for information about our off-season program. Please return it to Coach Stirtz by the end of the week.

Jack Smith Honored for Lifetime Achievement

2010-04-08T22:13:00.004-05:00

Jack was presented the Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award Thursday night at the Independence Events Center for his 44 years of service to Blue Jay athletics. The Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association hosted the banquet. Jack sported a black tux with a blue vest and blue tie from D'Agee on the square. He was the sharpest dressed person the banquet.

Pictured above from left to right: Coach Myrick, Coach McCabe, Coach Stirtz, Coach Jack, Coach Simpson, and Coach Morley.

Congrats Jack...we're proud of you!

Banquet Honors Players and Others

2010-04-05T22:07:00.005-05:00

2010 Seniors

Best Dressed Award Winners

The 09-10 boys basketball banquet was held last Wednesday to recognize and honor our seven outstanding seniors. Each player brought a lot to the team this season. They are a talented group, posting a combined average of 3.6 GPA. Their futures are very bright.

Also, acknowledged was program assistant, Jack Smith, who will be awarded the Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award by the GKCBCA on Thursday night. In addition, Elizabeth Barmann presented a check to the Basketball Program from the proceeds of the Barrett Wepler basketball tournament. Julie Adams, mother of Jays Eric, Shaun, and Bryan, was credited for her years of service to the program.

Blue Jays Are Champions of Character

2010-03-24T08:17:00.003-06:00

Liberty basketball players Christian Brinser and Sami Wynne were honored by the NAIA Friday night at the national basketball tournament in Municipal Auditorium. They were the representatives of LHS for the NAIA's Champions of Character program.

The NAIA Champions of Character program has established five core values that go well beyond the playing field to the daily decisions of our youth. These character values help young people — and those associated with their development — make good choices in all aspects of their life and reflect the true spirit of competition. The five core values of the program are Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership. Both Christian and Sami exemplify these core values perfectly.

"The Champions of Character was a really cool experience to be a part of. I was honored to be nominated by my coaches and I couldn't have done it without my teammates. I want to thank my parents for laying down a solid foundation for how I live my life," stated Brinser.

"Christian is a well deserving recipient of this honor. He is a terrific young man, with an excellent head on his shoulders. He'll have a great educational and athletic career at Missouri and a very bright future after that. He represented himself, his family, his team, his school, and his community like a champion. Our program is extremely proud of him, " remarked Coach Stirtz.

Former Blue Jay Earns All-American Status

2010-03-23T20:24:00.003-06:00

Nick Larson, '07 graduate of LHS, earned a 2nd team All-American honor at William Jewell College this season. Larson, who averaged 19 ppg and 10 rpg, led the Cardinals to a 3rd place finish in the conference race and then onto a tournament title. He found success this season by getting catches where he's an effective scorer. In addition, with his great instincts for rebounding the basketball he posted career highs in points and rebounds.

"The Blue Jay program is very proud of Nick. He is very passionate about the game and that love for it makes him work very hard to obtain success. WJC is very fortunate to have him. I think Nick's best years of basketball are still ahead of him and if he continues to progress, there might be an opportunity for him to make money playing the game he enjoys so much. Blue Jay basketball congratulates Nick on his award-winning season," remarks Coach Stirtz.

Koon Claims All-State Honors

2010-03-21T20:50:00.003-06:00

Denton Koon, Junior forward for the Blue Jays, has earned Class 5 All-State honors. The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association selected Denton after he averaged 16.3 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. The MBCA chose 15 players from across the state to be recognized. He made the All-Tournament teams at the Lebanon, William Jewell, and Liberty Tournaments. Denton was also selected First team All-Conference and All-District by conference and district coaches.

"This is an honor and I was fortunate to have such great coaches and teammates that helped put me in a position to be successful this season," stated Denton.

The Blue Jay program congratulates Denton on this tremendous honor and appreciates his efforts and the efforts of his teammates this season.

Jack Smith Wins Lifetime Achievement Award!

2010-03-20T21:45:00.004-06:00

The Liberty Basketball Program is extremely proud to announce Jack Smith will be honored as the winner of the Tom Colwell Lifetime Acheivement Award presented by the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association. The awards banquet, scheduled for April 10th at the Independence Events Center, is part of the Missouri/Kansas All-Star games, DiRenna awards, and All-Academic teams. The Tom Colwell award is a 'who's who' of Kansas City basketball.

Here is a list of previous winners:

2009 Tom Goddard, longtime coach at Raytown; Administrator

2008 Walt Shublom, Wyandotte HS and KCKCC

2007 Jim Draper, Blue Valley and other area HS

2006 Lee Kariker, William Jewell College

2005 Norb Schmidt, longtime KC area coach

2004 Keith Lindsay, longtime KCK involvement in the sport of basketball

2003 Lafayette Norwood, JCCC

2002 Jim Gurley, SM South HS

Jack is a graduate of Liberty High School, Class of 1967. He is currently 63 years young and has been a manager of Liberty Athletics for 44 years. He helps the boys and girls basketball teams as a manager and is a ball boy for the football team. The past four years Jack has been a program assistant for the boys basketball program. His career highlights would include the boys state championship years of 1998 and 2001 and the girls state championship year of 2007. Jack works 4 days per week at Vocational Services Incorporated. For the past 44 years he has been a assistant warehouse director at the facility. Jack extends his appreciation to the Blue Jay coaching staffs, the Meeks family, the Miller family, Mr. Blue Jay Foster Sires, Jeff Billings, Marty Williams, sister Kathy and niece Melody.

