LH Independent 2-6-2020

2020

Volume 33, Issue 11

www.LHIndependent.com

News@LHIndependent.com

February 6, 2020 | 50 Cents

Tensions boil after Community call Parks Board meeting

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Staff Writer What was intended to be a planning and information session for the Liberty Hill Parks Board turned into a post-meeting reprimand of two longtime members by Council member and new board appointee Steve McIntosh.

Tensions rose Tuesday during testy exchanges between McIntosh and Board member Liz Branigan.

As soon as the meeting adjourned, McIntosh – accompanied by Senior Director of Planning David Stallworth asked to serve as a witness – called Branigan into the room used by the Council for closed session.

“I was in there with Mr. McIntosh and (Stallworth) and they locked the door and proceeded to threaten me, and I don’t threaten easily,” Branigan said. “(McIntosh) told me he would not tolerate any criticism and at that point I told them that was my job to critique and debate.”

She said the closed door discussion was very hostile, adding that when she was accused of being hostile she stepped out to call in a witness of her own. City Events Coordinator Katie Amsler was then called in to serve as a second witness to the conversation, which continued behind closed doors.

“They told me I was being hostile and negative so I got up, walked to the door and called in anybody who would come in to be a witness,” Branigan said. “Following

that, he (McIntosh) calmed down. The decibel level was much lower. I called for anyone to come in because they were yelling at me.

“I think what they’re trying to do is run the City, instead of from the ground up – from the populace up – they’re trying to run it from the top down. He kept saying, ‘I won’t tolerate any disagreement’.”

Branigan reiterated a number of times in an interview Wednesday morning that she believes McIntosh was placed on the Parks Board “to control it from the top.”

“What concerns me is that the board exists partly so that the public can see that their money is being spent or policies are being made after a discussion with a board of citizens and it’s not happening these days,” Branigan said.

“What this administration wants to do is dictate.”

She added that the approach to his concerns about what was said during the meeting could have been handled differently.

“I think he could have furthered his point simply by treating me with respect instead of calling me in and yelling at me,” Branigan said of the incident. “I felt very disrespected and threatened.”

After Branigan emerged from the closed meeting, McIntosh then called in Parks Board President MaryLyn Jones, this time with City Council member Kathy Canady present as the only

See PARKS, Page A5

Panthers’ new district opponents revealed

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor The moment all of the Liberty Hill High School sports community was waiting for finally arrive on Monday as the UIL unveiled the new district alignments for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.

On the football side, the Panthers are grouped in Class 5A Division II, Region 4, District 14 with five Austin schools in Crockett, McCallum, Navarro, Northeast and Travis, along with Marble Falls.

Gone are long road trips as all of the new opponents play within a 40-mile radius of Liberty Hill, which is certainly a welcome change, said Athletic Director and head football Coach Jeff Walker.

“It’s certainly close, so we won’t have to go far,” he said.

“There’s the traffic in Austin, but other than that, pretty good.”

The combined record of the ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent

Panthers’ new district opponents was 15-46 this past football season, so to ensure his team is tested properly, Walker has added a pair of Class 6A schools in Killeen Ellison and Del Valle and Class 5A neighbors Georgetown, as well as Class 4A LBJ, who posted an aggregate record of 24-19 this season.

According to Walker, making sure his side is ready when the chips are down is of the utmost importance.

“We’re going to have to play good schools at some point,” said Walker. “So, we’re playing over our heads in pre-district, but I like our chances.”

Basketball and volleyball also received their new district assignments and the Panthers find themselves in Class 5A Region 4, District 25, with nearby neighbors Cedar Park, the three Leander schools (Leander, Glenn, Rouse) and the two Georgetown schools (Georgetown, East View).

Liberty Hill head volleyball

See DISTRICT, Page A4

Cross Tracks at a crossroads

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor As Liberty Hill grows around it by leaps and bounds, the congregation at Cross Tracks Church is fighting for the future of one of the community’s oldest landmarks.

Members of the church hope that the past is as important as the future for area residents and Liberty Hill will come together to help save the historic structure.

Cross Tracks Church, a Methodist church founded in 1854 in Liberty Hill, has a historic marker near the front right corner of the building that notes when the church was formed, and when the building was erected on the site, all the way back in 1870.

“I’m told this is the oldest building in Liberty Hill,” said Jim Turner, who along with his wife Pam are leading the restoration project. “We’re designated as a historical landmark so we have restrictions about what we can do to the outside. Whatever we do we have to submit plans to the state.”

The congregation has taken on projects as it can, recently refinishing the weather-damaged front doors.

“Originally, this was a three-story building at a different location, and they moved it over here brick by brick and at the time the first floor was dirt and the locals would ride their horses in during the heat of the summer then go upstairs for church services,” Jim said.

As the campaign for restoration begins, the church wants to tell its story and generate interest in the preservation effort.

“We’d love to have people come to our services and see what we’re about,” Pam said. “We’ve been doing the same thing for 165 years now, so we’re not going MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO anywhere. We’d love to grow.”

The large stained glass window at the front of Cross Tracks Church is one of many that needs restoration and attention as the congregation takes on See CROSS TRACKS, Page A6 the project of protecting the historic structure.

Mayor ready to name Charter Committee

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Estimates relied on by Liberty Hill Mayor Rick Hall say the current population of the city proper is about 2,500 residents. That puts Liberty Hill halfway to the magic number of 5,000 needed to declare itself a Home Rule City and adopt a city charter.

With the number of residential lots currently drawn on a map and in varying degrees of the development process in the

City limits, Hall believes within a couple of years Liberty Hill can become a Home Rule City. That means Liberty Hill will have to draft and vote on a city charter.

“I am pretty confident it can be as early as the end of this year or beginning of next year that we can say we have 5,000,” Hall said. “In order for us to claim Home Rule there’s one thing that has to be done prior to that and that is establishing our City Charter. In

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The library is typically a quiet place, but there’s a lot to talk about lately at the Liberty Hill Junior High library. The chatter is from girls learning to make their voices heard, a first step toward empowerment and success.

A chapter of All Girls Considered (AGC) , a podcast network to give young girls an outlet to be heard and connect them with inspiring women, has arrived at the LHJH campus.

“It’s a big deal because all of these middle school and high school girls are getting together to create their own podcasts,” said LHJH Librarian Katie Prescott. “Every single job that goes into making a podcast, these girls are doing.

It’s 100 percent student-led; they choose who they want to interview.”

The podcast has its roots in Leander. It began when middle school educator Jennifer Dean

All Girls Considered members Monique Achumama and Gabby they’ll be using to record their upcoming podcasts. decided to show her female chapter. While the girls will do students the power they pos- all of the work when recordsessed. ing their podcast, Prescott will To empower her own girls, work with the groups to develPrescott jumped at the oppor- op all the necessary skills for tunity to sponsor the LHJH the endeavor.

order for us to establish a charter we have to have a charter committee.”

During the City Council retreat in late January, Hall discussed the timeline he envisions for preparing and holding an election for Charter approval. His hope is to have a draft charter on the ballot for voters in November.

“We can have a city charter ready to go whether we need it today or not,” Hall said. “In order for us to get it approved

so we can have home rule I would like to get the city charter on the November ballot this year. In order to get it on the November ballot we have to pass a resolution by mid-August to get it on the ballot, which means we have to get everything far enough along in the process that the Council is good saying we will have a charter to go to the voters in November.”

See CHARTER, Page A4

Junior High girls demand their voices be heard with new ‘All Girls Considered’ podcasts

ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO

Vargas test out the equipment

“Every time we have a meeting, we do a kind of team building where we discuss why we’re here and what we

See GIRLS, Page A6

Page A2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Community Enrichment

-Patricia Henshaw, Van P. Swift, Jan Peterson, Johnnie Kovar, Gary Kovar, Rich Manley, Laura Spradlin, and Corey Bailey-

“Thank you Williamson County for the dollars and coins that you dropped in the kettles outside of Wal-Mart and other locations during the holiday season. Your charitable spirit raised $86,969.94 which was presented to the Salvation Army of Williamson County.

Thank you to all the volunteers for your time and dedication and for being another reason Williamson County is a great place.”

(All Kettles in Williamson County are Volunteer Kettles) Georgetown • Round Rock • Cedar Park • Pflugerville • Liberty Hill

FirstTexasBank.bank

Thursday, February 6, 2020

First contest set for May 2 election

Kendall Carter has joined Antonio Canas in the race for Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees Place 2, giving the community its first contested race among a pair of School Board spots and three City Council positions set to be on the May ballot.

Carter, a resident of Cierra Vista, will face Canas, who resides in Lively Ranch, while incumbent Clay Cole has yet to announce his intentions regarding re-election.

Place 1 incumbent Clint Stephenson has filed but does not have an opponent as of press

time Wednesday.

In the City of Liberty Hill election, all three incumbents – Mayor Rick Hall, Place 2 Council member Kathy Canady and Place 4 Council member Tony DeYoung – have filed in Council races.

Canady and DeYoung were both appointed in 2019 to finish unexpired terms.

Candidates interested in seeking one of the five positions must file by 5 p.m., Feb. 14.

The three positions on the Council will be the first to receive compensation as dis-

cussed and voted on by the Council. The Council members will each receive $12,000 annually, while the Mayor will receive a $40,000 annual salary.

The City election will also include a measure allowing voters to determine the length of council terms, either extending them to three years or keeping them at the current two years.

All opposed candidates for city and school district races will be invited to participate in The Independent’s Candidate Forum in April.

Shin Oak Ridge Bulletin Board Send news to: News@LHIndependent.com

Public Meetings

The following are standing open meetings that are subject to change within the guidelines set forth by the Texas Open Meetings Act. For the most current meeting postings, and meeting agendas, visit the respective websites.

- Liberty Hill City Council, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 and 24, at City Council Chamber, 2801 RR 1869. libertyhilltx.gov/agendacenter - Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees, 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, at LHISD Administration Bldg., 301 Forrest Street. libertyhill.txed.net

Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter meets Feb. 8

The Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas will hold a Genealogy Workshop at its regular meeting on Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. at Cross Tracks Methodist Church Worship Center. Work will be done on supplemental applications, and first-time applications. Any woman who believes that she is descended from an ancestor who was in Texas before or during the time of the Republic (1836-1846) may bring any papers and members of the group will help to put her lineage together and find doc-

umentation. For information, contact Joyce Parsons at jnparsons1114@gmail.com or President Mariann Fisk Laughlin at truetexaswomen@gmail.com.

Liberty Hill Garden Club meets Feb. 11

The Liberty Hill Garden Club meets Feb. 11 for the program “Growing Roses in Central Texas” by Val Black, a Williamson County Master Gardener.

The meeting starts at 10 a.m., but arrive a little early to socialize. The meeting is held at the Life Springs Church, 15611 W. State Hwy. 29.

LIBERTY HILL PROJECT GRADUATION 2020

RED IN OUR HEARTS

BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT IN mEmORy Of cADE “RED” RIlEy, clASS Of 2020 HOSTED by THE lIbERTy HIll fISHINg TEAm

SATURDAy, fEb 15 , 2020 lAkE bUcHANAN TH

llANO cOUNTy RAmp START FISHING: 7:30 AM / WEIGH IN: 1:30 PM REGISTRATION/CHECK-IN: 5:30-7:30 AM

ENTRY FEE: $50 PER PERSON (up to 3 people per team) ENTRY FEE INCLUDES T-SHIRT PRIZES: 1ST – 15% of proceeds 2ND – 10% of proceeds 3RD – 5% of proceeds

** Lunch will be available at weigh in on a donation basis ** Mail entry form and fee to LHHS Project Grad, PO Box 175, Liberty Hill, TX 78642; or Turn in entry form and fee at check-in on Feb 15th between 5:30 and 7:30 am.

Make checks payable to LHHS Project Graduation 2020 Send questions to LHPG2020@gmail.com or libertyhillfishingteam@gmail.com

PARTICIPANT ENTRY:

Email:

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Thursday, February 6, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Getting paid to ‘volunteer’ to do your civic duty and other clever scams

By WILT CUTTER Columnist If they want people to vote and really take government seriously they are going to have to start paying us. I mean it’s hard work deciding who you like the best.

Deciding between the best lie you are being told is going to require research and thinking. Who has the best looking spouse? Who really loves the town the most? Who goes to the right church? Who does Jesus think is the best? I mean this is going to require discernment. And probably beer.

Now, some of you will probably be against this. You irrationally and naively think I should vote because it’s my civic duty. You silly, silly, people! That’s what people used to believe about holding public office. Our Texas ancestors left their families, farms and rode horses to Austin and served in the state legislature just for the pure honor of doing so.

