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2021

Volume 34, Issue 15

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March 4, 2021 | 50 Cents

Four vie for LHISD Place 3

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees has two highly-contested races. One in Place 6,

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Kent Walker will succeed his late brother Jeff as athletic director and head football coach at Liberty Hill High School after leading the Panthers to the Class 5A state semifinals on an interim basis this season.

Kent Walker named Athletic Director

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Kent Walker always wanted to be the athletic director and head football coach at Liberty Hill High School.

However, after being named to the dual position at a meeting of the Liberty Hill ISD school board to succeed his late brother, Jeff Walker, he certainly had mixed emotions.

“This is definitely bittersweet – I will never be able to fill the shoes of the two previous athletic director/head football coaches here,” said Walker. “This is special and at the same time difficult to follow in my brother’s footsteps. I know I have a huge fan watching over me and smiling down on me. (Former Liberty Hill Head) Coach (Jerry) Vance and my brother were not only two outstand-

ing coaches, but they are/ were great men. I’m looking forward to the challenge of continuing to build a championship culture here in Liberty Hill. I’m excited for this opportunity to continue building on what Coach (Jeff) Walker has built here in Liberty Hill.”

According to Walker, having the opportunity to take on his new role in Purple-and-Gold is simply the icing on a cake that was already plenty fulfilling due to its location.

“This is a dream job because of the kids, coaches and community. There’s not another place I would rather be than Liberty Hill – it’s a perfect place to raise a family. The quality of education here in Liberty Hill for my son has been amazing. I can’t say enough about his teachers

See WALKER, Page 4

ANTONIO CANAS

There was no hesitation in Antonio Canas’ decision to file for a second run at a spot on the LHISD Board of Trustees.

Canas lost to Kendall Carter in November in a three-candidate race.

“I really want to be part of this community and help people,” Canas said of his decision to run again.

See CANAS, Page 5

where six candidates are looking to finish out the one year left on Vickie Peterson’s term following her resignation, and the second is a four-person

MICHAEL FERGUSON

contest for Place 3.

Place 3 is currently held by David Nix, who has decided not to seek reelection, and the four who have stepped up

STEVE MESSANA

seeking the spot are Antonio Canas, Michael Ferguson, Steve Messana and Charlene Stevens.

CHARLENE STEVENS

It didn’t take Michael Ferguson long to decide he wants to be more involved in his community.

He’s a life-long Texan, and has lived in Liberty Hill for three years, where he has one second grader and one first grader in the district.

The culture and feel of Liberty Hill was just right for

Steve Messana wants to serve the community as a member of the Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees, but he’s also happy – even as a candidate – to see the number of candidates on the ballot this time around.

Living within the school district just over seven year, Messana has one child in kindergarten and one still two years from school, but being a part

Charlene Stevens is a registered nurse who has lived in the school district since 2012 and in Texas since 1992. A naturalized citizen in 2019, she is originally from Canada.

She believes her background makes her well-suited to serve right now with so many health-related issues

See FERGUSON, Page 5

See MESSANA, Page 10

See STEVENS, Page 10

split and that we might build a second high school, that pulls at heartstrings,” he said.

“Now, even with a brand new building at Santa Rita, the kids worry that they might be separated from their friends or have different classmates.

That’s why it’s important to us that no matter what school you go to, you get the same education, the same great teachers, the same great coaches, and the same expectations. Our deal is that we want it to be a small-town feel.”

While it may be hard for some students in these new zones,

LHISD adopts new middle school attendance boundaries

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer With the addition of the new Santa Rita Middle School, the Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees on Monday approved new attendance boundaries to better compensate for the fast-growing district With several options on the table, the Board voted on option two, which sees the attendance zone divided by US Hwy 183A, a natural and clean divider. The line also creates a simple plan for the addition of a third middle school in the future.

“We wanted it to be simple and clear and not confusing for

parents. We didn’t want to split neighborhoods or split small roads. That’s why Highway 183 makes sense,” said Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Steve Snell. “If you live on this side, you go here, or if you live on this side, you go there.

It also makes sense as you look forward to the third middle school. We feel it will be more centrally located, so the boundaries get smaller instead of people having to move.”

The decision to divide zones along 183A goes beyond it being a clean dividing line.

As more people fill the area between Ronald Reagan and 183A, the new zones are ac-

counting for increased population density.

“So, the biggest change is the sheer growth in Rancho Sienna and Santa Rita down the Ronald Reagan - 29 corridor,” said Snell. “It’s causing those attendance boundaries to get smaller and smaller to account for the density of the area.”

The change may be a difficult adjustment, but Snell says that people shouldn’t worry because they will offer the same high-level education at all schools.

“In my opinion, people’s hearts are Liberty Hill Junior High and Liberty Hill High School. When you think of a

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Growing up, Holly Kociuba struggled with asthma. But the seventh of eight children didn’t let that stop her from running down a path that led her to a 24-year career as one of Liberty Hill ISD’s most beloved physical education teachers.

“I struggled with asthma, and my mom didn’t want me to run, but I wanted to. I was always the one who would never do what she was told to do,” said Kociuba. “Finally, I got it under control, and I loved to compete, and I ran in college and went to Europe in 1977 with the AAU

team to compete. I started out as an art major, but because I was on the track team and into P.E., they kind of talked me into switching degrees. It was in my blood, and my love of running drove a lot of my P.E program.”

After 24 years in Liberty Hill, Kociuba is retiring from Liberty Hill Intermediate School.

The lifelong athlete is preparing to enter the next stage of her life with the same drive and motivation.

“It came much sooner than I think I was ready. It feels awesome. Family is first for me always, and my daughter is expecting her first baby,” she said. “I didn’t have the days

to take off and be with her for several weeks, so I decided to retire and help her. It’s exciting, and I have a lot of things to look forward to.”

Retiring can be a difficult transition for some people, especially those like Kociuba who like being active. The retiring coach isn’t worried about the change. This allows her to delve fully into her creative endeavors.

“I own a small business, and I do all the woodworking myself. My father, he’s 101, and I grew up in the south woodworking in the basement with him. I make oil-burning wood

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor As the new Liberty Hill wastewater plant expansion nears completion and will soon be ready to come online, new questions are being raised about which equipment supplier the City will go with for the first plant already in operation.

The Council on Monday approved change order eight on the current wastewater plant expansion project, adding $70,641 to the project, in what it hopes is the final addition

before the plant is operational this month.

The order brings the new contract price to $12.37 million, nearly $3 million above the original $9.68 million contract for the project.

A large portion of the added cost came when former Mayor Rick Hall made the decision in April – supported unanimously by the Council – to switch the equipment used in the new plant from Microdyn to Suez, citing dissatisfaction with the Microdyn equipment.

At that time, Hall indicated

the City would go with Suez for the new plant, and eventually switch the first membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant, opened in mid-2018, to Suez as well, but that decision is back on the table today.

In addition to the change order for the new plant, the Council approved the purchase of two sets of new membranes from Microdyn for the first plant.

City Administrator Lacie Hale acknowledged that there was a plan under the previous administration to convert the first plant to Suez, but staff was in

Dawn Hudson picked See BOUNDARIES, Page 10 to lead Louine Noble Longtime P.E. instructor retires after 24 years Elementary

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Liberty Hill school Trustees approved Dawn Hudson as the new principal of Louine Noble Elementary. The milestone is a pivotal step in getting the school ready for the coming school year.

“It feels great. I am very humbled. There are a lot of great educators in this district, and I’m excited to keep working with our students and our families.” said Hudson.

Hudson is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, with a Bachelor’s of Science degree specializing in Elementary Education. She has a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Hudson has over 20 years of experience with children at different grade levels and has worked in five school districts.

She has served as assistant principal at Liberty Hill Intermediate for the last four years.

In her time at the Intermediate, the school earned a designation of globally recognized PCL Campus, one of 172 schools across the nation. With her efforts, the campus was one of 45 schools in Texas named to the National To-Watch list. ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent

LHISD Trustees named Intermediate Assistant Principal Dawn Hudson as the new principal of Louine Noble Elementary.

“We’ve done a lot of amazing things there, but I’m excited to get back to the elementary level and work with that age group,” said Hudson. “That’s where my passion is. I look forward to working with those teachers. I think the Intermediate has prepared me, we’ve done some great things, and I’m ready to continue doing those things there.”

Hudson began the interview process a week before being named principal. Despite her new job on the horizon, Hudson still has plans for her time left at the Intermediate campus.

“I found out when everyone else did. I found out today.

See HUDSON, Page 4

See KOCIUBA, Page 4

Liberty Hill Intermediate P.E. instructor Holly Kociuba is retiring after 24 years with LHISD.

City wastewater plant nears completion, costs increase again

the process of studying that option before moving forward.

