LIBERTY BOYS STAY ALIVE!

FROM KEITH GROLLER

So, the high school boys basketball season goes on for at least a few more days. Liberty has done what no other area team has been able to do and that's reach the middle weekend of the state tournament, and I consider that to be the benchmark of a solid postseason run.

They are just one of a handful of teams who have been able to do it in recent years -- Parkland last year, Allen in 2006, Whitehall in 2005, and of course, Parkland made it all the way to the state finals in 2004.

But this is significant because with the infusion of Philly Public League and Catholic League teams, the tournament is harder than ever before and to be one of the last eight in the highest classification is a job well done.

I remember standing outside the Liberty locker room way back in early December and overheard an emotional talk Chad Landis was giving his team. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop and get a scoop, but it was just me in the hallway and I wanted to catch Landis and Darrun Hilliard when they came out, so I didn't want to move and stayed outside the door. I could hear almost every word.



What I heard was Landis spelling out the possibilities for this team. He thought they could be very special and thought they were capable of being the first Liberty in a long time to reach the elite eight.

So, knowing this was the team's No. 1 goal all along, you could sense the feeling of joy tonight when the Hurricanes finally put away a pesky York team 58-54 Wednesday night at Geigle Complex to get to the elite eight.

Next up is another District 3 team, Hempfield, and I've already heard that this is a winnable game for the 'Canes.

We'll see, but you have to admire the way this team has pulled together after a late-season swoon that included an ugly loss to Nazareth in the Lehigh Valley Conference semis.

You've got a Division I caliber player in Hilliard (No. 32 abovet) leading the way, but you also have some gritty, tough and determined athletes right behind him, guys like Jarrod West and Anthony Gonzalez who know what it takes to win a state championship. They aren't going to be intimidated by any situation, any opponent.

I know because of all the success Liberty has had in recent years in football and in boys basketball, there's a certain segment of the area that may be tired of hearing about their success. I don't see a lot of people from other communities getting on this bandwagon, and in fact, I thought the crowd tonight was poor in terms of numbers. There was only about 700 in the gym for a 4A state playoff game. Pathetic.

The people that were there were great, but these kids deserve to have everybody get behind them. And please don't give me the weak excuse that these teams don't play up tempo basketball. Liberty and York went at each other for 32 minutes and not even an abundance of turnovers slowed them down.

People should appreciate this senior group at Liberty. I don't know when you'll ever see four Division I athletes assembled on one team again.

And I was glad they were able to get this win tonight and do something that no Liberty team has done since 1925. You sense that they're capable of making more history, although a couple of spectacular teams still loom large out there.

Finally, what a gracious, touch of class displayed by Landis (lower left) after the game. Just as he did when his team won the league title last year, he chose to share his special moment with Todd Rothrock.



He went out of his way to mention Rothrock, who died so suddenly in the summer of 2008. Another person, another coach would have just wanted this moment of glory for himself, but Landis clearly keeps Rothrock close in mind and heart and for him to mention Todd within the first two minutes of his postgame comments with the media tonight showcased someone who is not just good a coach, but a terrific person and friend as well.

And that's just one more reason to root for Liberty as this season continues for at least one more game

FROM KEITH GROLLER