Following a 2020 season that saw Liberty Hill go 12-1 and advance to the Class 5A Division II state semifinals, Panthers head coach Kent Walker was faced with replacing his entire backfield of Blake Simpson, Trey Seward and Eric De la cruz after the senior trio had combined for 4,410 rushing yards and 63 touchdowns.
Certainly a daunting task for a team predicated on the run with its famed Slot-T offense, but that same year, freshman Noah Long had already burst onto the varsity scene and the following season was joined by backfield mates Joe Pitchford, Logan Dyer and Grady Flinn in more-than-capably filling the void in 2021 for a Purple-and-gold squad that advanced all the way to the state championship game.
Over the course of the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, the trio of Long, Pitchford and fullback Ben Carter shouldered the load, resulting in back-to-back trips to the state semifinals.
However, entering this season, Walker is once again up against the same dilemma after losing the Long-Pitchford-Carter combination to graduation after combining for 4,320 yards and 54 touchdowns.
Once again, though, the Panthers are poised to reload their offensive backfield and it's simply a case of next-man-up, as juniors Bryce Muchaw, Jack Pitchford and DJ Seaborn will join senior Kyle May, with all of them having seen significant varsity action last season.
According to Walker, it's using the same gun, but with different bullets.
“I never like to use the word 'replace' because Ben (Carter), Joe (Pitchford) and Noah (Long) are special football players and great young men who can't just be replaced,” said Walker, of the trio that all went on to NCAA Division I programs. “Every team is different and this year we have guys who are ready to take those positions.”
Also new will be junior quarterback Judah Fried, who will take over the signal-calling responsibilities after having performed well for the Panthers' junior varsity team last year, which gives Walker confidence he's prepared to excel at the varsity level.
“There's no doubt in my mind Judah is ready to move in and start,” said Walker, who begins his fourth full season running the Liberty Hill sidelines. “He's a hard-working player that's very selfless with a calm, cool and collected demeanor and doesn't let his emotions get too high or low – not too vocal, but a natural leader.”
Along the offensive line, senior center Kolton New will anchor, with Aiden Merchant, Nick Vasquez, Daniel Simpson and junior tight end Jett Harrison contributing heavily.
Liberty Hill's defense will be led by senior linebacker Garrett Lindgren – the Panthers' leading returning tackler from last season – who is moving from the outside linebacker spot he occupied last year to the inside alongside fellow inside backer Caleb Nicholas to form the heart of the unit to go with outside linebackers Kaden Cockburn and Will Fulford, who will patrol the edges.
But, perhaps the player who will have the biggest impact will be junior defensive lineman Alister Vallejo, who collected a team-high 11 sacks last season, said Walker.
“Alister is difference-maker,” he said, of the 6-foot-3, 270-pound Vallejo, who has quickness that belies his hulking presence and has already been offered a scholarship by the University of Mississippi. “We're looking for him to have a huge junior year and he'll demand a lot of double-teams, which will free up our linebackers to make plays.”
Leading the defensive secondary will be senior cornerback Kendrick Hicks, who had a team-high seven passes defended last season, along with Seaborn and Sebastian Evans lending a hand in pass coverage and run support.
On the schedule this season are three nondistrict games – down from four in previous years – due to the Panthers' new district that features seven league opponents, including Class 6A powerhouse Steele in the season opener away on Aug. 30, along with contests against Rouse to open the home schedule on Sept. 6 and a matchup with Class 6A Eastlake of El Paso, which will be played at a neutral site in Midland on Sept. 13.
Walker said the opener against Steele will be a litmus test for his team moving forward.
“Steele is as good a team as there is in the state of Texas,” he said of of the Knights, who posted a 13-2 record last season in advancing to the Class 6A Division II state semifinals. “We'll have our work cut out, but it'll tell us what our strengths and weaknesses are.”
The district opener will be against Connally on Sept. 20 (home), followed by Navarro (Sept. 26, away), Elgin (Oct. 11, home), Pflugerville (Oct. 18, away), McCallum (Oct. 25, home), Crockett (Nov. 1, home) and Bastrop (Nov. 8, away).
Walker is expecting a rugged road through his team's new district.
“Elgin is a good football team, Connally is much-improved, McCallum has a great coach and Division I quarterback and Bastrop has more Division I players than anyone in the district,” he said. “We have some good opponents and I think it's going to be tougher than a lot of people think.”
As the season draws closer with the first official day of practice on Aug. 5, Walker said he and his coaching staff are beginning to transition into regular-season mode.
“The sleepless nights for me have already started thinking about everything,” he said. “But, it never gets old and I'm extremely lucky to have one of the best coaching staffs in the state of Texas and awesome kids that do everything we ask of them and more – I'm fortunate to be their head coach and be able to lead the program.”
Walker added the primary objective remains a state championship as a new season prepares to unfold.
“Our goal is always the same,” he said. “If we do the right things, the scoreboard will take care of itself and I'm really excited to see what we can do – it's football season in Liberty Hill, Texas – what more could you ask for?”
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