“That was the plan of the prior administration, but we’re still trying to figure out which way to go because we just spent half a million dollars on membranes for our current plant,” Hale said. “In the next few weeks I hope to set up a meeting with our engineer team and our operators to talk about our overall master plan for our wastewater treatment plant to see what’s more

See CITY, Page 4

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, March 4, 2021

WilCo COVID vaccination update

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

JG Fisk Chapter meets March 13

The Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas will meet at 10 a.m. March 13 at Cross Tracks Methodist Church, 101 Church Street in Liberty Hill.

The Church will be sanitized, masks and social distancing observed.

The program features a talk on the history of Williamson County during the Republic.

For information on membership in the Daughters, please contact Joyce Parsons at jnparsons1114@gmail.com, or Mariann Laughlin at truetexaswomen@gmail.com.

Pond management seminar

On March 17, from 12 pm to 1 pm, Williamson County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is hosting an interactive seminar on pond management.

Guest speaker is Brittany

Chesser, Aquatic Vegetation Program Specialist with Texas A&M. She will discuss early season management of pond weeds and algae, water quality basics, and best practices to avoid expensive problems while also supporting pond health and maintaining a thriving aquatic environment.

After registering, participants may send digital images of pond issues and/or weeds, and they will be identified and

diagnosed during this live session. You will also be provided with recommended solutions.

The cost is $15 and you can register at https://wilcopondprogram.eventbrite.com For more information about this educational event and other training opportunities, please contact Gary Pastushok, CEA-AG/NR, Williamson County, at gary.pastushok@ ag.tamu.edu or the Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

SUBSCRIBE 512-778-5577

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Williamson County’s vaccination efforts are expanding as they add additional hubs, vaccination locations and receive an increased number of vaccines.

There are currently three locations to receive vaccinations in the county -- Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Taylor.

On March 11, the Dell Diamond in Round Rock will open as the latest vaccination location.

Beginning on March 1, several vaccine distributors in the county received a total

of 20,000 vaccines. Family Health Systems received 6,000 Moderna vaccines. The Williamson County and Cities Health District received 1,200 Moderna vaccines. Curative, the latest hub partner for the county, received 11,700 Pfizer vaccines. The remaining vaccines were divided among several other distributors.

In just one week, the County’s vaccine call center received 20,699 phone calls, with about 13,100 calls answered.

“We’re certainly falling short in answering all the calls, but we have been using election employees and

See VACCINE, Page 5

Liberty Hill Police Blotter

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Feb. 22-28, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 432 incidents resulting in seven cases, 15 citations, 60 warnings and no arrests.

Weekly Highlights: - On Feb. 22 at approximately 6:11 PM, officers responded to the 900 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Feb. 22 at approximately 7:53 PM, officers responded to Constitution Street for a suspicious incident.

- On Feb. 22 at approximately 9:41 PM, officers responded to Bronco Blvd. for suspicious activity.

- On Feb. 22 at approximately 11:25 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an animal complaint.

- On Feb. 23 at approximately 12:58 AM, officers responded

to 13000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Feb. 23 at approximately 7:46 AM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Feb. 23 at approximately 7:39 PM, officers responded to the 600 Block of Loop 332 for an animal complaint.

- On Feb. 23 at approximately 10:45 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious vehicle.

- On Feb. 24 at approximately 5:58 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Lane for a disturbance.

- On Feb. 24 at approximately 7:35 PM, officers responded to King Elder Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Feb. 24 at approximately 10:03 PM, officers responded to the 800 block of Loop 332 for an animal complaint.

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- On Feb. 25 at approximately 12:07 AM, officers responded to Hillcrest Lane for an animal complaint.

- On Feb. 25 at approximately 7:45 AM, officers responded to the intersection of W. SH 29 and RM 1869 for a well being check.

- On Feb. 25 at approximately 3:17 PM, officers responded to the 3000 block of RM 1869 for livestock.

- On Feb. 25 at approximately 11:08 PM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity.

- On Feb. 26, at approximately 7:20 AM, responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for school zone enforcement.

- On Feb. 26 at approximately 12:23 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of CR 214 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Feb. 26 at approximately 7:06 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a fraud complaint.

- On Feb. 26 at approximately 11:24PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Feb. 27 at approximately 3:01 AM, officers responded the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for an animal complaint.

- On Feb. 27 at approximately 2:22PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Feb. 27 at approximately 5:33 PM, officers responded to Ancellotta Way for a family issue.

- On Feb. 27 at approximately 9:36 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an alarm.

- On Feb. 28 at approximately 3:45 AM, officers responded to CR 200 for a theft complaint.

- On Feb. 28 at approximately 11:01 AM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On Feb. 28 at approximately 7:26 PM, officers responded to the 100 block of US 183, for a disturbance.

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OPINION Throwback Thursday

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, March 4, 2021 Page 3

EDITORIAL:

Texas bravado masks Reviewing history while waiting out the winter storm the real problem

By JAMES WEAR Columnist It’s been a couple of weeks now since our little household was among thousands statewide to lose electricity with the bitter cold also resulting in frozen pipes and hence no running water— and so for a good week we found ourselves either playing on our cell phones or staring into the flames of our fireplace and thinking we were mighty lucky to have a warm fire.

We were even luckier to have sons and grandsons and brothers-in-law who dropped off at least two pickup loads of firewood.

It’s the coldest weather I recall experiencing in my 60 some odd years here on this earth, but fortunately both my wife and I grew up with parents who had experienced worse, and along the way we had learned a few tips of survival from them.

One of those tips included a good way to pass time between meals, restocking the fireplace and tending to livestock was to bury oneself into a good book.

And while my parents and those before them depended on a coal oil lantern, we depended on a gasoline-powered generator to provide a bit of interior light.

In the days leading up to the cold front I’d been spending several days in our family library, trying to sort out the thousands of volumes into various categories, and along the way, came upon several books that caught my interest, including one entitled simply Mary Lincoln—Wife and Widow by Carl Sandburg. Sandburg, of

course, had earned great fame with his books about Abe Lincoln and I look forward to reading those.

Sandburg’s book about Mrs. Lincoln describes the life of an unhappy woman and how her life became even more tragic after President Lincoln’s assassination.

Leading up to Lincoln’s death she didn’t hesitate to offer her opinion on the grave matters facing the President. Sandburg writes of her intense dislike for General Grant, who Lincoln had chosen to replace Gen. McClellan as leader of the Union forces in the Civil War. Sandburg writes that Mary Lincoln termed Grant as “an obstinate fool and a butcher,” to which President Lincoln is said to have replied, “Supposing we give you command of the army. No doubt you would do much better than any general that has been tried.”

For a time the White House had to deal with critics who pointed out that Mary Lincoln’s three half brothers were members of the Confederate army, and surely she was slipping information to them regarding the strategies of the Union army.

After John Wilkes Booth fired the bullet that would end President Lincoln’s life, Mary Lincoln sank into deep despair, and Sandburg writes that five weeks passed before she was able to leave the White House.

During that time she remained upstairs, and at that point in time, there was little or no security and so “the White House was left without a responsible protector.”

Sandburg writes, “It was plundered, not only of ornaments, but of heavy articles of furniture. Costly sofas and chairs were cut and injured… lace curtains were torn into

A court determined that Mary Lincoln (above) was insane and issued a warrant for her arrest (below). (Courtesy Photos)

rags, and carried off in pieces.”

The book includes letters and documents collected by Paul M. Angle, and among those documents reproduced is a warrant for the arrest of Mary Lincoln after it was determined by a court that she was insane.

Mary Lincoln, it had been determined, was unable to manage her estate, and it fell to her one living son, Robert Lincoln, to seek help for his mother. According to a statement by Robert Lincoln, “…she has been of

unsound mind since the death of her husband, and has been irresponsible for the past 10 years. I regard her as eccentric and unmanageable…”

Mary Lincoln moved about in the final years of her life, including time spent at a state hospital and later moving in with a sister in Springfield, Illinois. In 1876, a group of Cook County jurors found that she had regained her sanity. She died on July 16, 1882.

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We’re tired. Dealing with the dangers, unknowns and inconveniences of COVID-19 has taken a toll on all of us.

It’s not over, even if many danced in the streets Tuesday – as though we had just defeated Germany in World War II – when Gov. Greg Abbott lifted a number of restrictions. Abbott was all too pleased to bask in the belief he had somehow liberated Texans as he sent the message that COVID is no longer a threat.

It was a well-staged theatrical event, held on Texas Independence Day no less. We do love our mythical status, so much so our Governor signaled we are willing to trade lives to maintain it.

Abbott did reiterate that people should be personally responsible in taking precautions, but if that were something we could count on, the restrictions would never have been necessary in the first place. People establish laws, rules and guidelines because we don’t always act responsibly or think beyond our own irritation.

In Texas, and Williamson County, we are marking a year since everything changed, and while new case numbers and deaths have declined since the end of January, we are well above the numbers that caused us to react so restrictively last March.

In March 2020, Texas recorded 25,000 cases and mourned the deaths of 741. We marked those deaths with lots of discussion, empathy and compassion. It seemed unfathomable that so many people in our state had died so quickly.

