By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Upon making their first trip to the Final Four since 1988, The Mountain View Liberty Eagles ran into a program built for the national stage. In the Class 3 Show-Me Showdown at Mizzou Arena on Friday, the Eagles faced the defending state champion Principia Panthers, a team that plays a coast-to-coast schedule against top competition and is ranked fourth in the nation.
Principia jumped out to a 24-10 lead to end the first quarter, up 46-12 at the half on the way to a 70-33 win over Liberty.
The result doesn’t diminish what has been a remarkable season for the Eagles. The team is now 28-3, compiling one of the strongest records in program history.
“We obviously had a great year,” said Liberty head coach Justin Harrill, alongside juniors Alex Tune, Paxton Hunter, and Blayne Altermatt. “The guys have been a big contributor to all of that. Blayne transferred in in January and it kind of gave us a boost. That was actually his first loss in the Liberty jersey. He really propelled us to do a lot of good stuff.”
The community of Mountain View – Birch Tree has also been a critical part of the team’s success.
“They’ve been great for us, especially this year,” said Coach Harrill. “(The Eagles) went to the Final Four in football and then they went to the Final Four in basketball, so the town has been really supportive. We had a ton of people here today, and it’s three and a half hours away, so I thought that was a testament of our community and fans, and they’ve just been great.”
Harill added that yesterday’s pep rally included members of the 1988 team that finished second in state competition.
“Having a fan base behind you is the most important thing, really,” said Blayne Altermatt. “Even tonight, when you’re down big and you have people supporting you from your community. They’re cheering you on even though you know you might not win, but they are still there for you because they want to see you succeed and do what’s best for you.”
Four Eagles will end their high school career tomorrow: Parker Tune, Drayton Wells, Brayden Mays, and Tytus Jester.
“This is my third year here, and it has been a great foundation for us to build on,” said Coach Harrill. “(The seniors) have set the foundation for what we want to do, and they’ve been great.”
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The Eagles have one more game together: the third place contest against the North Platte Panthers at noon tomorrow.
“I think North Platte is probably pretty similar to us,” said Coach Harrill. “They are pretty big, they shoot the three, they get after it defensively, and I think it could be an exciting game. The third place game…now that I’m here, I’m excited we get a chance to play in that game, because these boys really deserve that atmosphere.”
The Eagles’ run has answered many of the doubts that followed it along the way.
“I think a lot of people didn’t believe in us and thought we were overhyped,” said Paxton Hunter. “We had a lot of close games, and you can say what you want, but at the end of the day, we found a way to win those games, and that’s what you need, is a team that’s going to fight to win. Even though today didn’t go how we wanted it to, we still have a game tomorrow, and we are some of the only teams in the state who still get to play tomorrow, so it’s pretty special.”
With one more game still ahead, the Eagles’ season and the chance to add another win to an already memorable year isn’t over yet.
Scoring: Parker Tune, 8; Paxton Hunter, 6; Drayton Wells, 6; Blayne Altermatt, 5; Alex Tune, 2; Graham Tune, 2; Carter Ellett, 2; and Brayden Mays, 2.