You know it’s a long buggy ride from El Paso, Amarillo and Texarkana in January of

odd-numbered years.

Slowly, the politicians began to whine about reimbursement of travel, housing, and food.

Then we were no longer represented by our fellow citizens just seeking to do good for others. The elected class had officially separated itself from its original practice of democracy.

Ask yourself, had you rather raise hogs in Lubbock or sit in the Capitol making motions and debating the higher meaning of the human existence while dancing and drinking every night with the burnt orange elite?

Years went by and folks were okay with this idea of reimbursement until someone decided they needed to be paid for showing their true affection and political prowess. They finally settled on a salary of $7,200 annually. And that’s where it stands today. That’s $600 per month for working on taxes, school finance, keeping prisons open, building highways and passing resolutions honoring the local garden club.

But, of course that wasn’t enough. They also voted themselves a secret retirement.

State legislators can serve 12 years and get a state retire-

Day of Giving call for applications

ity that would benefit from participation, this is how it works.

First, Liberty Hill area 501(c)3 organizations complete an application describing a particular need and the costs involved, how area residents could benefit, and how the organization would work with the newspaper to promote the Day of Giving.

After the participating organizations are selected, we begin a coordinated campaign educating residents about the organizations and their needs.

On the Day of Giving, supporters contribute to their favorite charities during a 24-hour online giving period.

Then, we follow up to let you know how much the organi-

The Independent is gearing up for Liberty Hill Day of Giving -- Friday, June 26.

Local nonprofit organizations interested in being part of this year’s community fundraising event may apply online until March 15. Simply go to http://lhindependent.com/liberty-hill-day-of-giving-application/.

In its first two years, the Day of Giving raised more than $70,000 for local charitable organizations thereby helping them make a difference for our hometown neighbors.

In case you’re new to Liberty Hill, or are part of a local char-

ment. Pretty sneaky. BUT, not a dollar for us voters. We have to read between the lines, join organizations and flip coins in order to figure out who to vote for. Sometimes the preacher steps in and just settles it for us. Praises be!

We voters will never be paid, never be given anything except fake respect during political campaigns. We watch the commercials designed by political psychologists to push all our buttons, create anger, resentment, envy and finally hatred toward one another. We voters are the real experiment. The politicians are experimenting with our brains trying out various messages trying to sell us on the idea that they should get paid. Paid by us.

Last week at the gas station where we drink coffee I engaged in debate with my friends about the difference between the elected class of government and the working class of government. I pointed out the window at two guys digging on a water line while their City of Liberty Hill pickup truck was parked nearby.

I rested my case. We were all glad they were there. We were glad they had a job. We were

glad the taxpayers had furnished them a truck to drive and carry their equipment in.

We were glad their families had health insurance and we all agreed that those two fellows deserved to someday enjoy the retirement they had actually earned from working so hard.

We all agreed that some elected officials serve for the right reason. They really do. They just want to see the schools, and the town become great places. That’s why they’ve agreed to work for free. We also unanimously agreed that the local elected officials should continue to serve without getting paid and should volunteer their time. If someone wants a paying job, let them go out and get one. We also agreed that local politicians should provide their own health care. And retirement should come from their actual work at a real paying job, not from sneaking it in to the voters under the guise of being paid for loving the community.

We also agreed that paying politicians a little bit of money so they can continue to ‘Volunteer’ to serve the community is like eating one tortilla chip.

Good luck with that.

staff notebook Our views and other news and musings from THE INDEPENDENT Staff zations raised, and what they did with your contribution so you can see the difference your support makes.

On June 26, The Independent will host a special event featuring the Day of Giving charities, inviting the community to stop in and be part of something special in our town.

Look for more updates in the weeks ahead.

The Best of Liberty Hill

Voting has ended and we are tabulating the results to see who you chose as The Best of Liberty Hill.

Businesses and individuals who earned First Place accolades, as well as the runners-up, will be notified in the coming days and will be featured in our BEST OF LIBERTY HILL special edition of the newspaper Feb. 27. ~ Shelly Wilkison

Page A3

EDITORIAL:

Secrecy, exclusion new mantra for some on Council

Determining the intentions of people who do not make their intentions clear is never easy.

It often requires a lot of connecting the dots by looking at a number of actions – or perhaps a lack of action – to create a clearer picture.

The elected representatives of Liberty Hill have provided three very clear, telling dots to connect that when connected, send the message that decisions on what is good or bad for the City begin and end with a select few people.

Those three dots are a lack of transparency, a lack of inclusion, and most disturbing, a culture of intolerance to keep others in line.

Transparency The current elected representatives at City Hall have shown little interest in turning over records or data requested by The Independent. This data has been requested because of a lack of information available during meetings. It has been requested to either verify claims made by the Council and Mayor Rick Hall or to fill in gaps that no one will.

Seven different requests for information were sent to the City Jan. 2. Only four of those requests have garnered any response, and three of those did not fully address the specific requests.

When The Independent asks why that information has not been made available there is no response. This information is not private. It is not something to be held tightly as though the public has no right to know.

As a result, the newspaper has made the decision to file an official complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Office to compel a response to the requests.

The City was similarly unresponsive to requests made last September, with the Mayor eventually meeting with The Independent to discus the issue and ultimately saying it would not be a problem in the future. But it remains a problem today.

In addition to the stonewalling on information, the lack of discussion in public on plans and projects has left many questions unanswered. The current Council, since it was sworn in last May, has posted 18 meetings. While the time spent in executive session during one of those meetings was not annotated in the minutes, among the 17 other meetings the Council has gone into closed session 22 times, for a total of 19 hours and 11 minutes. The Council has met for 38 hours and 17 minutes in those 17 meetings, meaning half of their time in session has been kept private. A number of the subjects discussed in private have also raised suspicion regarding how those sessions are being used.

Inclusion Liberty Hill is growing. The Mayor likes to remind people when he speaks that the city population is nearing at least 2,500. But when looking at the makeup of City boards and commissions, one might think Liberty Hill had no one else to seek ideas or input from.

The Mayor has moved to place a Council member on each of

See EDITORIAL, Page A5

VIEWPOINT

Know open government rights by remembering these basics

By KELLEY SHANNON Executive Director, FOIFT Whatever our political views, certainly we can agree we have the right to know how government is conducting business. How are taxpayer dollars spent? Who is influencing decisions?

Access to information allows us to speak up and hold public officials accountable, while a lack of transparency diminishes trust in government.

The Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act are the state’s main open government laws. Based on recent frequently asked questions about these laws, here are a few important reminders: - Requested information must be provided promptly. That means as soon as possible and without delay. It’s a miscon-

ception that a governmental body, once it receives a written request for information, can wait up to 10 days to make the records available. Ten business days is the deadline under the Public Information Act for the governmental entity to ask for a Texas Attorney General ruling if it is attempting to withhold information.

- Records requests can be made in multiple ways. Some government offices these days insist that requesters use a specific online form when making a public records request.

Wrong! Using an online form is optional. Written requests may also be made via email, regular or certified mail or hand delivery. If you wish to email your request and can’t find the appropriate address on a government’s website,

call and ask for it. Note: If a government office designates a single email address for records requests, then emailed requests must be sent there.

- Searchable-sortable Information should be made available. Electronic information shall be provided in the format a requester prefers if it is stored that way and can be provided in that format at no greater expense or time, the Attorney General’s Office has stated. So, if government data is stored in a searchable and sortable electronic spreadsheet and it’s requested in that format, it should be provided as a spreadsheet rather than as a PDF, which can be less useful when looking at numbers and large amounts of information.

- Closed-door meetings are for deliberations only, and only

for certain subjects. The Texas Open Meetings Act allows a governing body to meet in a closed or “executive” session in some cases, such as to consult an attorney for legitimate legal questions or to discuss the purchase of property. Public officials can only deliberate behind closed doors. Any vote or final action must happen in public.

- A “walking quorum” is a nono. A quorum of a governmental body discussing official business is supposed to occur in a posted public meeting.

Members of a governing board cannot knowingly have oneon-one conversations about public business – whether talking, emailing or texting – when it is part of a series of private communications that will ultimately constitute a

quorum. This deliberate behavior, known as a “walking quorum,” is banned, and the Legislature clarified that again in 2019. Texas law does allow discussion of business outside of a public meeting through a publicly viewable online message board.

- The public can comment at meetings. Under a law that took effect in September 2019, governing bodies must allow members of the public wishing to speak on an issue on the agenda of an open meeting to do so before or when it’s considered. Reasonable rules can be adopted limiting the total amount of time a member of the public may address the body on an item. Officials cannot prohibit the person from criticizing the governing body or its acts, policies or services.

These and other topics will be addressed in a series of open government seminars the non-profit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is participating in this year with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The first seminar will be Feb. 25 in Corpus Christi, hosted by State Rep. Todd Hunter.

- Let’s take every opportunity in 2020 to improve knowledge of Texas’ transparency laws.

That, in turn, can lead to more effective government.

Kelley Shannon is executive director of the non-profit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. For more information about the foundation and regional open government seminars go to www.foift.org.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Union Hall Baptist breaks ground on new home

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer At the end of County Road 259, right off US 183, sits a small church house alongside a larger building and a playground.

A group of devout worshipers gather at Union Hall Baptist Church every Sunday to celebrate their faith.

This past Sunday was unique because in addition to their weekly worship, the congregation celebrated the church’s groundbreaking ceremony.

The plans moving forward include a new, much larger sanctuary as well as a new asphalt parking lot to replace the gravel one they currently have.

Plans for the new additions began nearly four years ago.

Pastor Robert Butts took notice of the rapid growth in Liberty Hill and determined there would be a need for space to house more people. This latest attempt to grow the church isn’t the first, but Butts believes the right conditions are in place to allow this time to succeed.

“I’ve been here for seven years now, and we’ve always been this little country church,” he said. “There have been pastors that have come and gone, and there have been a few times where it built up to this point, but things just didn’t follow through. I think it’s with the

Liberty Hill Police Blotter

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 230 incidents resulting in four cases, eight citations, 26 warnings and three arrests.

Weekly Highlights: - On Jan. 27 at approximately 2:24 PM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Jan. 27 at approximately 2:53 PM, officers responded to the 100 block of US 183 for suspicious activity complaint.

- On Jan. 28 at approximately 8:17 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869, for an accident.

- On Jan. 28 at approximately 6:59 PM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office with an accident.

- On Jan. 28 at approximately 7:03 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Lane for a disturbance.

- On Jan. 29 at approximately 8:44 AM, officers responded to the police department for a prior theft complaint.

- On Jan. 29 at approximately 3:36 PM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for unauthorized soliciting.

- On Jan. 29 at approximately

7:12 PM, officers responded to Horseshoe Loop to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Jan. 30 at approximately 1:10AM, officers responded to Grosebeck Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Jan. 30 at approximately 9:02 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Liberty Hill ISD Police with a runaway.

- On Jan. 30 at approximately 10:44PM, officers arrested a male adult for driving while intoxicated with a child passenger as the result of a traffic stop on Loop 332.

- On Jan. 31 at approximately 3:14 PM, officers responded to Blessing Ranch Road to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office with a burglary.

- On Jan. 31 at approximately 10:30 PM, officers arrested a female adult for possession of controlled substances and driving while license invalid, as the result of a traffic stop.

- On Feb. 1 at approximately 7:58 PM, officers responded to Loop 332 for a disturbance.

- On Feb. 2 at approximately 10:11, officers responded to the 700 block of US 183 for a harassment complaint resulting in the arrest of a male adult for resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

growth of the area that we finally hit that sweet spot.”

While trying to figure out the next step for the church in 2015, it dawned on Butts that the natural next step for the church would be new facilities.

“We were looking for the next phase, and as we saw the community around us growing, we knew we needed more space,” he said. “We were full regularly, and so we thought, this is it, this is the natural next step.

More spaces for more faces.”

Seeing new homes and neighborhoods begin to pop up and hearing talk of eventually adding more schools to the area, Butts felt the need to strike while the iron was hot.

The pastor encouraged church members to act now and begin the fundraising process.

“I told the church that we only get these kinds of opportunities with this kind of growth once in a generation,” said Butts. “If we didn’t take it, then we were going to get passed by.”

For the ceremony, the church invited long-time missionary Dr. Ron White to host the morning service. Following the service, members of the congregation gathered behind the church, forming a half-circle around a mound of dirt where

ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO

Pastor Robert Butts shares some words with the members of the Union Hall Baptist Church during the Sunday groundbreaking ceremony on their new church house. the new place of worship will growth of the church doesn’t identity of the community. stand. go unrecognized.