Texas shut down at that point. Its schools and its businesses all closed to stem the rising number of cases and deaths.

Last month, 6,948 Texans died of COVID-19, but Gov. Abbott feels like Texans are tired of wearing masks and limited capacity in businesses. Abbott’s decision Tuesday to lift those restrictions was really a message that nearly 10 times as many deaths 12 months later no longer have the same value or are worth the same sacrifice.

Abbott doesn’t like the heat from those who bristle at the idea of wearing a mask. So he made a political decision regarding something many have attacked as a symbol of government oppression. It’s an inconvenience to some, and to others it is some kind of manufactured attack on their freedom.

In reality, it is a scientifically-backed measure to help limit the spread of the virus that takes almost no effort to comply with.

In March and April of last year everyone cared, aside from the few who simply called it all a hoax. We searched for masks and hand sanitizer tirelessly, and endured the inconveniences of waiting in long lines in stores, often leaving without things we showed up to buy in the first place.

Today, many celebrate the lifting of the mandate as some sort of idiotic emancipation. Those of us who will continue to wear a mask will go on wondering what it was that made it such a compromise of your liberty to ask you to care about the well being of those around you.

But nearly everyone recovers. That’s the prominent argument always cited by those needing a silver lining to COVID and its cost. That is a fact. But in the U.S. half a million people have not recovered. In Texas, 43,000 have not. Each of these people has a name, a mourning family, friends who have experienced loss. It is abhorrent that we would simply refer to them as some minuscule percentage to free ourselves of guilt over so many deaths.

A mask will not eliminate COVID, but we have proven – three different times – that masks, social distancing and other precautionary measures lead to a downturn in cases and fatalities. We’ve also proven three times that easing those restrictions leads to a new spike in cases and deaths. Anyone who acts surprised if we experience a new spike after Spring Break is willfully ignorant of what is going on.

National statistics show 38,000 Americans die in car wrecks annually. To help minimize that number we have seatbelt laws, speed limits, blinkers, headlights, airbags, child safety seats, traffic lights, road signs and an encyclopedia of laws governing driving and vehicle safety, not to mention the thousands of law enforcement officers tasked each day with enforcing those laws.

Why? Because we decided lives matter. We aren’t going to stop driving, but we are going to take measures to minimize the risk.

That’s where we should be with COVID. We can’t stop living, we can’t stop doing business, but we can make some simple sacrifices and adjust to the current reality that is claiming 117 Texans each day.

Will you wear a mask, or will you mask the value of human life and your own insecurities just so you can brag that no one tells you what to do?

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Page 4

CITY

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

cost-effective for the City in the long run.”

The ultimate decision will come down to the cost for a change over versus weighing the potential issues of having two different suppliers and equipment for the two MBR plants.

“It’s really a difference of if we retrofit it to Suez it is a million (of dollars), but now we have options where it could be a couple hundred thousand and maybe more cost effective for the City,” Hale said. “We’re open to more options and to seeing if both types of plants will work on our site. I’ve already started those discussions with our team.”

The funds approved this week will come out of monies received from the City of Georgetown following a wastewater rate audit. The funds totaled $849,300.

The City remains under threat

KOCIUBA

of a federal lawsuit under the Clean Water Act, after it was notified in September 2020 of the intent to file suit.

If filed, the suit would be brought in federal court by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), representing resident Stephanie Morris who owns property along the South San Gabriel River downstream from the wastewater plant.

The suit has not been filed to date as the City and attorneys from TRLA negotiate.

The primary issue cited in the potential suit is regular algae blooms that choke the South San Gabriel downstream from the plant, but do not typically appear upstream, leading residents to argue that the plant’s effluent is causing the algae.

The City has argued in the past that the effluent is not causing the algae – often pointing to development runoff or lawn chemicals making

Continued from Page 1

candles, platters, and anything out of wood. I never had a lot of time to spend on it. I would stay up till 10:30 or 11 on weekdays or spend my whole weekend creating. So, I’m excited to have more time to spend on that.”

With a lifetime of experience woodworking, the next move for Kociuba was making her hobby a business.

“I started my business in 2016. A lot of people said you shouldn’t give those away as a gift. You should sell them,” she said. “I figured I’d try it, and I did. I made time to go to shows and sell, and it was really starting to become a full-time job on top of my full-time job. My heart was in P.E., but the artsy side of me was really crying out to have more time.”

With a yearning to embrace her creativity, Kociuba allowed her ideas to flow into her job as a P.E. instructor.

“I was going to be that graphic artist, but I think throughout my P.E. career, the creative side of me was able to flourish,” said Kociuba. “I have created so many things and traditions to have at school. Being able to do some artwork on t-shirts or just the bulletin board.”

Kociuba began her career as a

P.E. instructor in Georgetown after earning a doctorate in dance from the University of Houston. After seven years in Georgetown, she took a 14year hiatus from P.E. to raise her children. Kociuba made her way to Liberty Hill after former principal Kathy Major reached out to her.

“There was an opening in P.E., and as soon as it opened, it shut down because the lady decided not to quit. So, she

HUDSON

I interviewed last week and went through the process then,” said Hudson. “There was a panel that was looking for who could lead the school in the right direction and keep up the culture and the level of excellence that’s expected here in Liberty Hill. I’m not ready to say goodbye to the Intermediate. We’ve got some big things planned for the rest of the year. They have no idea.”

Excited to work with elementary-level children again, Hudson has a simple but challenging goal for Louine Noble Elementary -- continue the level of excellence expected in Liberty Hill.

February COVID numbers drop, Governor lifts restrictions

their way into the river as the culprit. The City has also stood behind its stance that it is operating according to its permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The Council voted Monday to allow its attorney in the matter to negotiate services for a biological study of the river in an amount not to exceed $10,000.

New City Attorney City Attorney Tad Cleaves informed the City Feb. 26 that he was resigning after accepting a position with the Texas Municipal League (TML) Legal Department.

Cleaves joined the City in March 2020 after the Council dissolved its professional services agreement with the Bojorquez Law Firm where he was previously employed.

The Council will meet March 4 to consider the recruitment process and hiring of a new city attorney.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that effective March 10, the mask mandate in Texas would be lifted, as well as all capacity restrictions on businesses.

When he made the announcement, he cited the ongoing effort to vaccinate Texans, saying 5.7 million shots have been administered, but that number did not reflect both shots required for vaccination in all those receiving it.

The order does allow businesses to limit capacity and impose other safety measures on their own.

It also says that if hospitalizations surpass 15 percent in any of the state’s 22 hospital

“Our whole vision here is to build champions in academics, character, and community. That’s what I want to see on our campus,” said Hudson. “I want to see a sense of community while doing those things. It’s going to be so much fun. Those kids bring a huge level of excitement and joy to me. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be refreshing. I’m so excited because this age group is so much fun.”

As a part of the Planning and Design Team, Hudson is hands-on with the development of Noble Elementary. She begins the process of building her staff as the

regions, county judges may impose some restrictions, but the order stipulated that no penalties could be issued for refusing to wear a mask and businesses could not be limited to less than 50 percent capacity.

In February, there were 253,782 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Texas -- the state’s lowest number since October -- but it was still the fourth highest monthly total in a year. The 6,984 deaths in February were second only to January’s 9,451.

Williamson County reported 4,364 cases in February with 74 new deaths.

For the first time since late

November the positivity rate among those tested dipped below 10 percent, and hospitalizations have been cut in half – now at 5,611 – in Texas since the end of January.

Locally, Liberty Hill ISD is reporting a sharp decrease in cases, down to only eight this week. The cases include one auxiliary staff member, and one staff member each at Rancho Sienna Elementary and Liberty Hill Elementary. The High School has one student case, the Intermediate School has one student and one staff case, and the Junior High has two student cases.

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asked me to try out for this 4th-grade classroom position, and I told her I’m not a 4thgrade teacher. She said we’ll help you. I took the job and learned to love it and admire other classroom teachers.

When it became the Intermediate, I realized this was my calling. I love 5th and 6th grade P.E. I want this job, and I got it.”

In her time at the Intermediate school, Kociuba started

Continued from Page 1

Thursday, March 4, 2021

several programs, including the cross-country unit and the Intermediate Mile.

“The last thing I created was my operation field day, which was after my daughter, a sponsored obstacle course racer for a time. I would go watch her, and I knew how much it cost people to do those obstacles,” said Kociuba. “I asked my husband if I draw this out, do you think you could build these. He did. We had

school’s opening gets closer.

“I’m going to be looking for people who love children,” said Hudson. “Content and skills can be taught, but you can’t teach someone to love kids. I’m looking for that, and I’m looking for attitude.”

With her new role cultivating the future of Liberty Hill ISD, Hudson has a clear message for the parents in the community.

“Thank you for trusting us with your children,” she said.

“I believe in partnerships with parents, and I believe in collaborative efforts. We’re all in this together, and it’s all about the kids.”

get your

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37 obstacles over a three-mile course, and you could see everything I taught come to fruition. The kids had to use all of their physical skills and team comradery. It was a dream come true. I hope someone carries it on.”

