By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
While weighing his expectations prior to the season, Butch Clark never foreshadowed a state playoff run. Realizing he’d graduated his most productive post player, the Liberty Christian coach was modest in setting his goals. “I always try to look at the season and set some type of reasonable expectation,” said Clark. “I thought if we could win 20 games, it would be a good season.” Turns out, the Eagles were prepared to surprise Clark, going 25-6 on their way to winning the Missouri Christian School’s Athletic Association State Championship three weeks ago. “To be honest, I never expected us to have this good of a year,” admitted Clark. Having lost its second-leading scorer and top rebounder from a year ago, Liberty Christian’s offense wasn’t its strongest suit. “The main difference was our defense,” explained Clark. “We had very few games that we gave up over 60 points.” While the Eagles possessed an all-state performer in Caleb Fox, they weren’t prepared to run with teams in high-scoring affairs. Fox, who averaged 29 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, often faced a box-and-one defense. “That was exceptional, considering the defenses he faced every night,” said Clark. “He also managed to stay out of foul trouble.” Clark says everyone expected Fox to score, but many of his best contributions went unnoticed. “He was very consistent with his rebounding and defense,” said Clark. “Everybody sees his points, but they don’t see the rebounds he pulls down or the charges he takes.” His offensive load was lessened by the presence of sophomore Tanner Meyer, who netted 10.2 points a contest. “When he gets his feet set and has a little space, he’s pretty good,” said Clark. “We need to get him to work on attacking the bucket more.” Liberty Christian didn’t have the appearance of a state title team early in the season, going 5-4 through its first nine games. But the Eagles finished much stronger, winning 14 out of their final 15 contests. “I thought the turning point for us was at home in early January when we were losing to Community Christian,” said Clark. “We changed defenses at halftime and came back to win. After that, the guys really committed to playing defense the rest of the season.” The Eagles also defeated their top rival Rivers of Life three out of four times this season, shutting down leading scorer Ralph Bellamy. “We really tried to defend the scorers and encourage the worst shooters to shoot, and it worked most nights,” said Clark. He gives senior Joe Burris much of the credit for that pressure as the Eagles’ top defender. “Joe would stick to somebody like glue and would take it as a challenge,” said Clark. Liberty Christian’s scoring was aided by Luke Bruning, who averaged nine points a game. “Luke came on big during the second half,” said Clark. “He had a lot of games where you could see his confidence developing. He was pretty streaky in his point production, but it seemed like they always came at the right time.” Bruning also averaged 2.4 rebounds and 1.65 assists per game. “We wouldn’t have won without him,” added Clark. The Eagles will return seven of their nine players next season.
Liberty Christian sophomore Tanner Meyer cuts down part of the net during a ceremony held to honor the Eagles' state championship team on Saturday.
Derrick Forsythe Photo.