You can check out a picture collage created by Jeff and Marty of KCSC Sports Photography at http://gallery.me.com/jeffreybillings#100975

The Blue Jay program would like to invite all Liberty fans to attend the banquet to support Jack. For details about the event, please contact Coach Stirtz at rostirtz@liberty.k12.mo.us or 736.6836 by April 2nd. It will be a great night to honor Jack! Go Jays!

Blue Jays Help Set Up For National Tourney

2010-03-17T06:42:00.003-06:00

About 13 players from the Blue Jay basketball program traveled downtown to the Municipal Auditorium Monday morning to help prepare the arena for the NAIA National Tournament. Players were assigned duties such as hanging banners and posters, moving refreshments into the media rooms, organizing tournament supplies, and building basketball goals for the interactive kids zone. After their hard work was over, the NAIA treated the team to an awesome meal at Ponak's.
The first round of games begin today and will conclude tomorrow. The feature game will be Thursday night at 6:15pm as William Jewell takes on Concordia College, the #2 seed of the tourney. It's advertised as 'the toughest tournament in America' because teams have to win 5 games in 7 days. Make your plans now to go check out some great basketball action.

All-Conference Honors

2010-03-09T14:31:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Denton Koon who earned First Team All-Conference this season. Koon, who averaged 17 points per game and 9 rebounds per game, was the second leading vote getter. Tony Jones, of Ray-Pec, was the conference MVP.
Also representing the Blue Jays were JT Nixon, Bryan Adams, Marshon Norfleet, and Jordan Lewis. These players earned enough votes to be All-Conference Honorable Mention.
"With as tough of conference as we play in, it's a great accomplishment for our players to be recognized in this fashion. Each player has earned this honor with their hard work, determination, and support of the total team. We are proud of them, " stated Coach Stirtz.

Wepler Basketball Tourney

2010-03-05T20:38:00.002-06:00

3rd ANNUAL BARRETT WEPLER BASKETBALL CLASSIC

The 3rd Annual Barrett Wepler Basketball Classic will take place Friday, March 19, through Sunday, March 21, at Liberty Junior High. The tournament will have separate brackets for boys and girls in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and high school. The team fee is $175 with a three game guarantee. The purpose of the event is to honor and celebrate the memory of former Liberty Blue Jay basketball player Barrett Wepler. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Barrett Wepler Scholarship Fund. If you have any questions regarding the tournament, contact director Terry Barmann at 816-809-2953 or email barmann@nwmissouri.edu

Sophomore Team Has Memorable Season

2010-02-25T05:07:00.004-06:00

The sophomore team had a great season this year, finishing 9-5 overall. There are many high points to remember such as beating Staley at their gym 46-40 early in the season, getting revenge on Park Hill at our place (beating them by 27 points), and handing NKC their only loss of the season by defeating them 52-40, also at our place.
The depth of the sophomore team was evident throughout the year as there were multiple games in which 10-13 guys scored points in the same game! This is a sign of a team of unselfish players, always looking to make each other better and following the Liberty motto of “WE” is greater than “ME”.
The team members made a lot of progress as basketball players this year as they bought into the program and sold themselves out each and every day. It will be exciting to see them grow and mature as they move up to the JV/Varsity levels in the future.
To finish the season, the sophs enjoyed a day of fun last Saturday by meeting up at the College Basketball Experience for some friendly competition and camaraderie, followed by quite a display of eating at CiCi’s Pizza.
Good job this year guys, and good luck in the future!

JV Jays Find Success Through a Team Effort

2010-02-24T12:32:00.005-06:00

The Junior Varsity wrapped up its season last Friday night beating Ray Pec 50-45. They finished the season at 16-3. Liberty ended on a 9 game win streak and won 12 of their last 13 games. Each player was a major contributor in their success.

"This team truly bought in to the “Team” concept and the result was a very successful season. The growth each player made during the season has put them on the path to take the next step to the varsity level next year," mentioned Coach Price.

"As I watched our JV team play, the one characteristic a thought they represented the best was trust. In how they practiced, played in games, and interacted off the court I believe they trusted each other no matter what the situation. I think this had a big impact on their successful season. I want to congratulate Coach Price on doing an outstanding job with his team and the players for all their hard work and effort," remarked Coach Stirtz.

Blue Jays Beat #2 Team in the State

2010-02-19T22:31:00.004-06:00

The Liberty Blue Jays capped off an exciting week of basketball by beating Ray-Pec on their home court 52-51. Jordan Lewis drained a 3 pointer with 3.5 secs left in the game to make it a memorable week. On Tuesday, the Jays beat Blue Springs South on a last second shot.