Looking back on her 24 years in Liberty Hill, Kociuba is grateful to have joined such a tight-knit community.

“My mother would say, and I know it’s cliché, that it takes

a village to raise a kid, and it does. I started when Liberty Hill was small, and I knew everybody, and everybody knew my children. It was truly an awesome experience. It was good for everybody. We all celebrated each other’s successes and helped each other through hard times. It carries you through a lot when you have that community comradery. That’s very special.”

WALKER Continued from Page 1 over the past four years.”

Walker added he will definitely be his own man in running the Panthers’ program, while at the same time rely upon all he learned from watching his brother handle the job with such grace.

“It’s extremely important for me to establish myself in this role. Being the athletic director and head football coach of Liberty Hill ISD is a completely different role than classroom teacher and defensive coordinator. I really enjoy watching all of our sports compete and I look forward to supporting all of our athletic programs.

Jeff and I are very similar and I have learned more about life and coaching through him than anyone else. I will keep the same coaching motto, ‘Put the kids first in everything you do.’

But, I’m not going to try and be Jeff Walker – Jeff wouldn’t want me to try and be him, either. I’m just going to put our kids first in everything I do.”

Walker led the Panthers to four wins in five playoff games after taking over on an interim basis, guiding Liberty Hill to the Class 5A state semifinals

in the program’s first season in the higher classification under the most adverse of conditions and was named Class 5A Coach of the Year by the Texas Sports Writers Association.

“This has been a difficult experience, but I know Jeff is proud of all we were able to accomplish this past season,” he said. “I really don’t feel like there are any words to describe my emotions. I know my dad, mom and brother are smiling down and are my biggest fans from above.”

Walker is more than happy to take over a program with a proud history – one he intends to take to the next level of excellence, he said.

“It’s always easier to take over a program where the foundation has already been laid and set,” said Walker.

“Liberty Hill is a place where expectations to be successful are the norm. We will continue to build champions for the future through hard work and toughness. We, as coaches, will coach each athlete like we would want someone to coach our son or daughter. Go Panthers.”

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CANAS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

And while he didn’t win last time, he did find himself deeply involved in the district as a member of the Long Range Planning Committee.

“I was part of the long range planning for this bond,” he said. “I’m already embedded in what’s going on with the bond and understand the process and the need for this bond. I totally support it because we need it.”

A retired 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Canas decided to make Liberty Hill his home, and he believes in being involved where he calls home.

“I’m doing this mainly because my kids are in school here, and being retired from the military I will have time to support my community,” Canas said. “I like serving people.”

He has two children at the Intermediate School and one in High School.

After enlisting at age 18, Canas has been on a military journey of more than two decades, earning two bachelor’s degrees and one master’s in the process. He began as a

tanker, but finished his career as a human resource officer.

“I definitely had a diverse experience in the military,” he said. “The broad view I have of the world will be good on the Board. I have additional skills the community needs.

This community is growing really fast and with my diverse background in small areas and big cities I can see the impact the growth has on kids.”

He was stationed at Fort Hood on multiple occasions, and decided to make Central Texas his home, with his children first attending school in Round Rock before settling in the Liberty Hill area. He is now working for the State of Texas, but said his focus has always been on volunteering.

The longer he is in the area, the more he is getting involved, focusing his energy on students that may be left behind for one reason or another.

He is currently serving as a mentor in a Williamson County juvenile program called Reset.

“I’m trying to get involved in those kinds of things, helping

the community and that’s really what I want to do here in Liberty Hill is help those kids in need,” Canas said. “That’s one of the main things I am running for, to make sure we have that on our mind and we’re not just focused in on projects like building things we need. We have to deal with students that have challenges.”

As the population grows, so does the number of students facing a variety of challenges, all things Canas believes are magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That is increasing that stress level and we need to focus on what we are doing for those kids,” he said. “If we know they are falling behind or already struggling, we know now they will be really struggling.”

Always keeping one eye on student needs outside of facilities is something he wants to focus on.

“We know the population is growing really fast and we have to focus on building, but we also have to remember the challenges the kids are having

as well,” he said. “It will need to continue to be a greater focus and I want to help keep that in the front of people’s minds.”

What Canas sees in LHISD impresses him, but he believes with fast growth comes a heightened need for solid decision making.

“It is expanding pretty fast, with new schools opening and I just see in a way it is a very tight community,” he said.

“The challenge in the district will be learning how to put strategic priorities in place.

Sometimes when you grow so fast you might think something is a priority but it might not be.

That will be a challenge.”

The key to making those right decisions and choosing the right path is simple for him.

“Being engaged with the actual people who will be effected instead of being engaged with the top people,” Canas said. “Getting feedback from the community before we start doing things we think is the right thing. We can’t make commitments that might not benefit the community.”

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(3/11p) NEWSPAPER DELIVERY The Independent is seeking a backup delivery person to work up to three hours delivering newspapers to businesses in the Liberty Hill area on Thursdays. Must have vehicle and insurance. For information, call (512) 778-5577 or send email to Mike@lhindependent.com.

PUBLIC NOTICES LIBERTY HILL ISD is seeking Responses for Underwriting Services. All interested Responders please see RFQ #21-004 available at www. libertyhill.txed.net click Departments - Business Office - Purchasing - Current Bid Opportunities or request a copy by emailing: proposals@libertyhill.txed.net.

(3/11) NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bid proposals addressed to JNC Development, Inc., on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 (the “District”), c/o LandDev Consulting, LLC, Attn: Caylea Pogue, will be received from qualified bidders until 2:00 pm CST on March 18, 2021 at the offices

of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735, for furnishing all labor, supplies, and supervision necessary for construction of Omega Ranch Phase 2 Subdivision (the “Project”).

The Project involves construction of subdivisions and associated infrastructure including grading, roadway, water quality ponds, waterline, gravity wastewater line, force main, lift station, storm sewers, erosion controls, and associated appurtenances.

Bids will be opened and publicly read aloud at 2:00 pm CST at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735, on March 18, 2021. No faxed bids will be accepted. Any proposal received after the closing time will be filed unopened. Bids must be submitted on the form included in the bid documents, in sealed envelopes marked “Bid for Omega Ranch Phase 2 Subdivision Project”.

Plans and Specifications for the Project may be examined without charge at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735.

Bidders must contact Caylea Pogue at LandDev Consulting, LLC in order to view and/or obtain electronic access to proposal forms, plans, specifications, and contract documents without charge (telephone: 512-872-6696 or email: caylea. pogue@landdevconsulting. com).

A bid must include Bid Security in the form of a certified or cashier’s check or a bid bond issued by a surety legally authorized to do business in Texas, payable to the District, in an amount of at least 5% of the total amount of the bid, in accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.271(c), as a guaranty that, if awarded the contract,

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the bidder will promptly enter into a contract with MA Omega Ranch, LLC on behalf of the District and furnish bonds on the forms provided.

If a Bid is Accepted, the contractor will be required to furnish, at the contractor’s expense, (i) payment and performance bonds in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 2253; (ii) a one year maintenance bond in the amount of 10% of the contract price, in a form and substance, and with a surety satisfactory to the District, upon final payment and acceptance under the contract; (iii) worker’s compensation insurance coverage in accordance with Texas Labor Code Section 406.096; and (iv) general liability insurance insuring against liability for bodily injury, personal injury, death, or property damage.

No Bid may be withdrawn for at least 90 days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

The Award will be made on the basis of the lowest responsible bidder that is considered the most advantageous to the District and result in the best and most economical completion of the Project in accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.273(c). The right is reserved to waive any informality in the bidding and to reject any or all bids. The Project is being constructed

by MA Omega Ranch, LLC on behalf of and in the name of the District. The contract will provide that the contractor will look solely to MA Omega Ranch, LLC for payment of all sums coming due thereunder.

Minimum Wage Scale: The contract will require compliance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 2258, Subchapter B, pertaining to prevailing wage rates. In accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.279, the District specifies the prevailing wage rates for

public works established by Williamson County, Texas as the District’s prevailing wage rates. The contractor for the Project must pay not less than the specified prevailing wage rates to workers employed by it in execution of the contract.

(3/4p) MISSING PROPERTY If you believe the police department may have a found item that belongs to you, you can call the Property Division directly at 512-548-5530 or email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe the item(s) you are looking for, in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, we will make arrangements to get it back to you.

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LEGAL NOTICES ORDER OF PUBLICATION Commonwealth of Virginia VA.CODE 8.01-316 Case No. JJ008994-03-00 Bristol Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Juvenile Division Commonwealth of Virginia, in re. Degooyer, Anevay Sakari. Bristol VA DSS /v. Degooyer, Julien Leon.

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Page 5

FERGUSON Continued from Page 1 him and his family.

“The biggest thing for me is I was raised in a small town, and one of the biggest reasons we moved to Liberty Hill was because it still had that smalltown culture,” Ferguson said.

