Friday night rewind: Liberty looks to learn from loss to Mater Dei

One of the astir important things a squad tin bash is trial itself against prime contention during nonleague play.

Two years ago, Liberty went 0-5 against a stacked docket of out-of-state opponents. But the Patriots learned from those defeats, made the indispensable changes and won their last 10 games and archetypal authorities championship.

Because of COVID-19, teams specified arsenic Liberty that traditionally play out-of-state opponents person had constricted chances to bash so. Bishop Gorman is the lone squad that has yet to play an in-state foe, and that’s lone due to the fact that its scheduled crippled against Bishop Manogue was canceled by wildfires successful Northern Nevada.

Liberty played 3 in-state teams to commencement the play and had a comparatively casual clip successful each three, defeating Arbor View, Canyon Springs and Foothill by a combined 126-20.

The Patriots yet got their crippled against an out-of-state hostile Friday astatine the Polynesian Classic astatine Bishop Gorman, and it turned into a 49-7 nonaccomplishment to Mater Dei (California), the No. 1-ranked squad successful the federation by USA Today.

Liberty scored successful the archetypal 4th to necktie the crippled 7-7, but it was each Monarchs aft that. The 2nd fractional was played with a moving clock, arsenic Mater Dei led 42-7 astatine halftime.

Liberty manager Rich Muraco wasn’t ever pleased with his team’s execution successful the archetypal 3 games contempt the wins. He hopes Friday’s nonaccomplishment volition beryllium the eye-opening acquisition the Patriots needed.

“I deliberation sometimes you larn much from a nonaccomplishment than you bash from beating a squad adjacent though you bushed a squad and you play bad,” Muraco said.

Liberty learned from its losses 2 years ago. Time volition archer what it takes from this one.

Another precocious nighttime successful Class 3A

Last week, proscription issues forced Boulder City to get precocious for a crippled against Moapa Valley.

On Friday, the autobus taking Virgin Valley to Pahrump Valley blew a tire, forcing a 90-minute hold to the start.

Unlike Boulder City, which ne'er seemed to get disconnected the autobus successful a 54-14 loss, Virgin Valley near with a 48-18 victory. Pahrump Valley astir apt would person waited arsenic agelong arsenic it needed to for Virgin Valley to arrive, conscionable to person a accidental to play.

The Trojans had yet to bash truthful this season. They had a scheduled bye past week aft their archetypal 2 games against Sunrise Mountain and Rancho were canceled.

Game of the night

On a nighttime successful which nary games were decided by less than 10 points, let’s spell backmost to the afternoon.

Desert Pines had waited for 3 weeks to get backmost connected the field, and manager Tico Rodriguez said Thursday his Jaguars were “foaming astatine the mouth” to play.

In what turned retired to beryllium a chaotic shootout, the Jaguars allowed 615 full yards to Orem (Utah) successful the Polynesian Classic, but forced six turnovers and recovered 2 of their ain squib kicks. They utilized those breaks — and 309 yards and six touchdowns passing from Rjay Tagataese — to instrumentality a 53-42 win.

This game, successful which the Jaguars had 395 yards for a full of 1,010, is simply a implicit departure from others that person taken the “game of the night” distinction, specified arsenic Desert Oasis’ 9-8 triumph implicit Spring Valley and Legacy’s 8-7 triumph implicit Las Vegas.

First look

Bishop Gorman goes connected the roadworthy for its last out-of-state crippled against Hamilton (Arizona) earlier opening league play by hosting Arbor View.

Two Class 4A showdowns loom, with Silverado hosting Coronado and Shadow Ridge welcoming Desert Oasis. In 3A, Virgin Valley (at Boulder City) and Moapa Valley (hosting Pahrump Valley) volition effort to stay undefeated.

Contact Jason Orts astatine jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts connected Twitter.