The game started off in the Blue Jays favor as they hit some early shots and played some solid defense. Marshon Norfleet, who led the Jays with 14 points, got the offense rolling. However, the Panthers rebounded by the end of the first quarter and took some momentum going into the second frame. Actually...too much momentum as they turned a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter into a 21-11 margin midway through the second quarter. But the Jays kept their composure and narrowed the deficit to 25-28 by halftime.

The third quarter was won by the Jays 17-11 on some good scoring by Norfleet, Denton Koon, Christian Brinser, and JT Nixon. Bryan Adams, Marcus Lucas, and Koon did a good job against Ray-Pec's big men.

In the fourth quarter the Jays started with a lead but the Panthers took advantage of an offensive dry spell by Liberty and climbed back into the lead. The Jays were down by 4 pts, 47-51 with under a minute to play but a couple of FTs by Koon cut the margin to 2 pts. After a defensive stop, the Jays called timeout to set up a play. The shot was missed but Adams tipped the ball to Koon who found a wide open Lewis on the left wing for the game winner.

The Jays shot 47% from the field while they held Ray-Pec to 37%. Liberty had only 7 turnovers in the contest and dished out 13 assists. Joining Norfleet in double digit scoring was Lewis and Koon, each with 12. Adams grabbed 8 rebounds and played excellent defense with 5 blocked shots and 2 steals. The Jays also were tough enough to take 3 charges.

The win moves the Blue Jays to 19-6 on the season.

Jays Escape With Another Buzzer Beater

2010-02-16T21:40:00.005-06:00

With the score tied at 61 and 1.3 seconds on the clock it took a well executed sideline inbounds play, a perfect pass from Marshon Norfleet and great finish by Denton Koon, to get the victory at Blue Springs South tonight. The play can be viewed at the bottom of the blog.

The Jays' offense played extremely well in the first half scoring 30 points in the first 16 minutes of action. However, they found themselves down by a point 30-31. A solid inside game provided an offensive punch with Koon, Bryan Adams, Marcus Lucas, and Austin Weese doing the damage. "I liked our inside-out strategy tonight. The ball moved, the players moved, and our guards did an excellent job of pushing the tempo," stated assistant Coach Chris McCabe. "We're an effective offensive team when we play to our strengths."

Liberty had a productive 3rd quarter out-scoring the Jaguars 19-10 in the frame. Then early in the fourth quarter the Jays increased their lead to 11 points by attacking the rim, getting to the foul line, and a 3 point shot by JT Nixon. With a 44-55 disadvantage, the Jaguars didn't fold and forced some turnovers and quick shots by the Jays to shrink the deficit. With the score tied at 61 and under 30 secs to play, the Jays defense stepped up, forcing a tough shot by the Jags, and then getting the rebound with 1.9 secs left. The Jays called timeout and set up a 'football-type' pass play to get to beyond half court. An good pass from Weese and catch by Norfleet set up the game winning sideline play.

'Our players did an outstanding job of playing defense on South's last possession. I thought JT played a tremendous game on both ends of the floor, but especially on the defensive side," commented assistant coach Phil Simpson.

It doesn't get any easier for the Jays on Friday as they travel to Ray-Pec to face the Panthers.

610 Sports Radio to Broadcast Game

2010-02-16T10:36:00.004-06:00

Tune into 610 Sports Radio tonight to hear the game between the Jays and Blue Springs South. Announcer Mark Miller will begin his call of the 'Game of the Week' beginning at 8:00pm. There will be an hour delay due to college basketball commitments.

District Tournament Announced

2010-02-13T19:03:00.003-06:00

The Class 5 District 16 tournament has been announced. The Liberty Blue Jays earned the #1 seed followed by Park Hill, Oak Park, Park Hill South, Winnetonka, and St Joe Central. The Jays will play the winner of the #4/#5 game between Park Hill South and Winnetonka. The game will be on Wednesday, Feb 24th at 6pm at St Joe Central HS. The following link shows a complete bracket and you can also access other MSHSAA tournament information.

http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictTournaments.aspx?alg=5&class=5&district=16

Blue Jay Basketball News

2010-02-11T13:56:00.003-06:00

Updates in the week of Blue Jay Basketball

The Blue Jay basketball team moved its record to 17-5 win a hard fought win at St Joe Central Tuesday night. Holding onto a two point lead at halftime, the Jays played better basketball in the 2nd half, especially in the fourth quarter. Liberty's defense increased their intensity and held the Indians to only 1 field goal in the last 8 mins of actions to win 47-35. Leading scorers were Koon and Lewis with 13 points each. The following is a link to an article written in the St Joe News Press: http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2010/feb/09/central-boys-wilt-late-against-liberty/

After a shooting and weight training practice on Wednesday, the squad was broken into 4 volleyball teams. A round-robin tourney was played and the winner was the 'Flint, Michigan Topics'. Team members included: Adams, M. Norfleet, Weese, Norton, Mustin, & Clawson

Senior night will be held this Friday, Feb. 12th vs Lee's Summit. Please arrive during the JV game, which begins at 5:30pm, because we will recognize and honor our 7 seniors immediately after the JV game concludes.

