The day had finally arrived. It was circled on calendars, talked about in school, and carried into every practice leading up to it. Thursday, January 29, marked the most important regular-season matchup for the Lions. Liberty. It wasn’t just another game. It was personal.
Earlier in the season, the Lions hosted the Patriots at home. The girls’ varsity and junior varsity teams took care of business, but the varsity boys came up short. That loss stayed with them. From that moment on, the varsity squad worked relentlessly, not only to improve but also to ensure that when they met Liberty again, the outcome would not be the same. Walking into Liberty’s gym, the Lions knew exactly what to expect. The noise was constant, taunting, cheering, yelling from every corner of the stands. The energy was intense, almost overwhelming. But the Lions understood the task at hand: shut out the distractions, stay locked in, and walk out with three wins.
Junior varsity set the tone early. From the opening tip, they played smart, disciplined basketball, combining sharp ball movement with relentless defense. The Patriots struggled to find any rhythm, while the Lions maintained control from start to finish. The result was a dominant 38–11 victory that immediately set the standard for the night. Girls’ varsity followed with the same fire. Applying constant pressure on both ends of the floor, they overwhelmed Liberty with their effort and intensity. Every loose ball, every defensive stop, every fast-break opportunity fueled their momentum. When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 48–29. Two games down. One left.
Now it was time for varsity, the game everyone came to see. Two rival teams. A packed gym. A season’s worth of emotion riding on forty minutes of basketball. Liberty came out firing, knocking down three-pointers and jumping out to an early lead. The Lions, however, refused to panic. They played with poise, trusting their system and staying disciplined on defense. Despite their effort, they trailed 24–32 at halftime. Still, there was no frustration, only confidence. The Lions knew they were playing the right way, and they believed fatigue would eventually shift the momentum.
The third quarter delivered nonstop action. Both teams traded baskets, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The Patriots managed to hold onto a slim lead, but signs of exhaustion began to show. The Lions noticed. They could feel the game turning. The fourth quarter was different. The Lions slowed the game down, controlled possession, and capitalized on Liberty’s tired legs. With 45 seconds remaining, Jeremiah Schilling, rose up over the defense and drilled a clutch shot to give the Lions the lead. “Going into fourth quarter, I think the whole team had a whole lot of confidence that we were going in to make our shots, play good defense, and make this comeback. A big part of the game for me was putting a MIDI which brought up the energy in the room.” said Schilling, Liberty quickly called a timeout, and the tension inside the gym reached its peak. Moments later, Liberty missed both free throws and then mistakenly called a timeout they didn’t have. The mistake resulted in a technical foul. Lawton Hernandez stepped to the line and knocked down one of his free throws, giving the Lions a three-point cushion.
The final seconds were chaotic. Liberty missed, rebounded, and tried again. Schilling came up big with a crucial block, but the ball was tied up, giving the Patriots one last chance. With ten seconds left and down three, Liberty took a shot, missed, and got the rebound, and got fouled, which returned them to the free-throw line. The first shot missed, followed by the second. Preston Richmond grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled. With the game on the line, he stepped to the line and sank both free throws, sealing a thrilling 48–43 victory.
The Lions had done it, sweeping the night in their rival’s gym and proving how far they had come. But the feeling wasn’t relief. It was anticipation. With the state playoffs approaching and both teams establishing themselves as contenders, another meeting felt inevitable. The Lions already have that date marked. The rematch was coming and it was coming soon.