“We want to make sure that Butts opened the ground“I told you a couple of weeks it’s a priority that we stay breaking ceremony with a ago that people will notice focused on where we were verse from James 1:17: “Every what God is doing,” Butts said founded as a nation,” he said. good gift and every perfect to his congregation. “Now is “In Texas, we have very congift is from above, and cometh our opportunity to give testi- servative, traditional values, down from the Father of lights, mony and do something to let and a lot of that, unfortunately, with whom is no variableness, the community know that we is being eroded, so the church neither shadow of turning,” he are growing and thriving be- is becoming more importread. cause of God’s goodness.” ant. It’s a backstop to hold During his speech, Butts emThe hope is that the new ad- the change and the tide. Even phasized his hope that more ditions to the church and the more than ever, it’s important of the Liberty Hill commu- space provided can help Lib- to see churches growing and nity turns out when the proj- erty Hill preserve the values reaching out and affecting the ect is complete and hopes the he feels are the foundation and community.”

CHARTER Continued from Page A1

Hall also came to the retreat prepared with a list of names he would like to see on that committee.

“I’ve got some suggestions of some folks I would like to see on that charter committee and I’d like to get the Council’s feedback on that,” Hall said.

The list included Bill Chapman, John Johnston, Larry Allman, Kim Sanders, Daniel Duckworth and Council members Liz Rundzieher and Kathy Canady.

“When I think about who we should have on this committee to try and explain or provide direction of how our city needs to grow, I look for several different options,” Hall said. “We want to look for business people. We want to look for people who have been in our community for years and have seen the changes in our community.

We need to have people that

live inside the city and we need to have people that have businesses in the city. At this point and time this is the only voice that a business in the city has.”

Four of the seven individuals – Allman, Sanders, Rundzieher and Canady – live within the city limits.

All five appointees apart from the Council members are closely tied to Hall through his involvement with the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce and or Economic Development Corp., and have shown support – especially through social media – for Hall and the candidates he endorsed in recent elections.

When asked why he nominated individuals so closely tied to him, Hall said his suggestions were just a starting point.

“By throwing these names out there this gets the conversation started, so it’s a great opportu-

nity because we’ve got to start somewhere,” he said. “Again, if we use one of these names or we use five of these names, as long as we get the process started, which needs to get done sooner than later, this is a great opportunity to get started.

“We’re going to put something on our Facebook page to see who is willing to serve on this charter committee. I’m going to have a brief summa-

ry laid out as far as what our expectations are as far as this committee. If anybody is willing to do it then that’s great.”

To date there has been no post on the City’s Facebook page regarding the establishment of a charter committee.

The Council must approve the members of the committee, and there has been no indication if Council members plan to nominate others in place of the list proposed by Hall.

Coach Gretchen Peterson said it won’t be easy stepping up in class and competition, but her squad will be ready.

“There are going to be new challenges,” she said. “But, I know our girls are up for it.”

Girls’ head basketball Coach Chris Lange agreed with his counterpart’s assessment.

“It’s going to be tough, but it is what it is,” he said. “We’re not going to change how we do things for the most part – there’s going to be a little more stress on the coaching staff, but it’s still basketball.”

For Walker, whose team has had two bye weeks the past two seasons due to a lack of interest from potential non-district foes, it was more of the same this time around despite the fact he was able to fill out

his schedule.

“It’s probably been the most frustrating day of my life,” he said. “Nobody wants to play us because they know what we’re all about – it’s flattering in a way when teams don’t want to play you.”

Walker added he’s already made his team aware of what lies ahead.

“I’ve already talked to our players about our schedule,” he said. “Now it becomes a challenge to make ourselves better, but we’ll just make the best of it, do the best we can and get to work.”

All in all, Walker was pleased with the process.

“UIL does a great job of putting schools together who are close to one another,” he said.

“About what I expected.”

DISTRICT Continued from Page A1

Thursday, February 6, 2020

PARKS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page A1

witness.

While Jones declined to comment on the specifics of what was said, she also characterized it as hostile and wished it had been discussed in open meeting.

“I was disappointed in how the meeting ended,” she said.

“We had a good meeting talking about the future plans of the park. We went over the master parks plan and the projects you can see we’ve been planning for years are now being completed. I was disappointed in the fact we could not discuss our differences in open session.

“I think that’s part of our job as a board to ask questions.

We can agree to disagree and I think there are some things that we do need to ask questions about. I also know it is not appropriate to have outbursts during open session, so as the President I think I am responsible and I’m going to work on that to try and help alleviate the outbursts so that we can have input from everyone in a professional manner.”

Canady – who only witnessed the discussion between McIntosh and Jones, arriving at the Council Chamber about 30 minutes after the meeting adjourned – said in an interview Wednesday that she intended to attend the Parks meeting but arrived late, where she was immediately asked to join McIntosh in the private discussion with Jones.

“I should have come, but we all forget things,” Canady said. “I meant to come. By the time I got there everyone was in timeout, I guess. I wish I would have been there from the beginning.”

Canady would not comment on exactly what was said in the meeting, but characterized it as a personality conflict.

“It was just personalities more than anything, maybe

one person feels unhappy about how things are going and they’ve got a lot on their end with feelings,” she said.

“Then another person takes it the same way.”

As far as why the discussion was in private, Canady said she didn’t know because it started before her arrival.

“I would rather it have been out in the front and not in the back office. It is about the growing pains in the boards maybe. I wish I could have been there from the beginning.”

When asked if she considered the meeting hostile, she said, “I don’t know if hostile is the right word. I think everyone should have stepped back and gone home, but that didn’t happen. We have to work on this. It’s a responsibility for all of us to get maybe a little thicker skin because we have too much stuff to do to have this going on.”

McIntosh did not respond to a request for an interview for this story.

What led to the tension?

During the meeting, McIntosh was providing an update to the Board on area parks projects at the request of Mayor Rick Hall. He opened his update talking about Wetzel Park and the new splash pad, but then moved into more of an update on alternate future plans that differed from previous plans discussed by the Parks Board and shared with the Council. Some of the ideas mentioned and comments made drew a response from Board member and former City Council member Branigan.

“While he was running the meeting he made several factual errors, which I tried to gently correct,” Branigan said. “He could have avoided that by simply reading the

past minutes or talking to any one of the board members and bringing himself up to speed before coming in. Several of those things we had already discussed.”

The suggestion was made that the park property in the Larkspur subdivision might be a good site for new baseball fields, but City staff and the Parks Board had previously discussed that property, determining it was not suited for that purpose.

“We have been in discussions with various organizations on specifically making it a sports complex,” McIntosh said of the acreage in Larkspur. “We’re still trying to do that, but we really haven’t made any progress on it yet. I know we’ve had two different groups come in offering to do something there but I don’t know the status on those.”

When pressed on the question of how suited the property was for sports fields, McIntosh asked about the shape of the tract of land, indicating he was not familiar with it.

McIntosh also discussed potential turf plans for existing fields, saying the price was very high.

“The cost is just too prohibitive,” he said on the question of turf. “It is more expensive than we realized and I don’t have the exact figure.”

At that point Branigan interjected, asking McIntosh if he had conferred with Board member Mike Wilson on the turf issue. He responded that he had not.

“Is there a reason why not?”

Branigan asked, pointedly.

“He’s an expert.”

Moments later, McIntosh indicated to Jones he wanted to speak to her and Branigan following the meeting.

McIntosh also spoke critically of the City’s progress on parks in his remarks during

the meeting.

“We really are behind the 8 Ball as far as parks go,” McIntosh said. “I think we probably need to get moving on some of these ideas. Some of them seem to be floundering.”

But Board President Jones said much has been accomplished through the creation of the parks master plan, the Wetzel Park project and the planned swim center at City Park.

“We’ve been a busy board and we are proud of the things we have accomplished and we want to just continue doing that,” Jones said.

Less information?

Last Fall, Branigan raised a number of questions about the Parks Board budget with City Finance Director Becky Wilkins, which led to a tense exchange at that point. The comprehensive Parks Board budget or financial information has not been available since that meeting and was not presented at all Tuesday.

Traditionally, the Parks Board and Economic Development Corporation receive a financial update at each meeting.

“In the prior meeting I asked how much had been spent out of our budget on events – not that I’m against events – but I think if we’re approving these things we need to at least be in the loop on how much is being spent,” Branigan said.

“She (Wilkins) said she didn’t have access to that information.”

Branigan said she has many unanswered questions about the Parks Board budget.

“The budget is so choppy and the pages don’t follow right,” she said. “All we got for the budget was one page and it was not complete.”

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Page A5

EDITORIAL Continued from Page A3

the City boards. Council member Liz Rundzieher went from being essentially an observer of Economic Development Corp. meetings to a voting member. Council member Kathy Canady was placed on an expanded Planning & Zoning Commission.

Then, the Council went so far as to remove a volunteer Parks Board member so Council member Steve McIntosh could fill that place.

McIntosh attended his second Parks Board meeting Tuesday and essentially took over, telling the longtime board members in attendance what the City was planning to do with future park plans.

At the City Council retreat in late January, Mayor Hall shared a list of community members he wanted to appoint to write a City charter for Liberty Hill in preparation for one day becoming a home rule city.

The seven included five people known to be close supporters of Hall, and two Council members. The names were Bill Chapman, John Johnston, Larry Allman, Kim Sanders, Daniel Duckworth and Council members Rundzieher and Canady. The Council will have to vote on appointees to a charter committee, but there was no suggestion or effort made to seek volunteers for the committee. There was no call for public inclusion or involvement. There was just more tightening the circle to include a handful of people who so far, have simply been counted on to agree with the Mayor.

Pressure Stories have circulated since Hall was elected of a “my way or the highway” mentality at City Hall, but complainants to date have not been willing to speak on the record.

The Independent has heard rumors of Hall dressing down those who question him.

Tuesday evening, the community got its first semi-public glimpse of that pressure tactic to keep people in line with the program as it is being presented. At best, the incident was McIntosh reacting negatively to being challenged during a Parks Board meeting. At worst, it was a strong-arm tactic to intimidate community volunteers.

Following a mildly tense exchange during the Tuesday Parks Board meeting, after the meeting had adjourned, McIntosh summoned Board member Liz Branigan behind closed doors. When she returned she expressed to The Independent that she felt threatened and disrespected by his actions, relaying that she was told her “questioning would not be tolerated.”

Board President MaryLyn Jones was next to be called behind closed doors and told The Independent Wednesday that it was a hostile discussion, but declined to say more about the exchange.

Only McIntosh, Branigan, Jones and the witnesses called into the room know exactly what was said, but the claim made by Branigan fits the alleged pattern. If it was intended to be a cordial, constructive discussion why was it done after the meeting adjourned and why in secret?

It shouldn’t be assumed this approach is endorsed wholeheartedly by all five Council members, but the reality is it is happening, and no elected official is speaking out against it. Until someone questions these three issues it can be assumed the Council has tacitly endorsed what has become business as usual and a select few will continue to tighten the circle with these tactics.

Page A6

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 6, 2020

NJHS works to make a difference

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Every Monday morning 50 of Liberty Hill Junior High’s brightest and most determined students gather in the library to make a difference in their community.

The National Junior Honor Society is an organization dedicated to elevating “a school’s commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.”

The organization “not only recognizes students for their accomplishments but challenges them to develop further ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO through active involvement in Members of the National Junior Honor Society of Liberty Hill Junior High are looking for ways to get involved and serve the community. school activities and community service.” to earn their hours.

I need to constantly be setting ano lessons as well, was eager make a slideshow every week. with friends more than anyLeading the 50 students in- “You can volunteer anywhere, an example of what I need to to add another element to her We meet up and make sure thing,” said Mangham. volved in the LHJH chapter like helping at the library, but be doing.” already loaded plate. people are there, and it gets For the officers of the NJHS, are President Noah Long, Vice the school does so many fun Being selected for NJHS elic“I play piano and used to do done and looks good.” continuing their path of acPresident Dalaney Mangham, things, too,” said Masiakows- its a different reaction from horseback riding, but I’m glad Long enjoys his role as pres- ademic excellence and civic Treasurer Bren Masiakowski, ki. “Sometimes, trips are more each member. For the officers I joined,” said Parsons. “In ident. duty is essential, heading into and Secretary Abby Parsons. like a reward because you get it was an exciting moment, al- sixth grade, my teacher told us “It’s not super hard because high school.

Chapter officers work with to go see the little kiddies at though some weren’t aware of about it, and I wanted to join we have a good group because “I hope to make more of a their NJHS sponsors to run the elementary school.”

NJHS at first. ever since.” they follow the rules and al- change in the community,” meetings and develop events Students involved with the “I had no clue what it was.