The district seed meeting is taking place soon. Check back soon for the official results. Games will be played Monday, Feb. 22nd, Wednesday, Feb. 24th, and Friday, Feb. 26th at St. Joe Central. The Jays will most likely receive a first round bye and play in the semifinals on the 24th.

Jays Lose Battle With Broncos

2010-02-06T10:14:00.003-06:00

The Blue Jays lost a tough game against Lee's Summit North by the score of 65-55 in Cokely Fieldhouse Friday night. It was a temendous atmosphere for the 'White Out' Courtwarming game but the Jays didn't play their best basketball and now stand at 16-5 on the season.

"They were just tougher than us at both ends of the floor. We struggled to find our sequence on offense and they did a nice job of attacking the rim. Some shots we normally make didn't fall and we couldn't keep them out of the paint or off the free throw line. It's difficult to win a game when your opponent shoots 33 more free throws that you do," remarked Coach Stirtz. LSN shot 40 free throws while the Jays shot 7.

Liberty was led in scoring by Denton Koon with 21 points and Marshon Norfleet with 10.

The Jays look to bounce back with a road game to St Joe Central on Tuesday before completing their home schedule against Lee's Summit on Friday.

"It's going to be very important that we stay mature and disciplined. We must understand there's a lot of season left and the post-season is always the most exciting part of the journey."

Nixon Knocks Down Another Game Winner

2010-02-03T21:32:00.005-06:00

Senior JT Nixon's legacy as a "Big Shot" shooter is becoming etched in stone as he continues to drain miracle shots. The Blue Jays survive 44-43 against Park Hill South. Down by 2 points with under 10 seconds left, Bryan Adams rebounds a missed free throw, outlets the ball to Marshon Norfleet, who finds an open Nixon in the corner. The rest is history as JT makes his 4th game winning jumper of his high school career. (The four will be listed at the end of the story.)

It was a defensive battle in the first half as both played extremely good man to man defense. The Jays looked to some solid perimeter shooting for most of their points in the first 16 minutes. Three point baskets by Denton Koon, Norfleet, and Nixon (2) aided in the scoring but Liberty was still down by a point at halftime, 19-20.

The third quarter was owned by the Jays, out-scoring the Panthers 19-10 in the frame. Koon led the way with 12 of his game high 19 pts in the third quarter. However, the Panthers didn't quit and scored some late points to cut the margin 38-30 Jays.

Park Hill South carried that momentum into the fourth quarter. Scoring points from the foul line and forcing the Jays into some quick shots, they took a late lead. A Panther three pointer from the corner with under 30 seconds in the game put them on top. On offense, the Jays missed a shot and were forced to foul. That set up the dramatic ending by Nixon.

The Jays aren't finished with their week yet. Lee's Summit North travels to Liberty on Friday for the Blue Jay's Courtwarming game. JV tip off is at 5:30 and the varsity follows.

JT's Game Winners???

1. WJC Team Camp Championship game- 35 footer @ the buzzer (Summer '08)

2. WJC Tourney Semifinals vs Kearney- 22 footer with 2 secs left ('08)

3. Lee's Summit North-25 footer @ the buzzer ('09)

4. Park Hill South- 23 footer with 3 secs left ('10)

Liberty vs South Valley for Tourney Championship

2010-02-03T09:12:00.003-06:00

For those wanting to watch the future of Liberty Basketball, you'll want to attend the 9th grade tournament championship which will feature Liberty vs South Valley. The game is set for Thursday, Feb. 4th at 5:15 pm at South Valley Junior High.

Both teams have had excellent seasons. The Liberty freshmen, coached by Ryan Stegall, have a current record of 16-2. Nate Gulliford, who guides the South Valley squad, has a record of 17-1.

It should be an exciting game. Good luck to both teams! Go JAYS!

Jays Spoil Wildcats' Courtwarming

2010-01-30T06:02:00.006-06:00

The Liberty Blue Jays beat the Blue Springs Wildcats Friday night by the score of 60-45 but the game was much closer than the final score. After neither team could find the basket in the first 3 minutes of the game, the Jays' offense started clicking and they jumped out to a comfortable lead. However, the Wildcats didn't go away and cut the the Jays' lead to only 2 points by halftime.

Then again, in the 3rd quarter, the Blue Jays used a very solid defensive performance and good shooting to mount a 14 point lead only to see it diminish to 43-41 by early in the fourth. Fortunately, the Jays played their best basketball in the 4th quarter ending the game on a 17-4 run to finish with a 15 point win.

"We played our best basketball when we defended hard, got a great rebound, kicked it out to Marshon (Norfleet), and then finished with an easy layup. I thought Marshon did a good job of pushing the tempo. Jordan Lewis' three point basket when the score was 43-41 was huge. And Denton Koon's ability to shake off a rough start and finish with his career high was impressive," remarked assistant coach Phil Simpson.

Koon ended with 26 points, and Lewis had 14. Norfleet ended with 6 points but also added 11 rebounds and 7 assists.

The Jays move out of conference for 2 games next week, Grandview on Monday (at Cokely) and then at Park Hill South on Wednesday before finishing the week back in conference play vs Lee's Summit North at home on Friday.

