Liberty basketball coach looks for bright spots after loss

Senior Alex Barajas has added stability to the Liberty lineup this season. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

The Liberty High girls basketball team is more than halfway through their season and just four games into league play with a 3-1 league mark and overall 8-7 record.

The Bison's most recent game Thursday night ended in a 74-19 loss to San Jacinto, but their winning league record is something head coach Fred Yepez said he is proud of. With just three returning players from last season on his entire roster, Yepez said he was expecting this year to be about rebuilding.

“This year I knew it was going to be a roller coaster type of a season,” he said. “But the kids are learning and that’s what I want to see happen by the end of the year. Did we progress from day one to day 120? That’s the big thing I want to see.”

Senior Alex Barajas said her role in that progress is one she works very hard to fulfill.

“I want to grow mentally and physically and help lead the team,” Barajas said. “I want to help round them up for next season since I’m a senior and I won’t be here then.”

With one of their only three returners currently unavailable to play due to a family move, Barajas has been even more of a leading voice for the team, which, according to Yepez, is in need of that push.

“Alex has a style of game that I love for our younger girls to see,” he said. “It’s definitely tough with having six freshmen on the team and when they see her they step their game up.”

Aside from encouraging his leaders on the team, in order to get his team and their school to buy into the program Yepez is seeking to build, he has tried to find opportunities for them to see the bigger side of the basketball community -- with events like an exhibition game they will play in at the Toyota Arena in Ontario at the end of the month.

“We’re going to play where a G-league team usually plays and they’ll feel what it’s like to be in a big-time arena,” Yepez said. “I wanted to get them that experience and have those activities be more influential to spark more interest.”

Though his team is building up their roster, Yepez admits it could be easy to overlook their talent, but he cautioned against that.

“Don’t sleep on us; we’re looking ahead for the next few years and it’s looking like we’ll have a banner up on the wall with a championship in two or three seasons,” he said.

This season continues for the Bison next Tuesday at Tahquitz (9-7) at 5:30 p.m.

Susie Fernandez hits an outside jumper during Liberty's game on Thursday. (Photo by Rick Rowell)