Long balances his adminis- ways do what they’re sup- said Long. “In junior high, where they can earn the credit group have to earn a total of 16 I got the letter and was like, trative role with after-school posed to. It’s a lot of fun,” he you don’t get as many opporhours needed to remain in the hours of community service to ‘I don’t know what this is,’” workouts and his position on said. tunities to volunteer and help organization. remain in the organization. said Mangham. “None of my the basketball team. In conWith an organization so large, around Liberty Hill, but in “We have a lot of things we They also must maintain an siblings or neighbors had been trast, Mangham must balance group leaders who answer to high school, it’ll be different. do with the school to earn our average grade of 93. in it, so I was very lost in the dancing out of school. the officers are assigned to I think there will be more opeight hours of credits to stay The balancing of schoolwork dark at first.”

In their roles, the responsi- help keep people informed portunities.” in NJHS per semester,” said and community service proves Masiakowski was aware bility of holding members ac- about what’s happening and “I think we help the commuLong. “We got to do bingo for to be the most challenging as- of the organization and glad countable for what they need to make sure they accomplish nity because of the things we senior citizens one time, which pect of being a member, along to join after hearing about a to get done is at the top of their their tasks. do,” said Parsons “I hope to was fun. Most of the stuff is with the expectations of being friend’s experiences list.

For some, it may be difficult get people that don’t normaleasy to access because they get a role model for other students.

“I had this friend that was in “We kind of all do the same to rein in their peers and keep ly do community service indone through the school.”

“The hardest thing is time, it, and she told me she got to thing, so we’re in charge of them focused on their tasks, terested in it so they can help Volunteering is not limited to making sure you have time go and help little kids and go making sure everything gets but for Mangham, the famil- out the community and solve school or school-sponsored to do everything,” said Ma- to the animal shelter,” she said. done and to hold people to iarity makes it easier. issues.” events; students have the op- siakowski. “I feel this makes Parsons, who is involved in what they need to do,” said “Once you get to know evtion to look outside the school me conscious of the fact that band, Girl Scouts and does pi- Long. “For our meeting, we eryone, it becomes like talking

Cross Tracks Continued from Page A1 The primary focus now is restoration and protection of the stained glass windows and a new roof. The Turners said the projection is that those two issues alone will cost about $100,000.

In Jim’s report to the church on what would need to be done, he was clear that this was no small task.

“This is not a repair job, this is a restoration,” he said. “We’re going to do our best to return this to what it looked like back in the day, with some exceptions. Our overall goal is to get as much done as we can with the funds that ultimately become available so that in the fall we can celebrate this as a historical landmark with the City of Liberty Hill.”

Pam added that they want to raise awareness, and let the community know there is a plan to save the structure.

The building is surrounded in stained glass, with a large window at the entrance, and very unique pieces throughout, especially behind the alter.

“We do have to rework all the windows,” Jim said. “I’ve got bids for those and we have to deal with the roof because it is leaking, so the roof is kind of a priority. But I want to get the bids done and the plans done and submit them by the end of February because that starts a 60-day clock.

“One of the guys that was here looking at the stained glass said we have a museum of stained glass pieces,” Jim said. “He said we have some real jewels there. Some of the windows need to be pulled out and taken into a shop to be restored, and some of them just need to be cleaned up. We’re going to replace the covers with tempered glass to restore the appearance.”

The roof is critical due to the disrepair, but also because no other work inside the church can be done until that repair is made.

“The flashing is leaking, the screws are coming up and it’s letting water in,” Jim said of the condition of the roof. “We want to protect the building first. All the wainscoting is real, back when they made real wainscoting so that has to be all pulled off and replaced. There is some rot around some of the windows up top, so it is all a big chunk of work.”

The congregation has worked hard to pull together a detailed

ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO

All Girls Considered chapter members are Monique Achumama, Delaney Brochue, Addisyn Carter, Jaeden Davis, Olivia Fetterly, Madalena Flores, Jacquie Manzano, Maryjo Martin, Bren Masiakowski, Ellia Merriman, Abby Parsons, Gabby Pennington, Skylar Strable, Analia Thomas, Torrey Thompson, Hailey Trial, Gabby Vargas, Hannah Webster and Josie Wilson.

Girls

MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO

A historical marker hangs on the Cross Tracks Church building commemorating its past, dating back to its construction in 1870, making it the oldest building in Liberty Hill. history of the church as this process begins.

“The first building we had was a log cabin, but this is all stone from the area,” Pam said. “I have very clear documentation of each generation of the building. We have some of the records, but the very saddest part of everything is that a majority of what we had was lost when the fire happened last May. I have a few original documents and original pictures, including pictures of downtown Liberty Hill, but very few.”

The fire last May destroyed one of the three church buildings, and it will likely be replaced by a one-story building on the existing slab, said Jim. That project is separate from the new work being planned, but it all impacts how the church is able to function and worship.

“We definitely have our work cut out for us, from a fundraising perspective, a technical work perspective and a marketing perspective,” Jim said. “We’re hoping to create awareness because this is such a gem, for one. Two, we’re hoping to open up this thing to the community for large and small community events.”

The congregation is working to raise funds, but hopes the community at large will see the value of preserving the oldest building in town.

Generating support from non-members can also be a big help as well in terms of landing grant funds.

“One of the grants we’re applying for requires that it has to not just be a house of worship, but it has to be a community resource,” Pam said. “With that, the funds are supposed to not just come from your congregation, but also from your community.

Then they match what you raise up to $200,000. That’s where we need community involvement.”

The Turners are dedicated to building that awareness, and creating a partnership between the community and congregation so that the restoration can be completed.

“This is a family,” Pam said. “Jim loves antiques and woodworking and just has a passion to restore this to its glory.”

The engineer, project manager and architect laughed.

“Neither one of us are known for sitting around,” Jim said.

www.LHIndependent.com

Continued from Page A1

want out of today’s meeting,” said Prescott. “We’ve talked about email etiquette, and what it looks like, then they drafted their email for who they want to interview.”

Finding girls interested in joining AGC wasn’t difficult as 30 girls took part in initial meetings. After the dust settled, a solid group of 20 remained: Monique Achumama, Delaney Brochue, Addisyn Carter, Jaeden Davis, Olivia Fetterly, Madalena Flores, Jacquie Manzano, Maryjo Martin, Bren Masiakowski, Ellia Merriman, Abby Parsons, Gabby Pennington, Skylar Strable, Analia Thomas, Torrey Thompson, Hailey Trial, Gabby Vargas, Hannah Webster, and Josie Wilson.

“We have about 20 girls, so at this point in time, we’ll actually have four different podcasts going on at the same time because they all interview a different person,” said Prescott.

“I became interested because I think that it’s important to be educated about important women who have made a huge impact on the world,” said eighth-grader Bren Masiakowski, who is also a member of the Robotics Club.

Analia Thomas, a seventh-grader, views AGC as an opportunity to tell the stories that can make a difference in a young girl’s life.

“An opportunity like AGC doesn’t come around easily, or often,” she said. “This is a chance to change the world, be heard, and share stories of those who inspire, those who lead others to inspire.”

Being in charge of developing the entire show, the girls will be responsible for more than just recording and interviewing guests.

“There’s a PR person in charge of marketing the podcast, there’s a writer in charge

of writing the questions,” said Prescott. “They’re all going to be in charge of these things because they’re working as a team. They’ll be checking over each other’s work.”

Working in teams of four means there will inevitably be conflict because of varied opinions or disagreements about the direction of their shows. Still, Thomas believes now is the time to build their teamwork skills.

“Teamwork is an important aspect of life,” she said. “Not everybody will always agree, and roadblocks are possible.

The skill of being able to work as a team and get things done will be bucketloads of help in whatever future you choose.”

One goal of AGC is instilling the idea that making a difference is possible. For Masiakowski, that’s one of the most significant takeaways from being involved in the group.

“I think that this will help me remember that nothing is impossible and that you can make a difference,” she said. “I want to learn about how people have worked to make the world a better place.”

As the girls continue to develop plans for their shows, dispelling the idea that this is a boys versus girls scenario is one of Prescott’s most critical goals.

“They started off with the idea of ‘girl power and boys drool,’” said Prescott. “We have to clarify and push that it’s not about men at all, it’s about us working together to build each other up. It’s for girls to have a community, it’s for persons who identify as a female to have a voice and see what other women have done to be successful. They’ve paved the way, so we want to learn from them.”

Near the debut of the podcasts, the girls have begun to

track down potential guests for their shows. Potential guests can be found locally around Liberty Hill and Williamson County. The group is aiming to grab the attention of some high-profile names.

“One of the women they’ve reached out to is Judge Donna King, she’s one of the only female judges in Williamson County,” said Prescott. “Some of the famous people they’ve reached out to are Oprah, Michelle Obama, and Serena Williams. They want to see why these women have been so successful because they want to replicate it.”

Thomas hopes to grab the attention of a particular comedian turned daytime talk show host.

“I would say that Ellen DeGeneres would be my dream guest,” she said. “She’s hilarious, inspiring, and an awesome person in general. She has changed so many lives.”

Masiakowski’s dream guest is responsible for bringing to life one of children’s literature most popular characters, Hermione Granger, and is an outspoken advocate of women’s rights.

“My dream guest would be Emma Watson because she is a role model because she’s a feminist and activist,” she said.

With a strong crew of motivated girls ready to be heard, Prescott says that now more than ever, “I feel like for girls this is the time, the time is now to start making ourselves heard.”

All Girls Considered is available on Apple Podcasts.

Already in its fourth season, each episode features a different chapter. Once they are up and running, the LHJH chapter will have their episodes included in the lineup.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, February 6, 2020 Section B Page 1

Adjusting to a change in shape

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor After an appearance in the Class 4A state championship game last season, one might think Liberty Hill head girls’ soccer coach Darren Bauer would be happy to stand pat.

Think again.

Coming into this season, Bauer wanted to introduce an entirely new system for his players in order to not only match last season’s accomplishments, but eclipse them.

The Lady Panthers have gone from a traditional back four on defense and three midfielders to only three defenders with an extra player in the middle of the park.

According to Bauer, the reason behind the change was a numbers game.

“Usually, when we would be up against a good team, it would be three against three in the midfield and whoever was better on the day would win out,” said Bauer. “So, we decided to add an extra midfielder in order to outnumber the other team and gain an advantage by overloading the middle and putting stress on them with something they couldn’t handle.”

At the halfway point of the season entering district play, suffice to say it’s worked like a charm.

Liberty Hill has scored 45 goals though the first 11 games of the season, while conceding only five, with its only loss against perennial Class 5A powerhouse Highland Park of Dallas in a 1-0 affair at the Grizzly Classic in Leander.

Junior midfielder and team captain Abbey Janicek said she

Lady Panthers find success with new formation

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Freshman Kaylie Fowler (#9) has seven goals on the current campaign, using a combination of speed and skill in creating scoring opportunities. was initially apprehensive of two which can stay back and ly what we know she can, but to operate, while conversely, the new formation. help the defense,” she said. it’s really due to the success of subtracting a defender results “At first, I was nervous about “Most teams aren’t used to everyone around her because in having more ground to covit because we’ve never played seeing four in the midfield.” when others bring pressure, it er for the defense. three at the back before,” she Janicek anchors the Liberty opens things up and allows her But, his squad has indeed adsaid. “So, I’m surprised at how Hill midfield, along with soph- to have space to work in and justed well in both areas, said well it’s worked out. At first, it omore Emma Stephens and when that happens, they pull Bauer. seemed as if there were wide- juniors Mykenna Russo and defensive pressure off each “In the middle of the field, open gaps in our defense and Madi Fuller, a combination other.” there’s not as much room there was more space out wide that gives his side a bit of evRusso and Janicek provide where they move, so they can because our defenders were erything, said Bauer. the perfect compliment to really only take one or two more centralized.”

“Emma is the more at- Stephens’ playmaking ability, touches on the ball,” he said.

Having two pairs of midfield- tack-minded of the group said Bauer.

“But, I think the biggest chalers provides the Lady Panthers – she’s a perfectionist and I “Mykenna is more about con- lenge for us was for our dewith more flexibility both at- don’t see her slowing down,” trol,” he said. “While Abbey fenders getting used to it.” tacking and defending, said he said of Stephens, who has possesses the ball very well.”

Junior Bryden Bourgeois, Janicek. a team-leading 10 goals and However, adding an extra along with sophomores Alys“Now, we have two midfield- eight assists on the current player in the midfield means sa Lee and Katie Wilson form ers who can go forward and campaign. “She’s doing exact- each has less space in which the trio tasked with carrying

Setting the example Call to Leadership to ready next year’s seniors

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Next season will present a brand new challenge for the seniors on the Liberty Hill football team.