The JV Jays outcame a slow start (down 13-2 to begin the game) and won the game by 8 points. "Our players regrouped at halftime, showed better intensity, and a will to win in the second half. We'll need to play more consistently over a 32 minute game to be successful next week," stated JV head coach Joe Price.

McCabe Tabbed for LNHS Job

2010-01-27T16:35:00.007-06:00

We are very proud to announce that current Blue Jay assistant coach Chris McCabe will be named the first boys' basketball head coach at Liberty North high school. McCabe, who's in his fourth year in the Liberty program, is a tremendous hire for the Eagles. He began his coaching career as a student assistant coach in college. He spent one year at Johnson County Community College, under Mike Jeffers, and three years at Kansas State, under Jim Wooldridge. Since then he's been the offensive coordinator for the Jays basketball team.

Here's what McCabe has to say about his appointment:

What are your thoughts about getting the job?
“It’s been my dream since I was a kid to be a head coach and I am very appreciative of this opportunity. While there is certainly a lot of work to be done at North, I am focused on giving the current program my best effort, just as our staff demands from our players every day.”

What are you looking forward to @ LNHS?
“I am excited to start from ground up in building and establishing a program that players will want to be a part of and the community will embrace. Our unselfishness and toughness on the court will make us a team that all basketball fans will respect and want to watch. Our players will leave Liberty North better basketball players but most importantly, better people.”

Any other comments?
“Obviously, I am ecstatic about the opportunity to lead my own program. I have been blessed with amazing people, both personally and professionally, who have helped prepare me for this opportunity and I am very grateful to each one of them. I’ll make them proud.”

Supporting McCabe in his future endeavour will be his wife, Melynda, a business teacher at LHS.

Blue Jays Capture Title of Stessman Tourney

2010-01-23T09:43:00.003-06:00

The Liberty Blue Jays won the CW Stessman Tournament Friday night by beating Olathe East 53-45. It complied a solid tourney week for the Jays. They beat three quality teams in winning the championship. "I said before the tourney started, that this is one of the best tournaments in the region and I believe that was evident this week. I witnessed some very good teams, who were well coached. It led to some great match ups and exciting basketball. We were fortunate to win it. It took a lot of effort and concentration," stated Coach Stirtz.
The Jays battled their way to a 3 point halftime lead, 20-17. After the Jays got off to a quick start with leads of 8-2 and 14-8, the Hawks of Olathe East played well in the second quarter and cut the deficit to 3 by half. The Hawks came out early in the 3rd quarter to capture the lead by knocking down some deep threes. Then it was the Jays turn with big 3s by Marshon Norfleet and Christian Brinser to regain the lead. The Hawks closed the quarter with 2 impressive dunks but Bryan Adams had the final say with a rebound, full court speed dribble and jam at the buzzer to pull the Jays within 2 points 33-35 heading into the final 8 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, the Jays played their best basketball at both ends of the floor scoring 20 points and holding Olathe East to 10 points. JT Nixon's opening shot of the quarter, a 3 from the top of the key, continued the momentum given to the Jays by Adams' dunk. Then some outstanding hustle plays by Norfleet, Adams, and Nixon allowed the Jays to get second shots at the basket and extend the advantage. Jordan Lewis' free throws (4-4) helped the Jays seal the win. Denton Koon's 15 pt, 9 rebound effort led the way.
Koon's play during the week earned him a spot on the All-tourney team and Nixon's selfless hustle and defensive toughness won him the Hustle Award.
"We're proud of our squad. The defensive effort and concentration is improving. We're taking steps in the right direction. Offensively, we're taking better care of the ball, getting to the foul line more often and our spacing and picks are progressing in the motion offense. Now it's time to take what we've accomplished this week and build upon it in the upcoming weeks," remarked Coach McCabe.

Adams' buzzer beating dunk:

Jays Teams Reach Title Games

2010-01-22T10:17:00.003-06:00

The Varisty and Junior Varsity teams will play for a couple of championships of their respective tournaments tonight and tomorrow. The varsity team won a semifinal game in the CW Stessman tourney 63-39 over Leavenworth. The team defensive play of the Jays led to the victory. Individually, Denton Koon and JT Nixon played excellent defense. Four BlueJays were in double figures with Marcus Lucas at 13 pts, Koon with 12 pts, Marshon Norfleet with 11 pts, and Jordan Lewis with 10 pts.
The Jays will meet a very good Olathe East team in the title game tonight at Cokely at 8:30pm.
The Junior Varsity team beat the host school, William Chrisman, in their semifinal game Thursday night. With multiple players in double digit scoring, the Jays look to take some momentum into the championship game against Truman on Sat., at noon, at Chrisman HS.
Go Jays!

KMBC Ch 9 Selects Jays as 'Team in Focus'

2010-01-20T22:53:00.005-06:00

The Liberty basketball program welcomed Karen Kornacki and the Ch 9 sports team to practice on Wednesday. KMBC selected the Jays as their 'Team in Focus' this week. Look for the story to air on the 6pm and 10pm newscasts on Thursday.