“My parents raised me to help people and I’ve always been drawn to help our youth.”

He has been involved in youth sports locally, and found himself absorbed in the district’s business when he was selected as a member of the Long Range Planning Committee.

“I was really dumbfounded over a lot of the data we received about how fast we were growing,” Ferguson said. “I was able to see how our facilities just are not equipped to handle that and saw how important it was to get this bond out and approved so we can have those facilities to provide our kids essentially the education they deserve.”

He counts three individuals who have recently served on the school board as close friends, and said their departure helped spur his decision to run in Place 3.

“I’m good friends with Clay Cole, Clint Stephenson and David Nix,” Ferguson said. “I would never have run if those guys were still on the board, but being that Clay retired, Clint got upset in his race and David retiring, I thought it was my duty to carry that torch and continue this journey as we go into the next chapter of our district.”

He spoke to each about his decision and what he should expect.

“I’m a firm believer that if you don’t listen to the people that were in that role before you, you can take a lot of wrong paths,” Ferguson said.

“I just asked them what it was that gave them the fire to do it, what was their experience and what was their recommendation to me.

“They all said it revolves around the kids. They said it

will take as much time as you give it and I feel like that’s important because I am giving to my children and my children’s friends.”

And a focus on kids is what Ferguson said he brings to the table as a candidate.

“A lot of people that run for school board do it for an agenda or they say they’re doing it for their kids,” he said. “I’m doing it for all the kids and the reason I say that is because my kids are entangled with other kids at school every day. I know my kids are going to have plenty of opportunities to be able to have a good education. But there are some less fortunate kids out there my kids may be friends with. I’ve seen it in our youth league, and I’m compassionate about it and feel for them. I want them to have the same opportunities my children have had.”

Ferguson is a regional sales and office manager for a company providing pipes, valves and fittings in the water, sewer, natural gas and energy markets – something he has been involved in for 17 years.

“I work with a team of sales people, and I am responsible to make sure we are achieving operational excellence in our region covering six states,” he said.

That business experience has taught him many lessons, but the one he points to first is knowing when to listen.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned in my profession is a lot of times people just want you to listen and not try to offer a rebuttal before they are finished telling you what they want to tell you,” he said.

“Listen to them, absorb it and then respond to what they are truly trying to tell or ask. I feel like that is my greatest strength. That will equip me to listen to our community, understand what their heartaches are based on and be able to work with the Board

paying them wages to help answer the phone,” said County Judge Bill Gravell.

“The truth is we need more folks. We may have to go a different path to get more folks to answer the phones.”

Due to the week-long winter storm, the shipment of vaccines for the county arrived later than expected, forcing a rescheduling of those registered for vaccinations the week of Feb. 15.

The county is rebounding from the delay. The week of Feb. 22 they did 10,150 vaccinations first-time doses and 12,276 second-round doses for a total of 22,463 vaccinations.

The week of March 1 sees the debut of the Mobile Vaccine Team (VACMOB).

“They are made up of our paramedics,” said Gravell.

“They are going to specific locations where people may not be able to come to one of our vaccination centers, for example like juvenile services. Their daily doses may not seem big in quantity, but they’re serving a community that needs it.”

As part of their continued

outreach, the County is starting a new service with Curative called Save Our Seniors (SOS). They will distribute about 200 doses a day over the weekend and going to senior care facilities in a mobile format.

On March 6, Family Hospital Systems is hosting an event that will offer vaccinations for 24 hours, from Saturday to Sunday. Their goal is 7,000 to 8,000 people in that time frame.

“They’re encouraging folks if they have the resources to bring some canned goods.

Those canned goods would be delivered to area food banks once the vaccathon is over with,” said Gravell.

“They will also have an 80s cover band that will be playing 80s music.”

As WilCo continues to receive more vaccine doses, the plan is continuing to expand into more locations.

“I think FHS is doing a good job. Curative is doing a great job. Our health district has done a great job. We’ve got a lot of moving pieces, and they all seem to be working,” said Gravell.

See MORE, Page 10

VACCINE Continued from Page 2

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, March 4, 2021 Page 6

Growth despite struggles

Panthers soccer squad endures while learning on the job

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor The scoreboard certainly hasn’t been kind to the Liberty Hill boys’ soccer squad this season during the program’s first journey across Class 5A terrain.

On that landscape have been many trials and tribulations on the trail on which the Panthers have traveled, roadblocks they’ve had to negotiate like a mountain climber striving to reach the summit – complete with obstacles that have made it seem as if the current campaign was one of arrested development instead of progress.

Nothing could be further from the truth, said Liberty Hill head coach Wayne Munger.

“We’re always looking to be building and we’ve taken strides forward this season,” he said. “Although it’s certainly been a wake-up call adapting to the new level of play.”

Currently, the Panthers are district basement boys, sharing that dank distinction with nearby neighbors Georgetown – who, coincidentally have been Liberty Hill’s only league conquest so far this season in the form of a 2-0 away victory.

However, despite the unaccustomedness of looking up at their district opponents in the standings instead of down as in years past, Munger and his players are using their experi-

ences this season as a stepping stone while laying a solid foundation for the future – without losing a hunger and desire for success in the moment.

“I don’t think our guys ever lose motivation,” said Munger.

“Sure, there have been certain situations this season when we know we should’ve won, but soccer’s a fickle game. You can create all the chances in the world, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t put them in the net.”

Which brings up perhaps the Panthers’ most perplexing problem – a lack of finishing quality up front at the tip of the spear of the Liberty Hill attack.

Munger’s side has struggled to fill the void left by last season’s leading scorer, Jaron Frye, who netted 41 times in only 20 games – a fact quite evident by the meager four goals scored in the first nine district contests – but there is certainly help in the Purpleand-Gold pipeline simmering and just waiting to burst forth in the form of young players such as freshmen Jett Byers, Caden Glenn, Marcelo Bravo and Dhar Rhamsingh, he said.

“We know there’s a lot of quality in that group and we’ve seen it in games,” he said. “We also have guys on JV who are fighting to work their way up to the varsity.”

In the meantime, Munger can only wait for his young guns to

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Freshman Jett Byars (#12) is one of the young players who are gaining valuable experience this season despite a tough campaign for the Panthers on the scoreboard. come to fruition and blossom into the players he believes they can be – while maintaining plenty of patience with his fresh-faced Panthers.

“It can be frustrating – especially with having a larger team this year,” said Munger.

“You always try to force things to happen. But, they’re young and going out there trying to make an impact which will

only improve them.”

The Panthers’ unforgiving learning curve will undoubtedly benefit next year’s returning players, but the current crop of seniors won’t be around to share in the eventual harvest of the seeds they’ve helped plant in the present – a fact not lost on senior wing back Zach Ellis – especially when one considers the success he and his

teammates enjoyed last season while still competing in Class 4A. “It’s hard because we had such a good bond last season,” said Ellis, who played at the Class 6A level in the Houston area before transferring to Liberty Hill for his junior campaign last year. “But, it’s up to us to still go out and work hard.”

Munger views the efforts

of players like Ellis and fellow seniors such as Rhett Hofmann, Jessie Anaya, Cade Johnson and Elijah Schneider as an exercise in paying the program back for seasons past, he said.

“All those guys got to be a part of what we achieved back then,” said Munger. “They had

See SOCCER, Page 7

Trying season for Liberty Hill hoops squad

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor In some ways, this season was just like any other for Barry Boren and his Liberty Hill boys’ basketball squad.

Victories, defeats, ups, downs, highs, lows, peaks and valleys.

Garden-variety fare for most hoops seasons.

However, along with the usual comings and goings were factors that were anything but normal.

Such as quarantines, a football season that dragged further along into the winter and deprived Boren of players who normally would have been back on the court much earlier in the campaign and last, but certainly not least, the Panthers’ move up to Class 5A. But, through it all, the Purpleand-Gold managed to persevere in posting a 19-7 overall record, including an 8-4 league mark, which was good enough for a third-place district finish and a playoff berth.

Not bad at all, all things considered.

However, for Boren – who failed to win at least one postseason game for the first time in 18 years, it simply wasn’t good enough as the veteran bench boss looked back in the wake of his team’s 62-56 bi-district defeat at the hands of Dripping Springs.

“I spent the night and the next day reflecting on all the things we missed out on,” said Boren.

“I resigned myself to this fact –

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Anthony Sierras (#10) is one of the players the Panthers will depend on next year after an excellent junior season. we have to do better. We have to be better.”

Sounds like a simple enough formula, but getting better when your best wasn’t good enough is a tall order, indeed – such is the road ahead for a proud program that has finally met its match after years of dominance at lower classifications.

After a meeting with Athletic Director Kent Walker, Boren summoned his players for a final sendoff in what has become an annual rite for the coach at each season’s end – and something he believes is required in order to provide everyone involved with the program the opportunity to close one door before opening

The top eight lifters in each weight class qualify for the regional meet.