The Panthers will be competing in Class 5A for the first time in school history, which means the going could very well get rough for the Purpleand-Gold as they navigate the seas of a higher, more rugged classification.

So, a group of Liberty Hill football parents put a plan in motion to make sure the newest batch of Panthers is ready.

According to Aaron Amsler, who is part of the group, the idea for the Senior Call to Leadership event on Feb. 13 was carefully conceived before being brought to fruition.

“This idea spawned from conversations over the past 18 months by several of the dads in our community. A few months ago, we formed a committee of seven and held a breakfast meeting to gauge the interest level to move forward,” said Amsler. “The positive response was overwhelming, which ultimately led to conversations with Superintendent (Steve) Snell, Coach (Jeff) Walker and finally the Class of 2021 football parents. The committee included two parents of incoming juniors for next year, with the thought process these two parents could have a role in the planning of this event and hopefully continue the tradition forward in years to come.”

Liberty Hill head football Coach Jeff Walker is convinced the concept will help his squad move forward.

“I think it’s a great idea to help our seniors,” he said.

“We need to get our players motivated to become the leaders we expect them to

be – it’s the kind of thing we want our culture to be about.”

For now, the football team is the focus, but that doesn’t mean other sports won’t be involved in the future, said Amsler.

“Simply put, our kids play football -- almost exclusively -- among the 32 incoming seniors,” he said. “We have no idea to what degree this event can grow in future years. Down the road, we would be delighted to see as many school organizations as possible participate in events for incoming seniors.”

Walker said the reason now is the time to host an event such as this is due to the fact the new season will roll around in the fall before anybody realizes.

“Six months will come and go really fast,” he said. “So, if we don’t have enough of a buy-in from our seniors, it could be difficult. You win games in the spring – we just can’t show up in August.”

Amsler pointed out the time line next year’s seniors are already on is a catalyst for the event to happen sooner rather than later.

“Our young men who are juniors this school year essentially became seniors when the scoreboard clock read 0:00 in the regional final loss to Lampasas,” he said. “Offseason is in full swing in getting ready for next fall. Once August arrives, these young men begin their final campaign as Liberty Hill Panthers.”

There will be 32 seniors next season compared to only 14 this year, so a focus on properly developing them is of the utmost importance, said Walker.

“We have a lot of talented

See SENIORS, Page B4

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Bobby Mundy (#11) worked his way up to the varsity from the JV squad.

Players must prove they’re worthy of varsity

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor One look at the Liberty Hill varsity roster these days and there are plenty of players who worked their respective ways up the ranks.

Kadin Knight, Hunter Clayton, Collin Lyons and Bobby Mundy are some of the current Panthers who played for varsity assistant and head junior varsity Coach Blake Boren.

According to Boren, players must prove themselves in a number of ways before being promoted to the varsity.

“They have to keep getting better as their bodies are going through changes,” said Boren.

“Also, we look for who has good leadership qualities.”

One aspect of coaching and bringing along budding varsity players is a tolerance level when things don’t go exactly as planned on the court, he said.

“I think at the junior varsity level, you have to allow for more mistakes,” said Boren.

“Things like taking a bad shot, for example – it’s something you might get taken out of the game at the varsity level.”

How the players carry themselves at all times is also taken into consideration, he said.

“We believe all our players are good kids,” said Boren. “They have to make sure everything’s right in the classroom and stay out of trouble.”

On the court, as the players progress through the system, more and more responsibility is placed on their shoulders to ready them for what lies ahead, he said “We add more plays into what we’re doing,” said Boren. “The ultimate goal is still to win.”

A meritocracy exists within the framework of the team, which means if you find yourself on the court, you’ve certainly earned the right to be there, he said.

“We’re never going to lose a game just to play everybody,” said Boren. “Once you get to the high school level, you always play to win.”

Recently, junior guard AJ Garza was recalled from the JV and will remain on the varsity squad for the balance of the season.

“AJ was the only junior on the JV,” said Boren. “He’s going to be our point guard on the Gold Squad – up until now, we’ve had a makeshift point guard, so this will add to our depth.”

Aside from the Xs and Os, perhaps the most critical aspect of assessing whether a player is ready for varsity is psychological, he said.

“You have to be bought-in to our program,” said Boren. “No matter what your playing time is. Sometimes, it’s hard to get them to buy in, but we want players who believe in our program.”

out the new strategy and are all ironically, converted midfielders, which also means they’re more versatile than your typical defense and mesh perfectly with his on-field philosophy, said Bauer.

“I look at defense differently than most coaches,” he said.

“Of course, they need to be good defenders, but I also want them to be good all-around players who can be creative going forward.”

Expanded vision of the field and a grasp of where to be at the right time is also critical to the back line’s success, said Bauer.

“They need to have an understanding and be able to see the game and focus on different areas because we leave a lot of space for the other team to move in knowing we have the capability to close it down,” he said.

Sam Carter has been a rock in goal for Liberty Hill, as the dependable junior shot-stopper has posted seven shutouts on the season and carries a sparkling 0.50 gaols-against-average.

Currently, the Lady Panthers have a record of 7-1-3 and have certainly met their coach’s preseason expectations, if not exceeded them, said Bauer.

“We’re at about where I hoped we would be,” he said. “Sometimes, we play better than others, but with the new tactics and formation, that’s to be expected.”

Included across the first half of the season has been the buyin process his squad needed to go though before they could

See CHANGE, Page B4

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Panther powerlifting team puts strength on display

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor There’s a place behind the scenes at Liberty Hill High School far from the spotlight.

Nowhere near the end zone, the basket or home plate.

The weight room.

Where Purple-and-Gold athletes grunt and grimace while pushing, pulling and lifting immense amounts of iron to ready them for their respective sports.

However, for one group of Panthers, lifting is their form of competition.

The Liberty Hill powerlifting team is comprised of individuals -- some of whom participate in other sports, as well -- but when united, form a powerful squad of determined athletes who never say never and are always striving to reach that next level in the form of a new personal best.

According to sophomore Will Beckford, the sport of powerlifting offers him a unique opportunity.

“I wanted a challenge,” said Beckford, who was a regional qualifier last season and competes in the 148-pound division.

“A couple of friends suggested I get into it.”

Powerlifting competitions combine three different disciplines – squat, bench and deadlift – the totals of which are added together for an aggregate score.

But, it’s about more than simply outlifting your opponents – it’s about improving yourself, said Beckford.

“I think lifting helps me get better as a person,” he said. “A lot of the principles involved with being a good lifter you can apply to life.”

Head Coach Rudy Acevedo has always

See LIFTING, Page B4 Taylor Sims recently set a new personal best of 765 pounds at the Burnet Invitational.

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Jaron Frye (#10) has the speed and skill to weave past defenders without losing control of the ball.

Panthers’ striker fills the net for fun

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor If there’s one thing Jaron Frye knows how to do, it’s put a soccer ball into a net.

Ever since he was a lad in his native Haiti, he’s had a ball at his feet – but not for long, as it usually ends up behind a beaten goalkeeper.

“Where I was from, it was all about soccer,” said Frye, a Liberty Hill junior striker, who leads the club with 22 goals on the current campaign. “Everybody there plays soccer.”

In 2016, Frye was adopted by his parents, Randle and Minon Frye and brought his considerable skills to Liberty Hill, where he’s been a fixture on the Panthers’ front line and a regular on the scoresheet, posting 31 and 33 goals in his first two seasons in Purpleand-Gold.

According to head Coach Wayne Munger, Frye is indeed a special talent.

“From a coaching standpoint, Jaron’s a once-in-a-career athlete,” said Munger. “With all the natural skill he has, he’s really been able to make his mark.”

Munger said upon Frye’s arrival as a freshman, he was unrefined like a diamond in the rough, but once polished has now become a multi-dimensional player.

“He was very direct toward goal his first year,” he said.

“But, ever since, he’s had to adapt to his teammates and step up his game.”

Has he ever.

In his first season, Frye supplied only six assists, but last year collected eight and this season already has nine, which makes him as dangerous a playmaker as he is a finisher.

“When I start scoring I can draw the defense to me, which opens up opportunities for my teammates,” said Frye.

One thing Frye has in abundance is speed, but not only without the ball – also with it, having the ability to weave his way through defenders while maintaining control before dishing off to a teammate or firing a shot on goal himself, which makes him even more dangerous on the attack, said Munger.

“He has the skill to be able to find open spaces and has many ways to beat a team,” he said.

Something else Frye has going for him is an unmatched desire to continue getting better.

“I wake up every morning and want to keep working hard,” said Frye. “It’s really important for me to get better.”

This part of Frye’s game is beneficial to his teammates intangibly, said Munger.

“The energy and passion he brings to the game definitely rubs off on the other guys,” he said. “He knows the expectations we have here and we know he’s an incredible player.”

However, regardless of skill, Frye fits in with his teammates in a mutually-beneficial way, said Munger.

“Jaron’s still only one player on our team,” he said. “But, when you have that kind of talent and drive, you can benefit the entire program by playing at a higher speed and with intelligence.”

Frye has designs on professional soccer when his days at Liberty Hill are done and his coach believes he has what it takes to play at that level.

“Given the right people around him, he can go as far as his talent can take him,” said Munger. “We’re going to make sure he gets every opportunity to achieve his goals.”

Frye lived in an orphanage in Haiti and said his adopted parents would visit him often during the course of the time it took for the adoption process to come to fruition. Once it finally happened, it was like a dream come true, he said.

“It was incredible and I couldn’t believe it,” said Frye.

“All of it was definitely God’s work.”

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

New district, new challenges for Liberty Hill ISD sports

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Well, Pantherville, we were handed the “envelope, please,” as they say at award shows on Feb. 3 when the UIL released its new district alignments and were altogether pleased and perplexed at the same time.

On one hand, we have the new Class 5A Region 4 District 25, which includes Liberty Hill along with all of our closest neighbors in the two Georgetown schools (Georgetown and East View), all three Leander schools (Leander, Rouse and Glenn) and last, but certainly not least, Marble Falls.

Of course that’s for everything but football.

The new gridiron landscape for the Purple-and-Gold is another matter altogether.

Four schools from the big, bad city (Austin) including Crockett, McCallum, Navarro, Northeast and Travis, along with once again Marble Falls comprise Region 4 District 14.

We knew the days of the Panthers lining up against historic rivals such as Lampasas and Burnet were over, but we were certainly hoping to still have “one-horse town” matchups against places who also have only one high school.

There’s something to be said about an entire town getting behind one school and one only.

What kind of history is there between Liberty Hill and any of the above-mentioned Austin schools?

Of course, enrollment-wise, it makes sense and even geographically, as well.

But, is anyone going to get fired up about playing these teams?

Compare that to the buzz when it was game day against the likes of the Bulldogs or Badgers to get the blood boiling.

Okay, we get it.

Liberty Hill continues to grow while many of our more rural neighbors aren’t, so a move up in Class is understandable, but having to fight dreadful Austin traffic on a late Friday afternoon is enough to send shivers up one’s spine.

Plenty of taillights before the Friday Night Lights, indeed.

However, one aspect we do like is the much shorter (if not more congested) road trips.

Burger Stadium in Austin is one of the three venues the new district schools in the capitol call home and it’s only 37 miles from downtown Liberty Hill.

No more 160-mile round trips to places like Canyon Lake or Fredericksburg, so at

least we have that going for us.

As far as competition level goes, the Panthers won’t be tested anymore than they have been in recent years in district play, 5A or no 5A. In fact, the six new district opponents combined for a 1546 record this past football season, with McCallum’s 5-6 mark the best of the bunch.

So, instead of the challenge of a more difficult district to prepare them for the playoffs, head Coach Jeff Walker has gone out and recruited a rugged pre-district slate, which includes Class 6A Killeen Ellison and Del Valle, along with fellow 5A school Georgetown and 4A LBJ, who combined to go 24-19 this season.

Only time will tell how the Panthers fare against such competition.

But, let’s get down to the real nitty-gritty, shall we?

Mascots.

Anyone who reads this column regularly knows we’re a big proponent of the Big, Black Panther the players run through out onto the field, so let’s compare what kind of competition said Panther will have with the new opposition.

In no particular order, we have Raiders (Northeast), Knights (McCallum), Vikings (Navarro), Rebels (Travis), Cougars (Crockett) and Mustangs (Marble Falls).

Based on the records of these squads last season, Northeast didn’t do much raiding, McCallum had no shiny armor, Navarro were anything but Norsemen, Travis fell to the First Order, Crockett didn’t remember The Alamo and Marble Falls failed to run free.