"It's a nice honor for our players and our program to be recognized," stated Coach Simpson. "The team has worked hard to get where we are, but there's still a lot more we want to accomplish this season. We appreciate the effort of Ch 9 helping to promote not only our program, but high school sports in general."

Ms. Kornacki mentioned it's always fun to do features on high school players/teams. "They're happy to see us because it's something they don't experience on this level everyday. The players I normally talk with are professional athletes and although our pro teams in Kansas City are great to work with, sometimes players view talking with the media as a requirement of the job. That isn't the case with high school athletes. They are excited about it and see it as a 'treat' to be on TV."

Kornacki went on to say that she feels it's an expectation of a local news station to feature local teams and stories. "We're a member of the community and we want our viewers to know about all the outstanding individual and team talent our area."

Check out the feature at the following website: http://www.kmbc.com/video/22309236/index.html

Team Play Helps South Valley Reach Success

2010-01-18T06:59:00.004-06:00

This is the fourth of a four part series about our Junior High programs at Liberty. They teams combine for a 70-4 overall record. Great Job!

The SVJH 9th boys team has gotten off to a great start thus far. The highlight win of the year to this point probably came last Tuesday night with a one point win over Ray-Pec. SVJH trailed by one with about 30 seconds to go, but hit a shot with 8 seconds left to take the lead for good. I’d have to say there have been three key strengths for our team so far on the season. First and foremost all of our guys give a great effort every day in practice and it reflects in the games. They play hard at all times and that always gives them a chance to succeed. Another quality about these guys is their willingness to share the basketball. They’ve been a very unselfish bunch of guys who always make the extra pass to get a better look at the basket. The last quality that seems to stick out to me is their ability to play at a fast pace, but yet they still make good decisions. It’s a fine line between playing fast, smart basketball and playing out of control.

South Valley Dominating Opponents

2010-01-16T21:31:00.002-06:00

This is the third of a four part series about our Junior High programs at Liberty. They teams combine for a 70-4 overall record. Great Job!

The 8th grade South Valley Blue Jays are off to a great start. We are off to an 8-1 record with only 2 ½ more weeks left to play. We have averaged 51 points per game while holding our opponents to only 20 points per game. Our only loss came on a double overtime loss to Grandview who went on to win the Liberty Invitational tournament. We went on to beat Smith-Hale and finish 3rd in the tournament.
This team plays very well together. We have good size in the post, good athletes on the wings and great guard play. We play a high energy game always forcing the opponent to play our style of game. If you come to watch one of our games you will see every game start with high levels of defensive pressure and then a run and gun style of offense. This team is determined to finish the year as just as strong as we started it.

LJHS Freshman Are On A Roll

2010-01-15T10:38:00.002-06:00

This is the second of a four part series about our Junior High programs at Liberty. They teams combine for a 70-4 overall record. Great Job!

Liberty Junior High Freshmen Boys Basketball

A Team (11-0)
The LJH Freshmen boys are off to a great start. The Blue Jays started their season with a 40 point win over Oak Park and haven’t slowed down. The team went on to win the Park Hill tournament beating Winnetonka in the championship game. This year’s team has played great defense throughout the year only giving up an average of 29.7ppg. The Jays are also beating their opponents by an average of 15ppg. All players have contributed and competed very well and continue to work hard as the second half of the season rolls around.

B Team (7-1)

The Liberty Junior High Boys B team has had a great 1st half of the season. Their record stands at 7-1. Each game has been a true team effort with the scoring and defensive play being spread around to quite a few different players each game. They have been winning by an average of 13 points per game while only giving up a salty 25 to their opponents. There are some true competitors on this team, which is easy to see by the great effort that is put forth every night. They are looking to improve on their record and play the 2nd half of the season and love to have fun on the court!

Note: If you would like to catch the boys in action there are two more home games left on the schedule: Wednesday, January 20th and Friday, January 22nd. All home games start at 5:00pm. You can expect to see them diving around the court, playing hard, and most importantly playing as a team.

LJHS 8th Grade Teams Having Success

2010-01-14T14:34:00.002-06:00

This is the first of a four part series about our Junior High programs. The JH programs at Liberty are a combined 70-4 currently. Great Job!

The 8th grade teams at Liberty Junior High have started the season strong. The A team is off to an 8-1 start, while the B team is a perfect 9-0.

The A team has allowed under 30 points per game defensively and relied on a balanced scoring attack to post a 50 point per game average. The team’s only loss came in the championship game of the Liberty Invitational.

The B team easily won the championship of the Smith-Hale Tournament and recently has earned hard fought, come from behind victories in the fourth quarter against Lakeview and Delta Woods.

Both teams are working hard to finish the season the same way they have started it.

St Joe Central Game Rescheduled

2010-01-13T22:06:00.003-06:00

The game between St Joe Central and the BlueJay that was postponed due to the weather has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 27th. The Junior Varsity game will begin at 5:30 and the varsity game will follow.
The sophomore game between Oak Park and the Jays will not be rescheduled.
Up next for the Jays will be Blue Springs South at home on Friday, Jan 15th at Cokely Fieldhouse.

