As the season progressed, Coach Tanner Meyer saw his team’s identity come together.

He wasn’t sure what to expect during his first year at the helm leading the defending state champion Liberty Christian boys basketball program. One thing was for certain — expectations would be high for a perennially strong school.

“Whenever we began the season, we played some pretty easy teams, so I didn’t really get a full feel for it until tougher competition hit our schedule,” said Meyer, who guided the Eagles to a 23-10 finish.

He says the telling game was a Homecoming contest against Thomas Jefferson, in which Liberty Christian lost by 10. While it was a setback, it was also a step forward, helping Meyer to see the potential his team possessed.

Later in the season the Eagles defeated the same Thomas Jefferson team in a more critical matchup during the Metro Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.

“Overall, I felt like the season went really well for us,” said Meyer.

The Eagles came up short of repeating as state champions, falling to a lackluster performance in the first round of the annual tournament in Joplin.

“That definitely didn’t turn out like we felt it should have,” said Meyer. “I felt like if we would've won that first game, we would have at least made the championship.”

In terms of individuals, Meyer saw many players rise to the occasion and find their unique contributing roles.

Junior Josh Dames was a dominant force for the Eagles, providing 21.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest.

“Josh is an animal in the paint,” said Meyer. “He plays good defense and is always out there hustling.”

Sophomore Cole Christian handled the ball for Liberty Christian, elevating his offense with 13 points and 2.8 assists per game.

“At the beginning of the year, I had to encourage Cole to be the guys to lead the court and really take on that point guard role. Offensively, he and Josh began to play well together as the season went on.”

Also contributing significantly for the Eagles was senior Dakota Ball with 10.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

“Dakota didn’t always show up in the stats, but he made people change their shots by jumping vertically and being a force,” said Meyer.

Senior David Vaclavik was recognized as the hustle player of the year for his willingness to dive after loose balls and fight for possessions.

Meyer says his team’s defense improved throughout the course of the year, getting better at cutting off the baseline.

As the Eagles move toward next season, they will focus on boxing out.

“That was definitely a downfall for us,” said Meyer. “It’s hard to get guys to do that these days, so it’s something we’ll continue to work on.”