Big Black Panther and Prowler, his human-sized alter-ego, are licking their lips (if Panthers have lips) in anticipation of feasting on these second-rate sidekicks.

So, now that we’ve vented our angst about the Panthers’

new football fellowship, let’s praise the new basketball and volleyball opponents.

In world football (soccer, as the Yanks call it), when two clubs from the same area face one another, it’s known as a “derby.”

Some of the more famous are found in places like Manchester and Madrid, to name only a few.

Well, now every basketball game and volleyball match for Liberty Hill will be a local derby of sorts, matching up against the Georgetown and Leander schools, along with Cedar Park.

Short road trips and long memories, which are two of the most important ingredients for a rivalry.

Out with Burnet and Lampasas -- in with Glenn, Rouse and East View.

Sounds like a plan.

One thing’s for sure, though.

Gone are the days when the Panthers will easily glide through district play as no more than a glorified practice on the way to the postseason and that’s a good thing.

For example, the girls’ (16-0) and boys’ (8-0) soccer squads beat down Florence by a combined 24-0 last week, which probably won’t be the case facing the new opposition, which will only make the Panthers stronger come playoff time.

Going from the big fish in the small pond to the small fish in a large one will certainly present its fair share of challenges for Liberty Hill, but with the solid foundation the entire athletic program is built upon, we have no doubt the Purple-andGold will still reign supreme on more occasions than not.

Progress has finally pushed the Panthers into uncharted territory, so now we’ll see how they react.

Our educated prediction is just fine.

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Thursday, February 6, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page B3

Practice makes perfect for Panthers

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Two entire teams of basketball players flood the court in the main gym at Liberty Hill High School on a typical afternoon.

The Lady Panthers’ varsity and junior varsity squads are practicing together with one at each end of the court for some drills and mingling during others.

According to head Coach Chris Lange, it’s all about being able to see how particular players work together for the betterment of the entire program.

“What that allows us to do is to look at different combinations,” said Lange. “It gives us a different perspective and we can get more kids on the court.”

Mixed practices also provide a platform for junior varsity player to test their mettle against the big girls, he said.

“They can show the coaches they can play against the other girls,” said Lange. “Maybe they can get moved up.”

An example of a player who

has risen to the occasion is Ashlyn Calhoun, who has been added to the varsity roster for the second round of district play.

“Ashlyn is someone we had on the JV and took her with us to tournaments earlier in the season,” said Lange. “She’s starting to work her way in while she’s trying to learn and do all the little things.”

Lange said he likes to mix up the practice routine so it doesn’t get routine.

“We want to keep the players’ brains fresh,” he said.

An example of this is something called “seven-minute free-throws,” during which each player must hit a certain amount of shots from the line – and missing has consequences.

“You’re running no matter what,” said Lange. “It puts pressure on players to make shots.”

Adding to the degree of difficulty for the drill is the fact there are as many as three players all shooting at the same basket at the same time, which suits some players more than others, he said.

“Taylor (Swieczkowski) is really good at it,” said Lange.

“She’s hit as many as 32 before.”

Lange said focusing on the upcoming opponent is something the Lady Panthers do – but only to a certain extent.

“We don’t let it dictate practice – what happens during the game usually does that,” he said. “But, at this point in the season, we’re concentrating on the team that’s next.”

However, sometimes all the advance study backfires.

During a 41-31 road victory over Lampasas on Jan. 31, the Badgers came out in an unfamiliar defense against the Lady Panthers, at which point in-game adjustments had to be ALEX RUBIO PHOTO made, said Lange.

Regan Walker (#3) adds a spark for the Lady Panthers off the bench with excellent ball handling “They came out in a 1-3-1 and the ability to run the fl oor and drive the lane with authority. on us,” he said. “Usually, they play a 2-3 defense, but we ers you can’t let her do this or “There has to be a balance,” love/hate relationship with weren’t worried so much.” that, like get open for threes,” said Lange. “You have to still practice,” said Lange. “EspeWhen a particularly danger- said Lange. “But, if you have go out and be who you are.” cially at this point in the seaous individual is looming on four, five or six girls on the One thing Lange must con- son when you’ve been doing the schedule, a designated other team who can shoot, then stantly guard against as the the same thing every day for player will simulate her in it’s different.” team works its way toward the five months. But, we want practice.

But, one can’t put too much end of the season is compla- them to keep getting better at “We’ll put a practice jersey emphasis on the opposition, he cency, he said. what we’re trying to do.” on someone and tell our play- said.

“I think our players have a

LHHS prevails over Salado in hotly-contested game

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Emma Hubbard had a very worried look on her face after getting tangled up with an opponent early on in Liberty Hill’s district contest against Salado on Tuesday, motioning to the bench her right knee was injured.

However, the sophomore center returned to the court after some repairs and led the Lady Panthers to a 44-41 home victory over the Eagles, with nine points, six rebounds and four blocks.

According to Hubbard, it was sweet revenge for her and her teammates after losing the district opener on the Eagles’ home court by a score of 62-48 on Jan. 17.

“After the game we could hear them yelling in their locker room because it was right next to ours,” said Hubbard. “So, all that did was give us more motivation to win.”

Most of the contest was dead even, as both sides were determined to gain the upper hand in the district standings.

The sides traded 6-0 runs to begin the game before Regan Walker hit a bucket to leave the game level at 8-8 after the first quarter.

After Olivia Shelton scored to open the second stanza, Salado hit back with six consecutive points by junior forward Lorena Perez to open up a 14-10 advantage.

But, Kenzy Wise scored on a fast break off a pass from Baylee Laird, before Laird hit a three the next time down the court to restore the Lady Panthers’ lead 14-12.

The sides continued to go at it evenly and the score was tied at the half, 20-20.

Laird picked right up where she left off when the third period began, taking a hard charge at one end of the court, then draining a three at the other and Wise scored six points in the quarter as the Lady Panthers held a slim 31-30 lead after three.

Salado looked as if they had solved the home side’s defense

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Emma Hubbard (#25) scored nine points in the Lady Panthers’ 44-40 home victory against Salado on Tuesday. with a 7-0 run to begin the or have a coin flip to determine fourth for a 38-31 lead, all sup- a winner. plied by senior forward Kaia Head Coach Chris Lange was Philen, who scored a game- pleased with how Hubbard rehigh 17 points. sponded in such a big game.

But, Avery Harrell dribbled “We challenged Emma benearly the length of the court, fore the game to step up, give weaving her way in between us more than she has been and and around defenders for a do something,” said Lange. layup, which was followed by “She toughed it out and came a Taylor Swieczkowski bucket through for us at the end.” on a pretty give-and-go to cut Hubbard said the injury was the lead to three at 38-35 with a possible hyper-extension af3:58 left. ter a collision with a Salado After Laird had scored again, player.

Hubbard then showed the kind For her, she was happy to of grit and determination a post have gotten the victory. player needs, as she fought “When the game ended, it for a rebound underneath and was just a big relief,” she said. drew a foul, tying the score at “I felt so proud of our team.”

38-38 with a free throw.

Laird led the Lady Panthers After the visitors had once with 10 points, in addition again regained the lead, Jessi- to Hubbard’s nine to go with ca Holliday hit a pair of free eight from Wise and seven throws before it was Hubbard from Holliday on the game. who once again asserted herLange added the urgency with self with a pair of free throws which both teams played was a to make it 42-40 with only factor in the outcome.

43.6 seconds left.

“We were playing to take first All Salado could do after that place and they were playing to was foul Holliday, who sealed hold onto it,” he said. “We’ll the game with another two take a day off tomorrow and points. get back to work.”

Liberty Hill and Salado are Liberty Hill (19-14, 7-1) will now both tied atop the district next host Eastside Memorial standings, each with 7-1 re- on Friday at 6:15 p.m. Before cords and have split the two closing the regular season with games with one another. If a road game against Taylor on both win out, they would either Feb. 11. play again for the district title

Freshman Patrick Fay and sister senior Lorelei Fay finished third in mixed doubles’ at the Llano tournament Jan. 29.

(Courtesy Photo)

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Carson Perkins (#4) led Liberty Hill with 33 points in a 74-54 home victory against Salado on Feb. 4.

Panthers take revenge against Salado

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Last time Liberty Hill and Salado met on a basketball court, tempers flared during a heated exchange between the respective coaching staffs after a 70-62 Eagles win on Jan. 17.

So, this time around, the Panthers were taking no s with any possible game-ending controversy with a convincing 74-54 home victory.

Carson Perkins led Liberty Hill with 33 points, including five 3-pointers and a perfect 6-of-6 performance from the free-throw line.

“We came out motivated,” said Perkins. “We knew we had to beat them.”

Liberty Hill was on it from the get-go, building as much as a 12-3 right out of the gate, as Kadin Knight hit the first two baskets of the evening, followed a Waker Baty score sandwiched in between threes from Perkins, who poured in 10 points in the opening quarter, as the Panthers led 18-11 after one period.

Walker Weems took a cue from Perkins and drained back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second quarter, the

second of which was after Knight had gained a gritty rebound and passed the ball to the perimeter, where the sophomore forward was waiting, making the score 24-11.

Perkins continued to have his way with the Salado defense, while Baty scored six points in the period, including one on a nice dish from Perkins and it was a 35-16 in favor of Liberty Hill lead at the half.

The Panthers poured it on even more in the third, as Knight and Perkins each hit a three in helping the hosts outscore the visitors by a 17-15 margin on the way to a 52-33 advantage after three.

Baty, who had 18 points in the game, then really went to work in the fourth quarter, as the 6-foot-5, 260-pound center received the ball down low time and again, banging his way to the basket, scoring 10 points in the period and helping finish off the Eagles once and for all.

Knight added 10 points in the victory.

Perkins said there wasn’t much the Salado defense could do against him once he got going.

“At times like that, I feel like

nobody can stop me,” he said.

“My confidence just skyrockets.”

As for his team’s outlook as they head down the stretch of the regular season, the senior point guard knows what lies ahead.

“I felt like going to Salado was going to be our toughest game,” said Perkins. “Next, we have to win on the road and they’ll be tough games for us.”

Liberty Hill (22-7, 5-1) is atop the district standings with the win and will next host Eastside Memorial on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Followed by road contests against second-place Taylor and Burnet before closing out the regular season with a home game against Lampasas on Feb. 18.

LHHS 62, Lampasas 50 Perkins scored 19 points and in a 62-50 Liberty Hill road victory against Lampasas on Jan. 31.

Baty added 17 points and Kaleb Bannon 12 in a game the Panthers led by a score of 32-19 at halftime on the way to victory.

Liberty Hill Tennis Briefs

The Liberty Hill tennis squad played in Llano Jan. 29 to face Class 3A and 2A opposition a week after playing in Bastrop against Class 6A and 5A teams.

Included was defending Class 3A champion Mason, who the Panthers were pleased to be able to play, said Liberty Hill head Coach Philip Dodd.

“We go to this tournament just to get to play Mason which are better than most 4A, 5A, and 6A teams,” he said. “We played against them nine times in different events and won five of the nine. Last year I think we only won twice

against them, so I’m happy with the better results.”

Several Liberty Hill players stepped up, but the biggest win was sophomores Eliza Homorodi and Colin Garner defeating fellow Panthers and seniors Lauren Crow and Tyler Franklin in the mixed doubles finals.

In addition, sophomore Kylie Harlow was down 7-4 in the consolation finals to Mason and came back to win the last five games in earning her first varsity medal.

Dodd is pleased with the progress of his team at this early point of the season.

“I’m still switching it up getting ready for district and regional competitions and the kids are responding well no matter who and what they’re playing each week,” he said.

“It’s nice to go to tournaments and everyone is playing three or four matches, because they’ve all made the semifinals/, if not the finals -- that’s how we get better, more match play.”

Liberty Hill will next play in Robinson on Feb. 7.

Llano tournament results Girls’ singles 1st place - Sophie Sherman def. Maddy Heath (state cham-

pion 2A Mason) 4-6, 6-0, 10-5, finals; def. Cassidy Sudekum, Liberty Hill, 6-1, 6-2, semifinals; def. Mia Kilman, San Saba, 8-1, quarterfinals; def.

Alexa Goff, Llano, 8-0 first round 3rd place – Ava Ortega def. Cassidy Sudekum, Liberty Hill, 8-1, 3rd place match; lost to Maddy Heath, Mason, 7-5, 6-1, semifinals; def. Marina Kingery, 8-1, quarterfinals 4th place – Cassidy Sudekum lost to Ava Ortega, 3rd place match; lost to Sofie Sherman,

See TENNIS, Page B4

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LIFTING

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had an affinity for the lifting of iron, he said.