Cancellations/Postponements

2010-01-07T08:10:00.004-06:00

Here is a list of cancellations &/or postponements for our program for Jan 7th & 8th:

No practice for any team today
Sophomore game vs Oak Park today has been postponed
Varsity team dinner set for tonight has been postponed
JV/Varsity game set for Friday night vs SJC has been postponed
Practice for Friday, Jan 8th has been cancelled
Practice on Saturday, Jan 9th will be from 3:00-5:30pm

Please be safe and stay warm. Varsity players should have access to the LSN game on HUDL.

Lucas Enjoying Army All-Star Week

2010-01-06T20:28:00.003-06:00

Senior basketball forward and standout wide receiver for the Jays, Marcus Lucas is enjoying his week long trip to San Antoino, TX for the high school Army All-Star game. The Missouri Tiger recruit was selected to participate in the event due to an outstanding high school career.

The week has featured about 4 hours of practice per day against some of the best high school players in the nation. "It's a lot different. The competition is very good. For example, we have linebackers that can run like wide receivers and our left tackle is 6'8", 340 lbs. This experience will help me adjust to the collegiate level, " states Lucas.

There's much to do besides football. Each player is partnered with an 'Army Hero'...a military person who has experienced an overseas tour of duty. "It's just an amazing opportunity to learn from them and to gain some understanding of what all they have done for our country."

Lucas has kept in touch with his basketball teammates this week. In fact, he was immediately called during the locker room celebration after JT Nixon's 3-point shot at the buzzer that beat LSN Tuesday night 55-54.

The All-Star game will be televised on NBC is Saturday, Jan 9th at Noon. Joining Lucas at the game will be Head Coach Joel Wells and number of Jays' assistant coaches. Good luck Marcus!

Mid-Season Tourneys Announced

2010-01-06T18:39:00.004-06:00

In what could be one of the toughest tournaments in the region, the CW Stessman Invitional will be a tourney that basketball fans will love to attend. Cokely Fieldhouse will host the tournament which is set for Jan 19th, 21st, and 22nd.

On the top side of the bracket, Liberty hosts '09 tourney champions Lee's Summit West at 7pm and the #3 ranked team in Kansas, Leavenworth will battle Fort Osage @ 8:30pm. The winners of these games will play at 7pm on Jan 21st and the losers will play at 4pm on the same date.

The lower half of the bracket features Raytown South against St. Joe Central at 4pm and then 4-1 Olathe East verses Center at 5:30pm. All first round games will be Jan 19th. The winners will play each other in the semifinals on Jan 21st at 8:30 and the losers play at 5:30pm.

"We are very pleased with the quality teams we have in tournament this year, states Coach Stirtz. It is going to be very competitive and multiple teams have opportunities to win it. We are looking forward to an exciting week of basketball."

The BlueJay JV team will participate in the William Chrisman tournament the week of Jan 18th. The Jays face off against Belton at 1:30 on the 18th. If the Jays win, they will play Thursday, Jan 21st at 5pm. The championship round is slated for Saturday, Jan 23rd at William Chrisman HS.

Nixon's Timely 3 Wins It For Jays

2010-01-06T14:17:00.004-06:00

Down by 2 points and the clock nearing 00.0, JT Nixon calmly drained a 25 ft three-point shot to allow the Jays to escape with a one point victory against Lee's Summit North last night. With under 8 seconds to go, Liberty grabbed a rebound off a missed free-throw by LSN, outleted the ball to Jordan Lewis, who sprinted the ball up court and found a wide open Nixon. JT did what he does best and made the shot as the buzzer went off.

After a slow start to the game by Liberty's offense, they were 11 pts down at one point in the first quarter, the defense played better to allow the Jays to remain close. A solid 2nd quarter brought Liberty back within 4 pts at halftime; 27-31. The Jays used a very good 3rd quarter to take the lead. They got a lot of points in the paint, 6 by Denton Koon, and offensive putbacks. In particular, Marshon Norfleet rose to the occasion.

However, the Broncos would not go away and with offensive rebounds and interior points of their own, they reclaimed the lead during crunch time.

Both teams battled down the stretch making some great plays at both ends of the floor. But it was Nixon and the Jays who had the ball last and they made it happen when it mattered the most.

Jays Host Youth Clinic

2010-01-02T14:29:00.003-06:00

The Liberty Basketball team hosted a Youth Basketball Clinic on Saturday as part of a fundraiser for their program. Over 80 boys, grades Kindergarten through 5th grade, performed fundamental drills, defensive work, and game competition.

Thanks for supporting our program and best wishes to the future Jays during their basketball seasons.

Championship battle set!

2009-12-29T23:52:00.002-06:00

Jays to battle Bulldogs in Final

After a strong second half performance against a scrappy Springfield Glendale team, Liberty advanced to the Nelson division Championship game.

The victory by the Jays, which moved them to 8-1, sets up a highly anticipated battle with their undefeated cross town rival, Kearney Bulldogs.

The game will tip at William Jewell College at 9pm.

If you can not make the game, please remember to tune in and catch the action with Dallas Ackerman on the call.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow night at Jewell!