Sims is currently ranked sixth in Class 5A Region 2, with a squat of 305 pounds, a bench press of 180 and a dead lift of 275 for a combined 760 pounds.

Joining Sims are a pair of Panther freshmen in Elise Eckford and Charlie Harris, who compete in the 123 and 105-pound divisions, respectively.

Both first entertained the thought of lifting in seventh grade, but Eckford had extra encouragement to pick up the sport by older brother Will, a junior on the Panthers’ boys’ lifting team – although she was a bit apprehensive initially, she said.

“I wasn’t very sure at first,” said Eckford, who is ranked

eighth with a squat of 235, bench press of 100 and dead lift of 245 for a combined 590.

“I thought only big people did it, but I trusted his judgment and he taught me most of what I know.”

Eckford – who also runs track and competes in the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay – said she’s a bit astounded at the amount of success she’s had so early on after just having begun lifting.

“Honestly, I’m surprised,” she said. “But, every meet, I keep getting stronger and can lift more than I thought I could.”

Harris happens to be best buddies with Eckford, which makes all the work in training that much easier and propels them to greater achievement

Lady Panther lifters qualify for regionals

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Taylor Sims has been there and done that.

Last year, the Liberty Hill powerlifter qualified for the state meet in her junior season, only to be denied a shot at glory when the event was canceled due to the pandemic.

However, this year, she’s back at it again and is one step away from a return trip after making it to the regional meet.

Saying the senior is excited to have another chance to compete at the premier competition of the season would be an understatement.

“Getting to state is always the goal,” said Sims, who competes in the 181-pound weight division. “So, it was really disappointing to not be able to go last year.”

another, he said.

“At our meeting, which I always deliver after our last game and refer to as the ‘State of the Union Address,’ I had things to pass out to the kids – posters, letter jacket orders, etc. Then, we gathered and turned in all equipment. I thanked our seniors again and then dismissed them,”

said Boren. “It’s called closure. Kids need to see there’s an ending.”

But, with every ending there is a new beginning.

Seniors who gave everything for the past four years such as Hunter Clayton, Bobby Mundy and Kadin Knight have reached the end of their journeys as Panthers, but as for the

rest of the roster, the future begins now, he said.

“Then, I shared my vision for the future with the underclassmen,” said Boren. “Kids also need to see there is a beginning. It was an awesome meeting. It went much better than it would’ve if I had tried to say those things on Tuesday night (after the last game). I came away from it determined and inspired. I felt like the kids did, too.”

Boren said the productivity level of the meeting was attributed to the sense of urgency that was present in the message delivered.

“It certainly was an issued challenge for all of us and it was productive,” he said. “These are some things we regretfully missed. We didn’t get a spring off-season last year – which means we didn’t get to have exit interviews with our present or outgoing players. We didn’t have as productive of a summer as we normally do. Our fall was riddled with inconsistency in terms of playing and working out. Our season was interrupted more than once due to COVID. Finally, we didn’t get to recognize and acknowledge our parents and seniors with our annual Parents’ Night.”

As far as saying goodbye to those who won’t be back, Boren said although the coach-player relationship is at an end, now begins a brand-new one that

See HOOPS, Page 8

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

Charlie Harris, Taylor Sims and Elise Eckford all qualified for the Class 5A regional powerlifting See WEIGHT, Page 7 meet in their respective weight classes.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 7

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Kegan Taggart (#11) scored a goal in Liberty Hill’s 2-1 road win against Marble Falls.

BOYS SOCCER BRIEFS

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s Jack Stavinoha (#7) advances on the base paths during the Panthers’ 12-2 home win against Lampasas.

BASEBALL BRIEFS

Liberty Hill 16, Weiss 0 The Panthers took advantage of eight errors by the opposition in a 16-0 win against Weiss in a game that was called after three innings due to the heavy scoreline at the Pflugerville ISD tournament.

Liberty Hill needed only five hits as a result of the Wolves’ sloppy defense, with senior Ryan Leary going 2-for-2 on the game, while Everett Huddleston added a triple and two runs batted in, as the Panthers plated four, five and seven runs in the first, second and third innings, respectively.

Logan Bailey and Brody Blay combined for three shutout innings on the mound in the victory, with the latter recording three strikeouts.

O’Connor 11, Liberty Hill 4 In the opener, the Panthers were defeated by O’Connor, 11-4, as their namesakes pushed six runs across the plate in the bottom of the first after Liberty Hill had scored a pair in the top half on a sacrifice fly by Jackson Knox and an RBI groundout off the bat of Logan Dyer.

Liberty Hill cut the deficit to 6-4 with another two runs in the second, as Leary drove in Trent Eller on a groundout and Chase Maxwell scored on a passed ball, but that was all the offense they could muster, as O’Connor matched those two runs in the bottom of the second, then added three more in the third to provide the final margin, as the final 3 ½ innings of the game were scoreless.

Leary contributed an RBI triple for Liberty Hill, while

Soccer

Eller and Maxwell each had a hit.

Cole Jefferson suffered the loss on the mound, allowing eight runs – four earned – on eight hits and two bases-onballs in one inning of work, with Connor Sherburn working the final five innings, giving up three runs – none earned – on three hits.

Of O’Connor’s 11 runs, only four were earned due to Liberty Hill’s four errors in the game.

Hendrickson 10, Liberty Hill 6 A five-run first inning by Hendrickson helped doom Liberty Hill to a 10-6 defeat at the hands of the Hawks, as Panthers starter Ryan Rhoden allowed eight runs on five hits in three innings of work.

Liberty Hill pushed single runs across the plate in the second and fifth innings, as well as a pair of two-run frames in the fourth and sixth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit, as well as six errors by the Panthers’ defense.

Williams and Maxwell each had a pair of hits for the Panthers, with the latter driving in two runs, along with Garrett Neeley, who doubled home a pair.

Bowie 4, Liberty Hill 1 Leary went 2-for-3 and Knox allowed only two runs over four innings, but the Panthers still fell to Bowie by a score of 4-1.

Knox also did his best to keep his team in the game at the plate, with a two-out double in the top of the first, before courtesy runner Logan Dyer

Continued from Page 6

high hopes for this season and it’s unfortunate how it’s unfolded, but they understand their role on this year’s team.”

Perhaps so, but that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier for those who are going through the current struggles knowing they won’t be around to reap the rewards, said Ellis.

“Sure, it’s tough,” he said.

“Because I know we’re a good enough team right now to play with every team we match up with.”

In addition to the transition of the program into the hands of so many youthful, inexperienced players, Munger has also had quarantines to deal with this season, which has caused his side to play a congested fixture list – including a recent stretch in which the Panthers were forced to play four games in five days, along with an earlier period that featured four matches in eight in order to make up for time lost while the squad was out of action.

Not only that, but a spate of injuries to critical pieces of the puzzle hasn’t helped right the ship, either.

Most notable among the group of wounded warriors is senior defender and team captain Hofmann, whose season – and high school career – was ended due to a broken foot, leaving an enormous void at his usual center back position.

“Losing Rhett was rough,” said Munger. “We miss his leadership, as well as his play.”

Liberty Hill has been held scoreless in six of its first nine district games, scoring only

four while shipping 19 at the other end of the field, resulting in a win and a draw in the league against seven losses.

Finding the formula for success from a tactical perspective has also been a challenge for Munger this season, as he constantly tinkers with his setup like a mechanic trying to get the very most out of an engine by turning a screw here or tightening a bolt there.

“We’ve been constantly changing formations to see which one works best for us,” said Munger. “We have plenty of speed, but it’s all about building solid connections and having quality.”

Moving forward with only a handful of games left and the prospect of missing out on the playoffs looming, the Liberty Hill boss will use the remaining schedule as a measuring stick for his side’s mettle, he said.

“I think the rest of the way is going to be a gut check,” said Munger. “We have to make sure we don’t just roll over, but I look for our guys to keep playing.”

As the sun begins to set on a season that has proved to be anything but painless for the Panthers, Munger recognized his team’s efforts in what has sometimes seemed like an exercise in futility due to the multiple factors that have conspired against them.

“We’ve played our hearts out most of the time, but this season’s been all about survival,” he said. “However, we have faith in the players we have here.”

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scored on a single by Durkin for a 1-0 lead.

However, the advantage was short-lived, as the Bulldogs answered in their half of the opening frame to tie the score at 1-1, before scoring the eventual game-winning run in the third before tacking on another pair in the fifth to provide the final margin.

Liberty Hill 4, Taft 4 The Panthers closed out the weekend with a 4-4 tie against Taft.

Eller was 2-for-2 at the plate, while Maxwell, Knox, Brody Blay and Williams each knocked in a run apiece, while freshman Blaze Milam had another excellent outing on the mound, with a 70-pitch performance over five innings in which he allowed only one run on one hit while striking out three.

Liberty Hill (2-3-1) will next play at the Round Rock ISD tournament on March 4-6.