“I’ve always been a big fan of the weight room,” said Acevedo, who is also an assistant football coach and is currently in his third season leading the Panthers. “I love watching kids and I always wanted to give it a try and take this program to the next level.”

Taylor Sims is a track athlete who participates in the shot put and discus, and said being involved in powerlifting helps improve her throwing skills.

“Definitely, it improves my strength in throwing,” she said. “Both require proper technique.”

Sims, who was also a regional qualifier last season, began competing in powerlifting as a freshman and got into the sport in a rather casual way, she said.

“I wasn’t really planning on it, but I just tried it out and liked it,” said Sims. “I like competing against other people as well as myself.”

At the recent meet in Burnet, Sims achieved new personal bests of 315 pounds in the squat, 145 in bench and 305 in deadlift, for a total of 765 pounds.

However, for her, new personal bests are great, but not as meaningful as winning.

“Personal bests are reward-

ing,” she said. “But, winning is more important when you have other people in front of you.”

In order to strive for higher goals, one must be willing to venture into uncharted territory, said Beckford.

“Our sport really takes a lot of effort,” he said. “You have to get out of your comfort zone.”

Despite the fact powerlifting is an individual sport, there is still a definite team dynamic, said Beckford.

“You always have to be there for your teammates,” he said.

“Even something like wrapping each other’s knees before the squat – if you know you have others behind you, it’s easier to lift more.”

Acevedo said the kind of lifting his athletes do differs from bodybuilding.

“There are different ways to go to the gym,” he said. “Some people go to look good or to simply shape and tone. But, as a powerlifter, you’re looking to add strength, not size.”

Acevedo cited something known as tensile strength – which is the measurement of force required to pull something to the point where it breaks -- in assessing the abilities of his lifters, but added the mental side of the sport is as critical as the physical.

SENIORS

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CHANGE

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kids and we want to do what’s best for them,” he said. “Not only on the field, but we want all our players to be leaders in the community and in life – it’s all part of the culture we’re trying to establish.”

Players from below the high school level will also be involved in the festivities, which is crucial for the future development of youth players who will one day be Panthers, said Amsler.

“Our football family encompasses not only the high school football players, but also the

truly embrace the new way of doing things.

“At the beginning, they were unsure of it,” said Bauer. “But, now that they’ve gotten into a groove of playing the new way, they’re seeing the passing lanes – it’s a much more dynamic system.”

Janicek said new system aside, she and her teammates have progressed toward their lofty state title aspirations.

“I think we’ve reached all of our goals so far this season,” she said.

A 2-2 home draw on Jan. 21 against defending Class 4A state champions Stephenville – the same side the Lady Panthers were defeated by in last season’s title game – was a turning point for the team, said Janicek.

“Going into that game, I was very nervous and expected us to lose,” she said. “But, I think Stephenville thought it was going to be easy because they beat us before.”

The Lady Panthers came out flying and took a 2-0 lead on first-half goals by Russo and Piper Tabor, only to be eventually pegged back by the visitors.

Despite letting the game slip away, Janicek said the result was still a shot in the arm.

“Even though we didn’t win, it gave us a huge boost in confidence,” she said. “Especially in the first half – that was our moment.”

In addition to the 2-0 loss in

junior high and youth football organizations,” he said. “We all remember those Friday Night heroes we watched as youngsters and we want the entire Liberty Hill football family in attendance to support and bear witness to this event.”

Amsler said if there’s one thing he wants the players to take away from the event, it’s the idea of the power of strong leadership and the effect it has on others.

“Positive leadership and the value it serves,” he said. “Not

the title game to the Honeybees, the Lady Panthers had also been defeated by them, 3-0 in an away contest on Feb. 5.

“I think the girls were just happy to finally score on them,” said Bauer. “They proved to themselves they could play with them and they know they should’ve won.”

Perhaps the level scoreline was exactly what his side needed in its quest for gold at the end of the season, he said.

“I’m glad we got a draw,” said Bauer. “Because we’re probably going to see them again, so maybe it lit a fire in our players.”

Bauer also cited a dominant 2-0 home victory against Class 5A Cedar Park on Jan. 24 as another signpost on the road to success.

“Our confidence from the Stephenville game definitely carried over to Cedar Park,” he said. “It’s really fun to see the players gain confidence and understand what we’re working on.”

Janicek agreed the pair of positive results have been a springboard for the entire squad.

“In both of those games, you could really see us coming together as a team,” she said.

“Last year, we had different groups on the team, but this season we all have a much better understanding between all of us.”

A big part of the renewed ened 3X Awaurd nity Comm Year of the

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inspired

Thursday, February 6, 2020

“There’s a huge mental aspect,” he said. “A lot of time, someone thinks the amount they’re trying to lift is going to be too heavy for them, but you just have to push through it and try. Most people end up lifting more than they think they can.”

One of the aspects of powerlifting which is most appealing to him is the fact all different sizes of athletes can compete against similar competition due to the division of weight classes, which levels the playing field, said Acevedo.

“For example, football players need to be a certain size to be able to compete,” he said.

“But, in lifting you’re always matched up against other athletes of the same weight.”

Acevedo said Sims is a classic example of the grit and determination required to be a good lifter.

“Taylor’s very dedicated to what she does,” he said. “I told her we were going to start this season squatting 315 pounds and when she finally did it, you should’ve seen the look in her eyes.”

Achieving something one initially thinks isn’t possible is one of the most gratifying aspects of the sport, said Acevedo.

“What that does is show we can teach kids to push beyond

barriers and their mental re- Competition is when all of the worked,” he said. “There’s no striction,” he said. “The big- blood, sweat and tears come to way to get around the fact if gest opponent is the mind.” fruition, said Acevedo. you don’t put the time in, it’s Beckford agreed.

“When you compete at a meet, going to show -- the biggest “I think it’s about 50-50 it shows how hard you’ve opponent is yourself.” mental and physical,” he said.

“You can’t let yourself get psyched out if you’re going to Continued from Page B3 be successful.” semifinals; def. Parker Stan- 4th place – Will Gray/Abby Beckford added the higher dard, Mason, 8-3, quarterfinals Gates lost to Fay/Fay, 3rd a lifter’s personal best gets, 1st consolation – Kylie Har- place match; lost to Franklin/ the more incremental the im- low def. Parker Standard, Ma- Crow, semifinals; def. Delgaprovements will be, but that son, consolation finals, 9-7; do/Petty, Sonora, 8-6, quardoesn’t mean it’s any less sat- def. Delaney Ellis, San Saba, terfinals; def. McDaniel/Leon, isfying. consolations semifinals, 8-0; Brady, 8-1, first round “My goal is always to get a lost to Maddy Health, Mason, Boys’ singles better total,” he said. “Every 8-3, first round 1st place – Ethan Wukasch time I go out there.”

Mixed Doubles def. Victor Patino, San Saba, Proper technique is para- 1st place – Colin Garner/Eli- 3-6, 3-0, retired injury finals; mount to maximizing one’s za Homorodi def. Franklin/ def. Cutter Daniels, San Saba, accomplishments, something Crow, 9-8, in finals; def. Fay/ 6-0, 6-1, semifinals; def. Rejan he learned the hard way, said Fay, 8-3, semifinals; def. Grin- Chantel, Del Valle, 8-5, quarBeckford. teinmer/Regan Brady, 8-1, terfinals “Last year, I didn’t have very quarterfinals; def. Sandoval/ Boys’ doubles good technique,” he said. “I Vasquez, Del Valle 8-3, first 2nd place – Ethan Warwas using all back and I was round rington/Zach Kizer lost to always very sore after a meet. 2nd place – Tyler Franklin/ Kerr/Shultz, Mason, 6-1, But, now I’ve learned a lot Lauren Crow lost to Garner/ 6-3, finals; def. Spencer/ more like using your abs to Homorodi, 9-8, finals; def. Ahlschwede, Mason, 6-2, 6-3, help with the squat.”

Gray/Gates, semifinals, 8-4; semifinals; def. Luna/ Luna, Beckford said aggressiveness def. Spencer/Ake, Mason ,8-3, San Saba, 8-0, quarterfinals is of the utmost. quarterfinals Girls’ doubles “In order to be a good lifter, 3rd place – Patrick Fay/ 3rd place – Mackenzie Coleyou need to be a go-getter,” he Lorelei Fay def. Gray/Gates, man/Ava Enstrom def. Johnsaid. “You have to put every- 8-3, 3rd place match; lost to son/Luna, Ssan Saba, 8-0, 3rd thing out there.”

Garner/Homorodi, semifinals; place match; lost to Palacios/ Sims seconded her team- def. Bowman/Vines, San Saba, Canfield, Mason, 6-3, 6-1 in mate’s opinion. quarterfinals 8-0; def. Gay- semifinals; def. Jimenez/Ow“Powerlifting takes a lot of tan/Gamez, Sonora, 8-1, first ens, San Saba, 8-0, quarterfidetermination,” she said. “You round nals need a drive to be better.”

only in one’s life, but those around you who look to you for it.”

Next year’s seniors need to realize the opportunity which is before them, grasp it and make the most of it, as it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, said Amsler.

“We, as parents and a community, hope our young men come to a realization this is their high school ‘moment in time’ to lead,” he said. “All eyes look to them for leadership within our community’s football programs. Whether

they understand that now -- we hope after this event -- each of these young men understands the impact they have on each other, their schoolmates and certainly our community’s youth. As Liberty Hill embarks on its first campaign in 5A football, leadership from the next senior class becomes ever more critical. We also want to take this time and celebrate their efforts thus far in life and encourage them as they conclude their time at Liberty Hill High School.”

Amsler and the committee

members hope the event will bring forth the inspiration the players need to succeed across the board – far beyond the gridiron, he said.

“We believe this Senior Call to Leadership event helps solidify the moment in time for these young men,” said Amsler. “Leadership from these young men is imperative in the success they enjoy not only on the football field, but most importantly, the success they generate in the game of life.”

For Walker, it’s about main-

taining positive momentum as the program embarks on a new chapter.

“We want to carry on traditions, get back to being a power in 5A and make our mark,” he said. “We have a lot of great young men who struggle with being leaders, so we want to get everyone involved and excited.”

The event is scheduled for Feb. 13 at Panther Stadium at 6:30 p.m.

thusiasm has been an injection of youth into the squad with a promising group of freshmen who have already begun to make an impact – not the least of which is rookie striker Kaylie Fowler, who is second to Stephens in scoring with seven goals, including a four-goal performance in a 19-0 victory against Jarrell in the district opener and a hat trick in a 6-0 win over Copperas Cove, utilizing blinding speed with mesmerizing skill.

“Kaylie has realized what her role is,” said Bauer. “For our strikers, it’s not only about scoring goals – she knows part of her job is to draw defenders to her which opens up room for her teammates and she’s taken to it very well.”

Kassidy Contreras, Ellie Thompson and Bella Jaimez are also among the first-year players who are contributing, said Bauer.

“All of them have done a good job at learning our tactics and formations,” he said.

“But, even players like Alyssa (Lee), Bryden (Bourgeois) and Katie (Wilson) who have been here are in different positions because we’ve moved so many people around.”

Due to the fact the Lady Panthers are rarely tested during district play, they must somehow find a way to remain focused when the pressure and intensity ratchets up come playoff time, said Bauer.

“What’s great about our team

is they all have such a strong mental side to their game,” he said. “When the games get tough, they know how to switch over and when we have easy games, they remain mentally focused.”

Although the squad has no seniors on the roster, there is certainly no lack of leadership, including captains Janicek, Bourgeois and Madi Fuller – who are all juniors, but it doesn’t stop there, said Bauer.

“We have three captains,” he said.”But we really have 10 or 12 leaders out there.

Janicek backed up the sentiment.

“I think everyone has stepped up,” she said. “It’s going to be difficult to only pick three captains next season with all the

good sophomores we have this year.”

The season began with the Panther Cup – an event designed to test the Lady Panthers right out of the gate with a home tournament featuring rugged competition including the likes of Midlothian Heritage, who is ranked in the top 15 of Class 4A – a weekend during which they came away with two wins and a pair of draws over the three days.

Janicek attributed the strong showing for propelling her and her teammates forward with a renewed sense of focus on the prize at the end of the road.

“I think that was when our players realized how big a deal it is for us to win a state title,” she said.

Bauer stopped short of considering anything short of a championship this season as a failure, saying instead his focus will be on the effort level of his team – regardless of results.

“One of the biggest takeaways from our losses at state the past few years has been how hard we played in those games,” he said. “Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. But if we did everything we could to win, I’m happy.”

Still, the anticipation will continue to rise the closer the Lady Panthers get to an opportunity to go one step further this season, said Bauer.