GO JAYS!

Blue Jays into Nelson Division Semis

2009-12-29T10:25:00.002-06:00

Game to be carried LIVE here on the internet tonight

The Liberty Blue Jay Boys Basketball Team had little trouble in their first round matchup in the Bank Midwest William Jewell Holiday Tournament with Fort Osage Monday night winning in a rout 61-20. Liberty only allowed 2 points in the second half. They Jays now advance to the semifinals of the Nelson Division tonight where they'll face Springfield Glendale in the 9pm game from the Maybee Center.

If you can't make it out ot Jewell, listen to the game LIVE tonight by clicking the "LIVE AUDIO" icon provided below. Dallas Ackerman and Kevin Starr will have the call beginning at approx. 8:45pm.

Click here and look for "LIVE AUDIO"

Players Enjoy Gift Exchange

2009-12-22T22:09:00.002-06:00

The Liberty Basketball team enjoyed a lot of pizza, gift sharing, and each other's company during the annual Christmas gift exchange. After a completing their first semester finals earlier in the day and then having a productive practice, the players gathered at Coach Stirtz's house. Pizza is always the meal of choice and the players devoured 30 of them (240 slices). The highlight of the evening was the gift exchange. There were some very nice gifts, and of course, some humorous ones, leading to a good time for all.

The Jays program wishes you and your family the very best during this Holiday season.

Blue Jays Wake Up Early to Get Win

2009-12-19T16:14:00.004-06:00

The Liberty Blue Jays battled Blue Valley West this morning at Avila University as part of the Hy-Vee Shootout presented by Metro Sports. The final score was 58-51 Jays. The victory moves the Jays to 6-1 on the season and an 7-4 overall record in the Shootout, which is best in the Metro.

After trading baskets in the first quarter, Liberty extended their lead to 6 points by halftime. Christian Brinser's 2 three pointers in the second quarter gave the offense a lift. Solid rebounding by Denton Koon and Austin Weese provided the Jays with an edge on the glass. Luke Lee gave his team valuable minutes off the bench with excellent defense and timely baskets.

The Blue Jays extended their lead to 10 in the 3rd quarter but the Jaguars didn't go away. A few missed layups and costly turnovers allowed BV West back in the game. The Jays led by 1 going into the last quarter.

With the game in the balance, Marshon Norfleet scored 6 big points and the Jays went 8-9 from the foul line during crunch time. Denton Koon, 21 points/12 rebounds in the game, went 5-5 from the charity stripe. Brinser added 10 points, while Norfleet and Weese chipped in 8 apiece.

"We were very pleased with how we performed during the most important part of the game, crunch time. With the score tied, our players made great reads in the motion offense and delivered the ball to a teammate for an easy basket. Brinser and Lee made some intelligent plays. Defensively we got stops and rebounds that extended our lead," stated Coach Stirtz.

The Jays will hit the practice floor a couple of times before Christmas break and then 2 more after break before they face Fort Osage in the Holiday tournament at 9pm.

Jays to Host Youth Clinic

2009-12-17T15:08:00.002-06:00

Boys, Grades K-5, come play with the Blue Jay basketball team! During this two hour clinic, you will practice your ball-handling, passing, dribbling, shooting, rebounding, and defensive skills with the varsity coaches and players.

When: January 2nd, 2010
Where: Liberty Junior High School
Who: Boys, Grades K-5, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Cost: $10; Autographed t-shirt $10 (optional)
*Can write one check ($20) for both; t-shirts will be delivered
*Make checks payable to Liberty High School

Please register in the gym the morning of the clinic. Please bring your own basketball. If you have questions, contact Coach Roger Stirtz @ 736.6836.

Holiday Bracket Released

2009-12-15T13:15:00.002-06:00

The bracket for the WJC Holiday tournament has been released. The Blue Jays are the #2 seed in the Nelson division. Liberty opens the tourney against Fort Osage on Monday, Dec 28th at 9:00pm. If victorious, they would face the winner of the Glendale-Smithville game on Dec 29th at 9:00pm. For a complete bracket, check our the 'Liberty Men's Basketball' website link in the right-hand column.

Hoop Team Delivers Food

2009-12-12T10:16:00.003-06:00

The Blue Jay basketball team helped deliver food to citizens of Liberty Saturday morning. In a community wide effort to assist people in need, the players had the final step in the process of putting the food in the hands of the people of need. Liberty Public Schools, in cooperation with the Sertoma service club, promote food drives at each school building. The canned food items are collected from the schools and organized into the correct address locations. From there, the Jays' players are able to deliver food to about 100 people at two apartment complexes.

"This is the 15th year our program has participated in the Mayor's Christmas Tree Food Drive. It would be 16 in a row but one winter the weather was so bad we didn't want our players out on the dangerous roads. It's a good experience for our players to give back to the community...a community that has provided them with so much," states Coach Stirtz.

Max Francisco, sophomore, said "It was a good experience and it was nice to help people in need." Derek Brizendine, sophomore, remarked "It was very successful. It was great to see the joy that we brought people who we delivered food to."