Sports
Pete’s Pigskin Preview: Lubbock-Cooper Liberty Patriots - KCBD
Lubbock-Cooper Liberty Patriots head coach Joe Sexton says his team has the potential to be an even bigger threat this season, coming off a 10-2 record and a first-ever playoff appearance that saw them outscore opponents 599-171. That turnaround was the sharpest of any team across the South Plains last year, and it happened during the program's first season with a senior class.
That turnaround was the sharpest of any team across the South Plains last year, and it happened during the program's first season with a senior class. That context matters. You cannot overstate how rare it is to make a deep playoff run while still fielding your first group of upperclassmen.
This fall, 37 seniors return, and the team faces a tougher non-district schedule. Sexton says the offseason work has been strong, pointing to kids putting in weight room time on their own after scheduled sessions. That kind of self-directed buy-in tends to show up in September when the schedule gets hard.
For folks in Lubbock watching the local football landscape, Cooper Liberty is no longer a new program finding its footing. A 599-point offensive output in a single season gets attention from any coordinator drawing up a game plan, and 37 returning seniors gives Sexton more experienced depth than most programs at this stage can claim.
The Patriots went from no senior class at all to one of the area's most productive rosters in a single year.
Common questions
How did Lubbock-Cooper Liberty do last season?
- The Liberty Patriots finished 10-2 in their first-ever playoff season, outscoring opponents 599-171. It was the sharpest single-season turnaround of any team on the South Plains, and it came during the program's first year fielding a senior class.
What does Lubbock-Cooper Liberty look like heading into this season?
- The Patriots return 37 seniors and face a tougher non-district schedule. Coach Joe Sexton says offseason work has been strong, with players putting in extra weight room time on their own after scheduled sessions, which he sees as a sign of real buy-in.
Stay in the loop
Weekly Lubbock news, deals, and events. Free.