For high school sports teams, the road to the Sweet 16 was not easy. Seniors of the Liberty Boys’ Basketball team started their careers on a team that won only two games. This year the narrative changed as the team didn’t just break a losing streak, they changed the entire culture of the program by going farther than they have ever gone before.
Every great season has a “lightbulb” moment where players realize they can succeed farther than before. For senior Steven McAllister, that moment happened early against a District 20 rival. “That first Rampart game where we won at our place… That’s when I knew that this team was special,” said McAllister.
Senior Hunter Anderson saw that same spark during a comeback against Palmer High School. After losing back to back games at the beginning of the season, the Lancers met this game with a new ferocity to win at all costs.. “We came back a stronger team,” Anderson noted.
Breaking a long losing streak requires more than just talent; it requires a mental shift. McAllister credited the turnaround to the players finally “buying in” to the coaches plan. The team held each other accountable to the goals they set before the season even started.
Roster changes also played a big role. After losing key players from the year before, the team needed someone to step up. Anderson said the addition of a player named ‘Zay Bradley’ was the missing piece. “He fit in so well and made us better every day,” Anderson said.
As the playoffs arrived, the games got louder and the stakes got higher. To stay ready, the coaches made practice even harder than the games. They even played recordings of loud crowd noises during drills. “We stayed on business,” Anderson explained. “If we were going to go out, we were going to go out fighting together.”
This preparation kept the team calm. McAllister reminded his teammates that they were in control of their own destiny. As the games got bigger, the players stepped up rather than backing down.
When the clock hit zero and the Sweet 16 spot was official, the emotions were a mix of joy and relief. For Anderson, it meant his high school career wasn’t over yet. He was thrilled to earn at least one more game and an appearance at the Coliseum.
McAllister felt the same happiness but remained focused. While the Sweet 16 was a huge milestone, he knew the team had even bigger goals in mind.
The senior class is leaving a program that looks nothing like the one they joined as freshmen. Under coaches Thomas and Grant, Liberty has become a winner. “I see this team… going deeper and deeper and even winning state” in the future, Anderson predicted.
McAllister believes they have set a new “Standard of Liberty.” The goal is for younger players to see this run and understand that winning is now the expectation. The losing streaks are over; a new era has begun.
