Missouri high school football team previews (Kansas City region): Liberty North returns plenty of talent to make another run at title game appearance

After playing for Class 6 title in '21, Eagles will be under the direction of a new coach.

By Chris Geinosky 

Over the next few weeks, SBLive Missouri will break down various high school football teams in the state in anticipation of the upcoming 2022 season. Here’s our look at the Liberty North Eagles.

HEAD COACH

Andy Lierman, 1st season (0-0)

RETURNING STARTERS

4 offense, 8 defense

2021 AT A GLANCE

Overall record: 11-2

League record: 7-0, 1st in Greater Kansas City Suburban Gold Conference

Playoffs: Lost 48-21 to Christian Brothers College in Class 6 State Championship Game

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LB Melvin Laster, 6-2, 240, Jr.

Putting it simply, Laster is one of the top Class of 2024 college prospects in Missouri. As a sophomore last year, he was named the Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Class 6 State Defensive Player of the Year, the Buck Buchanan Award winner as the top lineman in Kansas City (the first-ever sophomore to win the award) and the SBLive Sophomore of the Year. Laster is receiving college looks from Power Five schools across the country.

QB Sam Van Dyne, 6-3, 205, Sr.

Van Dyne returns under center after throwing for 2,141 yards and 21 touchdowns while connecting on 65 percent (119-of-183) passes and leading the Eagles to the state championship game. Coming off a season where he was a Simone Award finalist as the top player in Kansas City, Van Dyne is one of the top college quarterback prospects among this year’s senior class in Missouri.

RB Micah Jo Barnett, 5-8, 180, Jr.

Last year, Barnett rushed 152 times for 993 yards as the Eagles' second option in the backfield behind all-stater Caden Arzola, who graduated. A returning all-conference award winner, Barnett is a shifty runner who appears ready to take over the job as the team’s lead running back.

OL Trey Shriver, 6-1, 250, Sr.

Liberty North’s lone returning starter on the offensive line will be counted on to lead by example in the trenches. Last year, Shriver was named all-conference after helping the Eagles rack up more than 5,000 yards of total offense and 35 points per game during the winningest season in program history.

K Blake Craig, 5-11, 190, Sr.

A four-year starting placekicker, Craig has already committed to the University of Missouri. Last year, he had a 54 percent touchback rate and connected on a 56-yard field goal. For his career, he’s converted 149-of-152 extra points (98 percent) and 26-of-34 field goals (77 percent).

OTHER RETURNING STARTERS

WR Tate McGuire, 6-3, 190, Sr.; WR Keelan Smith, 6-3, 200, Jr.; WR Xavier Horn, 6-0, 160, Sr.; DE Jacob Stockard, 6-5, 240, Sr.; DE Javon Smith 6-2, 220, Sr., DE Bernard Sosoatu, 6-3, 230, Sr.; DL Darius Pahmahmie, 6-2, 290, Jr.; LB Kaden Durso, 6-0, 205, Sr.; DB Eric Henkle, 6-1, 195, Sr.; DB Brandon Miller, 6-0, 185, Sr.; Trey Snyder, 6-1, 185, Jr.

TOP NEWCOMERS

LB Ryan Hutson, 6-0, 205, So.; OL Motie Williams, 6-3, 280, So.; DB Cole Young, 5-11, 170, Jr.; DB Preston Denmark, 6-1, 180, Sr.; DE Callen Presser, 6-6, 215, Sr.; OL Braden Gifford, 6-5, 255, Jr.; OL Brody Hatcher, 6-2, 270, Sr.; TE Tyler Suppes, 6-4, 195, Jr.; TE Trevor Thorn, 6-2, 185, Sr.; H-Back Nathan Sola, 6-2, 185, Sr.

OUTLOOK

Coming off the team’s best season in program history and finishing as the Class 6 state runner-up, Liberty North appears to once again be one of the top teams in Missouri in 2022. Despite losing a talented class to graduation last spring that included a half-dozen all-state players, the Eagles still have plenty of talent to work with this year.

Another loss is Hall of Fame head coach Greg Jones, but former assistant Andy Lierman takes the reins of the program while most of the coaching staff returns in full.

Last season, Liberty North lost the season opener, 43-30, at Arkansas powerhouse Bentonville, before ripping off 11 consecutive wins and making a run to the state championship game. The Eagles have aspirations of returning back to state, and they will be tested early again this season as they open up with a home game on Aug. 26 against Lee’s Summit North, which was a state semifinalist a year ago. Liberty North pulled out a thrilling 38-35 victory against the Broncos during the regular season that clinched the Suburban Gold Conference title.

COACH SAID

"We are excited about the upcoming season. The adjustment of a new head coach can at times create uncertainty within a program, but not with this group. The transition has been smooth, the kids continue to work hard and strive to make themselves and this program the best. ... My coaching philosophy is to be the most disciplined and physical team on the field. What has made us successful isn’t what we have done, but how we have done it. Attacking everything we do with the mentality that we want to get better and do things the right way. This team is an experienced group of kids who have played a lot of football. We will return several players who have a lot of game experience and we will rely on them to continue to provide our team with leadership and playmaking ability." - Andy Lierman