In Liberty High School sports, success came early and often
The Liberty softball team posted a 22-3-1 record and beat Irvine to win the CIF Division 5 championship. (Photo by Rick Rowell) By Paige Men...
By Paige Mendez, Correspondent
After their first full year of varsity sports, Liberty High School students and staff are looking back on what their young school accomplished.
The school competed at the varsity level with no seniors on any of their rosters, having just opened two years ago with only freshman and sophomore classes attending. During this time, the school accomplished more than athletic director Scott Moore could have hoped.
He does, however, say that he expected great things because of the people he was able to surround himself with while looking for new coaches when the school opened.
“Credit to Dr. [Principal Erika] Tejeda for reaching out and letting me help with the process,” Moore said. “We were able to bring people that I was familiar with and had similar mindsets to us, so we were spoiled. We’re lucky that the people I was able to bring over have the same philosophies of ‘athletes first.’ We have a phenomenal coaching staff — it’s about more than athletics with our coaching staff, and that’s what this school is about.”
The Bison had plenty to boast about this year -- 11 league championships, one individual CIF championship (wrestling), and one team CIF championship (softball) -- with a second-place team finish for boys swimming.
While Moore said those things are exciting, they aren’t what bring him the most pride in his school.
“It’s about the individual here; we want well-rounded individuals, kids that do athletics and want to be a part of drama or band. And we also want the band and drama to feel included,” said Moore. “We want everybody to be a part of it because everybody is Liberty High School—it’s not just the football team or the softball team.”
Anna Bozanic, a freshman wrestler who won the first ever CIF title for Liberty this year, is one of those leaders that Moore spoke about.
“Anna has been wrestling a long time; she’s a quiet, unassuming person, but when she gets on the mat, she’s obviously a force to be reckoned with,” said Moore.
Bozanic has been training with high-level wrestlers and expected to go far in her varsity debut season, but she didn’t know exactly how far that would be. She also noted that her success helped her see how many other female athletes were inspired by her.
“I think it’s just cool to see when other people try and follow what you do. It feels accomplishing to know other people who are reaching for their potential,” said Bozanic. “It’s really nice to have other girls that love to do what you do. Even when they weren’t competing, they would come support me. It helps me to want more leadership roles to help guide others at my school.”
Bozanic said her role as a leader at her school comes mainly from being involved in more than just one sport, having competed on the swim team this year as well. She said this is something she sees across the board with girls sports — an atmosphere of support—because so many athletes have connections with more than one sport.
“I think that’s the root of the support here. Girls I know from my sport are part of other sports and people want to support each other because they know each other,” said Bozanic. “I think it’s a great community. There’s support for any sport that you do; people won’t bring you down, they’ll push you up. And there’s no rude environment; it’s always support for you to grow in your sport.”
Eddie Smith, a junior on the track team and a football team that posted a 9-2 record, said his role as a leader at the school has helped him improve as an athlete. As an athlete and member of the school’s Black Student Union, Smith said he has learned discipline from his multiple roles on campus.
“I’m in clubs and things like that, so I guess I’m well-known for being involved,” Smith said. “Doing school and sports is difficult, but being in clubs definitely keeps me disciplined and helps me make sure I’m getting my stuff done.”
Moore said Smith’s presence at the school has been vital to the overall culture.
“Eddie has done a lot to shape the cultures and the way we go about things on campus. He’s a young man that has done a lot for our school and set the culture in football,” said Moore. “He leads by example; kids want to do what he does. It’s not always easy to lead and to be a verbal leader, but he does both.”
Janessa Guigliano, starting pitcher for the softball team that won a CIF championship in May, is one who stepped into her leadership role naturally.
“I’ve always just kind of stepped up to the role of a leader, even without titles,” said Giugliano. “It’s just something I’ve naturally stepped into.”
Guigliano’s stats show just how well she assumed that role on the field. She recorded 20 strikeouts in the last two games of the playoffs.
Moore said her presence, along with other leaders at the school, is something incredible to watch, particularly because the kids had to learn to lead all on their own.
“The older kids at our school had to learn how to lead themselves. They haven’t been really on a campus and never got to learn from somebody else,” said Moore. “It’s a credit to our coaches and our kids that they can get out there and lead. They weren’t taught a bad way or a good way to lead -- they learned their own way.”
The Bison enjoyed success in virtually every sport. The boys basketball team posted a 20-4 record and went undefeated in league play. The baseball team finished with a 16-10 record and went to the playoffs. Several track and field athletes performed well in the postseason.
The way the athletes have learned leadership skills has paid off at the school, said Moore.
“Overall, I want [the kids] to know that they’re cared about and the faculty here cares about them. I would thank them for taking the chance of coming to Liberty as a new school,” said Moore. “Wins and losses will happen, but it’s more about caring for our students academically and athletically and about their home life. It’s about more than sports, and that’s what I want the community to know.”