Liberty Hill 10, Del Valle 3 Leary went 3-for-4 with three doubles and four runs batted in during the Panthers’ 10-3 road win over Del Valle.

Liberty Hill held a 2-1 lead entering the top of the fourth, when the Panthers plated three runs for a 5-1 advantage before adding on five more runs over the final three innings.

Knox drove home a pair of runs, while Jefferson got the victory with four innings of allowing only one unearned run on three hits, while striking out three and walking none.

Liberty Hill (3-3-1) will next play at the Round Rock ISD tournament on March 4-6.

Liberty Hill 1, East View 1 Ethan Minix successfully converted a penalty kick for Liberty Hill’s only goal in a 1-1 home draw against East View.

Kegan Taggart was taken down in the area by a Patriots defender before Minix – who was the kicker on the Panthers’ football team – calmly stepped up and slotted home.

Glenn 2, Liberty Hill 0 The Panthers were shut out at home by the Grizzlies by a score of 2-0.

Weight

LHHS 11, East View 1 Emma Stephens netted a hat trick for Liberty Hill in the Lady Panther’s comprehensive 11-1 away victory against East View.

Madi Fuller and Kaylie Fowler each added a pair of goals in the game, while Athena Brown, Alyssa Lee, Neeley Giessinger and Katie Wilson also scored.

Lee’s goal was the defender’s first of the season to go along with seven assists, which ranks fifth on the team.

Liberty Hill struck four times in the opening half before adding on seven more in the second.

Kylee Bush and Keira Garcia combined to make four saves in goal for the victory.

Liberty Hill 5, Glenn 1 Fowler scored a hat trick – the sophomore striker’s third of the season – in Liberty Hill’s 5-1 road win over Glenn, with Fuller and Mykenna Russo each adding a goal, while Abbey Janicek picked up a pair of assists among her squad-best 17 on the season.

The Lady Panthers netted four times in the first half, before adding a fifth in the second, as Garcia made two saves in goal for the victory,

nings due to tournament rules.

LHHS’ only run of the contest came in the top of the third, when Tannis Brewer led off with a double to left and was subsequently doubled home by Madison Hodges.

Nicole Smith and Desiree Garza each had a hit for the Lady Panthers, who could manage only four in the game, while Kirk got the loss.

Hays 9, Liberty Hill 4 LHHS opened the season with a 9-4 home defeat to Hays.

Five runs by the Rebels over the opening two frames were enough to put the game out of reach for the home side despite two-hit games by Brewer, Albrecht and Dylan Lewis, who tripled and drove in a pair of runs, while Molly Cochran added a two-run single.

Kirk suffered the loss by allowing five runs on two hits, while striking out one and walking two in 1 2/3 innings.

Liberty Hill 2, Lorena 0 Ashleigh Heiderscheit pitched five scoreless innings, while allowing only two hits

Continued from Page 6

thanks to one another, she said.

“She’s the only reason I push myself so hard,” said Harris, who lifts in the 105-pound weight class and qualified seventh for the regional meet with a squat of 200, bench press of 100 and dead lift of 210 for a combined 510. “We’re family and best friends.”

Harris – who also runs track for Liberty Hill, competing in the 100 and 200

left flank before passing the ball to Minix, but the resulting shot was saved.

LHHS 2, Marble Falls 1 Jeremiah Doyen and Taggart each scored a goal in the Panthers’ 2-1 away victory over Marble Falls, marking their second district victory of the season.

Liberty Hill (5-10-2, 2-72) will next host Leander on March 5 and Georgetown on March 9 before closing the regular season away against Glenn on March 12.

GIRLS SOCCER BRIEFS

SOFTBALL BRIEFS East View 10, Liberty Hill 0 The Lady Panthers were defeated by East View, 10-0, in their district opener, mustering only two hits, while committing seven errors.

Katelyn Castleberry and Kylie Kirk, who tripled, had the only Liberty Hill hits of the game and Reese Albrecht took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.

After the contest was scoreless through the opening two innings, the Patriots scored the first run in the bottom of the third, then added four runs in the fourth and five in the sixth.

Johnson 4, Liberty Hill 1 LHHS dropped a 4-1 game to Johnson at the Cedar Ridge tournament, as the Jaguars pushed all four of their runs across the plate in the bottom of the first against Liberty Hill starter Kirk, who lasted only 2/3 of an inning before being relieved by Hannah Kline, who went on the pitch 2 1/3 scoreless innings in a game that was called after four in-

Cedar Park 3, LHHS 0 In a game in which all three goals were the direct result of long throw-ins, the Panthers were defeated at home by Cedar Park, 3-0.

The Timberwolves scored a pair of goals in the first half in the eighth and 27th minutes, respectively, before putting the game away with another in the 47th minute.

Liberty Hill’s best scoring chance of the game was in the 55th minute, when freshman Jett Byers stormed down the

meters, as well as the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays and cheers in addition to her other athletic activities – said most people are surprised when they find out she’s a powerlifter – primarily based on her relatively small stature.

“Mostly, they say something like, ‘She’s short, little and small,” she said. “Like a big twig.”

Harris said lifting provides her with gratification unlike she has ever gotten from any

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Alyssa Lee (#15) scored her first goal of the season in Liberty Hill’s 11-1 away win over East View. marking the first occasion all Stephens, Fowler and Russo season the sophomore goal- each scored a pair of goals in keeper has gone the distance in Liberty Hill’s 8-0 home win playing all 80 minutes. over Marble Falls, while JanLiberty Hill 2, Cedar Park 0 icek and Athena Brown also Stephens notched a goal and scored in the win. an assist and Russo scored a Fowler leads the Lady Pangoal in Liberty Hill’s 2-0 away thers with 21 goals on the seaconquest of Cedar Park, as the son, while Russo has 17.

Liberty Hill (16-3-2, 10-1) Lady Panthers found the net twice in the second stanza af- will next face away games ter a scoreless opening half of against Leander on March 5 play. and Georgetown on March 9 Bush made three saves in goal before closing the regular season at home against Glenn on to post the shutout.

LHHS 8, Marble Falls 0 March 12.

and striking out three in the Lady Panthers’ 2-0 win over Lorena.

Kirk and Molly Cochrane had the only two hits of the game, but it was all they needed, as Dylan Lewis drove in a run.

LHHS 7, Cedar Ridge 2 A five-run fourth inning propelled LHHS to a 7-2 victory over Cedar Ridge, as Cochrane and Smith each collected a pair of hits, while Lewis and Smith both had two runs batted in.

After scoring single runs in both the first and third innings, the Puple-and-Gold exploded for five in the fourth to put the game away.

Casteberry led off the frame with a triple to left, then after Kirk walked to put runners at the corners, Lewis reached on an error while both runners scored.

After Brewer tripled to center, Cochran doubled to right scoring Brewer, then came around to score herself on a Smith drive to left to make the score 7-2 on the way to victory.

On the mound, Reese Albrecht, Kirk and Kline – who got the win – combined to allow only two runs in shutting the Raiders down.

Liberty Hill 18, Weiss 3 Cochran went 2-for-3, including an inside-the-park home run and four runs batted in for the Lady Panthers in an 18- 3 win over Weiss, which was called after three innings.

Brewer drove in three runs, including a triple and Castleberry (2 RBIs) doubled among 11 Liberty Hill hits, including two runs batted in by Kline, part of a 2-for-3 effort.

Heiderscheit allowed three runs – all unearned – while scattering five hits over three innings and struck out three for the win.

Liberty Hill 9, Academy 3 LHHS scored eight runs in the fifth inning of a 9-3 win against Academy.

Cochran went 3-for-3, while Lewis and Kirk each drove in a pair of runs, part of a 10-hit Liberty Hill attack.

Kirk got the win on the mound and had the final out.

other sport.

“With lifting, I always feel accomplished at the end of the day,” she said. “Which is what happens when I push myself.”

Sims said reaching regionals and having a chance to compete for a state title is validation of all the time and effort she puts into the sport.

“I feel like this makes all the hard work pay off,” she said.

“Including getting up at 6:30 every morning.”

While Eckford and Harris are just beginning their respective Panthers careers, Sims is almost at the end of the road, which makes her go about her business with a keen sense of urgency, she said.

“It’s really exciting, but I’m kind of nervous,” said Sims.

“After last year, I had the expectation to make it back to state, but there’s extra pressure because for me, there’s no next year.”

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Scorer turns playmaker for LHHS

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Emma Stephens finds herself in a familiar place on the pitch in the middle of the park for the Lady Panthers these days.

However, her role has changed dramatically as the conductor of the Purple-and-Gold symphony that is Liberty Hill girls’ soccer.

After a sophomore season that saw the silky-smooth midfielder score a team-leading 38 goals – 12 more than anyone else on the roster – head coach Darren Bauer decided to turn Stephens from a scorer into a playmaker.

Conventional wisdom would say to not fix something that isn’t broken, but Bauer’s philosophy in running the Lady Panthers’ program is anything but conventional – including always having an eye toward the horizon.