“I’m excited to see what we can do the rest of the year,” he said. “Our goal is gold.”

TENNIS

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PUBLIC NOTICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Bartlett Cocke General contractors, Construction Manager-at-Risk, for: New Middle School - Bid Package 1, is requesting competitive proposals from subcontractors and suppliers. Bid Package 1 only consists of: Concrete, Masonry, Steel, Elevator, Plumbing, Electrical and Exterior Improvements. Bid Package 2 consists of all other trades and will bid at a later date.

Subcontractor and supplier proposals will be received via Fax to (512) 326-4339 or (512) 326-3990 Fax or via email to bidaus@bartlettcocke.com no later than 2:00 PM on 2/20/2020.

Any proposals received after this time will not be accepted.

Electronic copies of the proposal documents may be obtained from Bartlett Cocke or viewed at local and online planrooms. Contact Aarron Lacey via email ALacey@ bartlettcocke.com or phone (512) 326-4223 to make arrangements.

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Bartlett Cocke General Contractors is an equal opportunity (EEO) employer.

(2/13) LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Liberty Hill has been asked to review and approve the following petition(s), to wit: (1) A request to amend Chapter 4 of Appendix A of the Code of Ordinances for the City of Liberty Hill (the Unified Development Code) to revise the maximum building height limitations for certain zoning districts and rectify noted inconsistencies; and (1) A request for a Zone Map Amendment from the General Commercial/Retail (C-3) zoning district to the Multi-family Residential (MF-2) zoning district on the following property: 8.811 acres out of Lot 2, Block A, Holmes 29 Subdivision, Liberty Hill, Williamson County, Texas; generally located along the north side of State Highway 29, approximately 1,521 feet east of U.S. Highway 183, further identified as Assessor’s Parcel Number R-432454.

In accordance with Section 211.006 of Texas’ Local Government Code, a public hearing on these petitions will be conducted by the Planning and Zoning Commission. This hearing will begin at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. The Planning Commission will then forward its recommendations to the City Council, who will conduct its own public hearing at 6:30 PM on Monday, February 24, 2020 and make the final decision on these matters. Both public hearings will be held at

the Municipal Court Building, Council Chambers, 2801 RM 1869 in Liberty Hill, Texas.

Information regarding these applications is available at the city’s Planning and Development Department, 100 Forrest Street. For more information, call (512) 778-5449.

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS Chair (2/6) CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TX CDBG SIDEWALKS PHASE II IMPROVEMENTS ADVERTISEMENT AND INVITATION FOR BIDS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received by the CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS for CDBG Sidewalks Phase II Improvements.

The Scope of Work will include: Furnishing and installing and providing all labor and materials required concrete sidewalk, concrete driveways, drainage improvements, pipe culverts, site grading, erosion and sedimentation control, and other items, as more fully described in the Construction Plans and Project Specifications.

Bids must be submitted on the complete project. Bids must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and will be received by the City of Liberty Hill, ATTN: Sally McFeron, 926 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642, until 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020, at which time the bids received will be publicly opened and read.

Bidding Documents will only be made available electronically. To obtain access to the files for no charge, please contact Steger Bizzell – bids@ stegerbizzell.com, 1978 S. Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX

78626, (512) 930-9412. Bids not accompanied by cashier’s check or bid bond will not be considered.

BIDS received after the date and time of the bid opening will be returned unopened.

After receipt of BIDS, no BID may be withdrawn within ninety (90) days after the date of bid opening. City of Liberty Hill reserves the right to reject any or all BIDS and to waive any informality in BIDS received.

A non-mandatory pre-bid conference for this project will be held on Tuesday, February 4th at City Hall, 926 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642 at 10:00 a.m. The project site will be available for inspection by prospective bidders immediately following the pre-bid conference.

Representatives of Owner and Engineer will be present to discuss the Project. Bidders are encouraged to attend and participate in the conference. Engineer will transmit to all prospective Bidders of record such Addenda as Engineer considers necessary in response to questions arising at the conference. Oral statements may not be relied upon and will not be binding or legally effective.

A bid bond in the amount of 5 percent of the bid issued by an acceptable surety shall be submitted with each bid. A certified check or bank draft payable to the City of Liberty Hill or negotiable US Government Bonds (as par value) may be submitted in lieu of bid bond.

Attention is called to the fact that not less than, the federal determined prevailing (Davis- Bacon and Related Acts) wage rate, as issued by the US Department of Labor and contained in the contract documents, must be paid on this project.

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(2/6) NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE The administrative office of Williamson County ESD No. 4 is located at 301 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

A good patch on the pitch

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Boys’ soccer squad midway through campaign

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor As it stands, the Liberty Hill boys’ soccer squad is approximately halfway through its season, already having embarked on the district campaign, with an 8-5 overall record and 2-0 in district.

The Panthers have scored 44 goals on the season so far, while only conceding 17 and much of the attacking prowess has come from junior striker Jaron Frye, who already has 22 goals and is well on his way to eclipsing his first two highschool seasons, when he netted 31 and 33, respectively.

In fact, Frye has scored in every game he’s played this season, including four hat tricks and a pair of four-goal games.

Despite the fact Frye has generated exactly half of his team’s goals, Liberty Hill head Coach Wayne Munger isn’t concerned with his offense being too much of a one-man show, he said.

“We don’t worry about balanced scoring,” said Munger.

“Jaron’s always going to have plenty of goals in him, but

we’re also working on other parts of his game.”

Second on the scoring charts for the Panthers is sophomore striker Kegan Taggart, who has five goals including a hat trick in a 6-0 road victory against Jarrell on Jan. 28, while no other Liberty Hill player has more than two.

Munger said his side has gradually continued to improve as more chemistry and cohesion has been built within the ranks.

“We’ve definitely improved in understanding our formation and each other,” he said.

“We have all the building blocks in place.”

A pair of those building blocks are Taggart and junior striker Ethan Minix, who has two goals and four assists on the season, said Munger.

“Ethan has seen a lot of improvement in his game,” he said. “Also, Kegan is finding ways to fit in.”

Even though his side keeps making its way up the mountain of success, the Panthers sideline boss said there’s always a guard against complacency.

“There’s always something we can work on,” said Munger. “We need to be able to see spaces out there to work in, find more intelligent passes and we have to keep our intensity up.”

A center-back combination of junior Rhett Hofmann, senior Gabe Hernandez and junior Zach Ellis has provided the Panthers with a solid base from which to launch attacks forward in front of senior goalkeeper Uriel Diaz, who has posted eight wins and five shutouts.

The midfield has been fueled by a talented group including senior Gerald Shoetan, sophomore Garrison Clopton and sophomore Hayden Ersham, who have provided the pipeline in the middle of the park from the defense to the strikers at the front of the formation.

Munger said the connection between the three elements on the field is crucial in continuing winning ways.

“I think the biggest thing we have to work on continuing to improve is our transition from defense to attack,” he said.

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Hayden Ersham (#8) has been an anchor in the midfield for the Panthers this season.

“We’re very attack-minded, so we might be susceptible to counters – that’s where I want to improve most.”

Munger cited a 2-1 home victory over Progreso during the Panther Cup on Jan. 3 as a proper signpost on the way to where they want to be as a team.

“I think that game was a checkpoint for us and was

a real confidence boost,” he said.

All five of Liberty Hill’s defeats have been by a single goal, which encourages Munger to a certain extent.

“We haven’t gotten blown out by anyone,” he said. “But, we’ve had some pretty big holes to dig out of, although I like our fightback and the fact we don’t get pushed around.

All of our scorelines have been close.”

However, the Panthers are keeping their collective eyes peeled for the potential prize that lies ahead, said Munger.

“Once we get to the playoffs, it’s the win-or-go-home mentality,” he said. “So, we’re always looking for that next pass and that next goal.”

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Zach Ellis (#4) has been part of a successful defense which has posted five shutouts on the season.

BOYS’ SOCCER

Liberty Hill’s boys’ soccer squad hosted district opponent Florence on Jan. 31 and came away with a comprehensive 8-0 victory over the Buffaloes.

Jaron Frye scored four goals on the evening, while Gerald Shoetan added a pair for the Panthers.

Right from the outset, the home side was intent on testing the Florence keeper, as Ethan Minix forced a save off a pass from Frye in the second minute.

Kegan Taggart had a pair of chances in the following moments, along with another from Frye, but failed to capitalize.

Finally, in the 17th minute,

JV ROUNDUP

Boys’ Basketball Liberty Hill’s junior varsity hosted Salado Feb. 4 and prevailed 75-43.

Gunter Daniels led the Panthers with 23 points, while Kaden McMahan added 11

Shoetan sent a cross from the left wing toward the front of the net, only for it to deflect off a Florence defender and into the net for an own goal and a 1-0 Liberty Hill lead.

In the 28th minute, Shoetan scored a goal of his own with an individual effort inside the six-yard box and it was 2-0 in favor of the hosts, which is where the score remained at the half.

As the second half started, Minix and Garrison Clopton had quick chances which were denied, before Taggart finally buried one after his earlier misses for a 3-0 lead in the 51st minute.

After that, Frye went to work and completed his hat trick in

only seven minutes, which was followed by goals for Sean Snelgrooes and Elijah Schneider -- who scored in his first varsity appearance – to complete the scoring.

Head Coach Wayne Munger said Schneider certainly did more than enough to merit remaining on the varsity roster.

“Elijah’s played many positions, but today he showed his height and prowess in the final third,” he said. “We’ve been looking at him in practice the past few days, so today he got into a game and worked well with the group.”

Liberty Hill (8-5, 2-0) will next face an away game against Little River Academy on Feb. 7.

and Aaron Brewer 10 on the game.

The Panthers’ freshmen also defeated the Eagles, 69-24, as Cayden Branch scored 29 points.

On Jan. 31, both teams went to Lampasas and also came away victorious.

The JV beat the Badgers, 5944, as Brewer scored 11 points and Daniels 10.

Camden Justice and Daniels each scored 16 points in the freshmen squad’s 72-46 win.

LHJH ROUNDUP

Emma Stephens (#8) scored four goals in Liberty Hill’s 16-0 home win against Florence on Jan. 31.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Ladies hammer Florence, 16-0

Anyone who arrived late for the Lady Panthers’ home game against Florence on Friday missed quite a bit of action.

Liberty Hill scored eight goals in the opening 15 minutes of its district game against the Lady Buffaloes on the way to a convincing 16-0 victory.

Emma Stephens scored four goals in the resounding win and it certainly didn’t take very long for the offensive floodgates to open for the Lady Panthers, as Madi Fuller began the scoring in the fourth minute after Tabor had Girls basketball The Liberty Hill Junior High girls’ basketball squads face road games Jan. 30 against Taylor and went 3-0.

8th Grade Purple won, 45-38 Riley Clayton 13, Ella Granda 9, Izzy Amthor 6, Trinity

made a run down the right flank before sending a perfect cross onto the foot of Fuller, who slotted home for a quick 1-0 lead.

Only a minute later, Stephens scored her two first on the day after Kailey Fowler had beaten her defender in a race for the ball and passed to Stephens, who made no mistake.

Six more goals hit the back of the Florence net over the next 10 minutes, including two for Tabor, another for Fuller and Stephens and finally Fowler on a nifty spin move before she scored.

At the half, the Lady Panthers held a 9-0 lead.

Mykenna Russo headed home a goal off a corner by Alyssa Lee in the 53rd minute before Mia Macias and Cordelia

Brown completed the scoring with late goals of their own.

Fowler recorded her third hat trick of the season, while Janicek and Tabor each netted a pair.

Stephens increased her team-leading number to 14 on the season, while Tabor now has 10 and Fowler eight.

Collins 6, Kali Hurst 5, Paige Sterling 3, Emily Lilienthal 2, Kylie Hutchinson 1 7th Grade Purple won, 40-16 Evelyn Bruce 9, Mehkayla Mulski 8, Ava Kostroun 5, Addison Shifflett 4, Aubrey Hughes 4, Annie Witt 4, Ad-

dison Lee 2, Aubri Ettinger 2, Clara Justice 2 7th Grade Gold won, 39-11 Kate Bednarz 8, Maryjo Martin 8, Hailee Roberts 7, Avery Daugherty 4, Addison Gonzales 4, Emily Rios 4, Shelby Broderick 2, Ariyana Hemati 2

LHHS 3, Wimberley 0 On Feb. 4, the Lady Panthers hosted Wimberley in a non-district contest and came away with a 3-0 victory.

Stephens scored two goals, while Mykenna Russo added another and Alyssa Lee picked up a pair of assists.

Liberty Hill (9-1-3, 2-0) will next continue district play with a road game against Little River Academy on Feb. 7.