“We’re always looking to the future, so we’re always changing things,” said Bauer.

“Our players know to expect change.”

Bauer’s reasoning in making

Stephens into a more traditional No. 10 – meaning the player in the middle directly behind the front line whose primary job is to provide service to the strikers as opposed to scoring herself – was twofold, he said.

“Our team has lots of firepower this year, so we didn’t need to rely on Emma for her goals as much,” said Bauer.

“But, we also know moving forward, we’re going to need her in that role next year, as well.”

So, how well did it go over when Bauer told his scoring starlet she would be sacrificing finding the net as often herself in order to provide more scoring chances for her teammates?

In a word – awkwardly.

“It was kind of frustrating because I’ve always been used to scoring,” said Stephens, who also racked up 14 assists last season while still in a more forward role. “I really didn’t accept it fully and get used to until right before district began a few weeks ago.”

In addition to learning and

finally embracing her new lot in life in the Lady Panthers’ attack, Stephens had to do so in the crucible of much more rugged opposition with Liberty Hill competing in Class 5A this season against tough sides the likes of Georgetown, Cedar Park and Rouse, whose rosters are filled with the same caliber of club-quality talent as they have.

Although Bauer believes this has been a blessing in disguise, he said.

“I think it’s actually made it easier for her,” said Bauer, of the silver soccer lining. “Because she already knows she has to work harder than in the past.”

Stephens has a bit of a different on-field perspective, though.

“I think it’s been difficult because most of the teams we’ve played have man-marked me,” she said. “So, I’ve had to make sure I haven’t let it get in my head.”

The more aggressive,

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Emma Stephens (#8) has been employed in a new role this season after leading the Lady PanSee STEPHENS, Page 9 thers in scoring last year.

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Sarah Baker fired a 93 to win a Junior PGA girls’ event at Lighthouse Country Club in Kingsland. (Courtesy Photo)

GOLF BRIEFS Liberty Hill’s boys’ golf team played in the opening tournament of the spring season at the Quicksand Golf Course in Wimberley.

Connor Sanders had the low score of the day for the Panthers, with a 93, which was good for a top-10 finish on the individual leaderboard.

Other Liberty Hill scores

included Paul Maderia (98), Dhanush Kondapelli (105), Reese Vickers (109) and Aaron Hurst (112).

The Panthers’ team score of 405 was sixth in a field of 13 teams.

Liberty Hill will next play on March 10 in Leader at Crystal Falls Golf Course.

TENNIS BRIEFS Liberty Hill’s tennis team continued its spring season with a pair of matches against Brownwood and San Saba.

Against Brownwood, Ellis Young won 6-3, 6-0, in girls’ singles, along with Sophie Sherman (6-0, 6-0), while in boys’ singles, Will Gray won 6-2, 6-3, while Cash Terry lost, 4-8.

Girls’ doubles saw Mackenzie Coleman and Jennifer Merrill (6-2, 6-4) and Ava Ortega and Abby Gates (4-6, 6-3, (10-3)) win their respective matches.

Patrick Fay and Cash Terry won boys’ doubles, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 and in mixed doubles, Colin Garner and Peyton Buckley won 3-6, 7-5, (10-4).

Fay and Sherman also won a mixed doubles match 8-1 and Eliza Homorodi won a girls’ singles match.

Next up for the Panthers was San Saba, who hosted the event.

Sherman won in girls’ singles, 6-0, 6-0, while in boys’ singles, Gray (6-1, 6-0) and Garner (60, 7-5) both won.

In girls’ doubles, Homorodi and Merrill won 6-1, 6-0, while Ortega and Gates also won, 6-3, 6-0.

Fay and Terry won 6-0, 6-0, in boys’ singles and Gray and Buckley won 8-3, in mixed doubles.

Liberty Hill will next play at Connolly on March 5.

TRACK BRIEFS

Panthers host Relays Liberty Hill’s track squad opened the season by hosting the Panther Relays on Feb. 27 and featured three individual event winners as the boys finished second in the team standings with 98 points, behind winners Rouse, who posted 123.

Austin Bourgeois won the long jump with an effort of 213¼, Blake Simpson prevailed in the shot put with a 45-1 and Kaden McMahan was victorious in the triple jump with a leap of 41-8¼.

Other top-six finishers for LHHS included Ryan McCarn (1600 meters, second, 4:44.87), Isaiah Delagraza (1600 meters, 4:56.07, 3200 meters, third, 10:28.17), Carlton Schrank (100 meters, fourth, 12.22), Bryce Rampy, (100 meters, fifth, 12.31, long jump, fifth, 19-0¾ ), Bourgeois (200 meters, fourth,

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Taylor Simons (#00) plays goal for the Panthers’ soccer team with the same style and substance he manned Liberty Hill’s offensive line with before a serious shoulder injury ended his football days.

24.88), Ryan Achumuma (400 meters, fourth, 53.86), Konner Bye (400 meters, sixth, 55.22, triple jump, third, 41-1) and Blake Wilson (discus, fourth, 116-7).

In the relays, the 4x400-meter quartet of Bye, Mattvey Carter, John Gilbert and Achumuma scored the best result of the day, with a third in 3:37.68, along with the 4x200 squad of Simpson, Schrank, Carter and Bourgeois, which was third in 1:34.73, while the same four were fifth in the 4x100 relay in 45.91 .

The girls finished fifth in the team standings, with 70 points behind winners Georgetown, who scored 161.

Ayanna Donwerth produced a pair of second-place finishes in the 1600 meters (5:24.88) and 3200 (11:35.40), while Peyton Hanson was second in

See TRACK, Page 9

Panthers’ keeper traded hits for saves

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Taylor Simons is still exactly where he wants to be.

The Liberty Hill senior can be found around the goal line on the gridiron at Panther Stadium under the lights on a Friday night – just like he always envisioned.

However, instead of blowing up opposing lineman and leading the way for running backs to power into the end zone for six points as a member of the Liberty Hill offensive line and its famed Slot-T setup, he stands resolute in defense of the soccer goal which exists in the shadow of the uprights that once marked pay dirt in his former athletic life.

Exactly how did this jocular juxtaposition occur, one might ask.

“Well, back in my sophomore year of football, I thought it would be a good idea in practice one day to lower my shoulder and take on a big, ol’ linebacker,” said Simons. “It didn’t turn out too good.”

Indeed, Simons came out of the collision with teammate Mason Ogle with a torn labrum – an injury which would linger and continue to haunt him all season and well into his junior campaign the next.

“Just ask Mrs. H. (Panthers head trainer Melissa Harrington),” he said. “My shoul-

Hoops

der would pop out about five times a game.”

After Liberty Hill’s fourth contest of the 2019 season, it was clear Simons could no longer continue – a revelation which left him with an enormous void in his existence – one which he desperately searched for a way to fill.

So, rather than accept his fate that his Panthers career was over, Simons looked to the soccer team, which just happened to have a void of its own entering the season – a No. 1 goalkeeper spot which was there for the taking.

Simons jumped at the chance to continue to wear the Purple-and-Gold, he said.

“They’re just a great bunch of guys,” said Simons, of his new teammates. “Besides, I really wanted to make more memories before I leave Liberty Hill.”

Simons certainly doesn’t cast the figure of your average goalkeeper when he stations his burly frame in front of the Panthers’ net and certainly doesn’t shy away from the occasional contact which occurs during the course of a contest when opposing strikers threaten his goal.

In fact, he embraces the physicality of his new position in his new game, he said.

“Against Marble Falls this season, I came running out and hit a guy low while going

Continued from Page 6

will endure far longer than their playing days encompassed.

“I made sure they knew while their playing career was over, our relationship was far from that,” he said. “There is a fraternity that exists among former Liberty Hill players and coaches that has become vast over the course of 19 years. I just got a wedding invitation from one in the mail.

I’ve said this before, but I will repeat. Former players cross a threshold after playing. They are now friends and there is no time or space limitations on friendship.”

So, with that, the curtain falls on what was largely a successful season for Boren and his side in nearly winning 18 games in a season that featured far fewer contests on the schedule due to the lack of the usual tournaments in the buildup to district play because of the pandemic.

Young players such as sophomores Gunter Daniels, Cayden Branch and Camden Justice made their varsity debuts and were more-than-capable contributors to the cause, while juniors Anthony Sierras, Zane Lauper, Walker Weems, Aaron Brewer, Kaden

for the ball,” said Simons. “I think he hurt his ACL on it.”

But, Simons’ football acumen on the pitch doesn’t begin and end with steamrolling opponents as he once did while wearing a helmet and shoulder pads.

In fact, in addition to the padded gloves he now dons to help him repel shots, Simons sports a bandana over his unkempt, flowing hair – an homage to his former footballing exploits.

“I never wore one under my helmet,” he said. “But, I always told my football teammates I was going to rock a grill like the one rappers wear, but seeing how we don’t use mouthguards in soccer, I decided to wear a do-rag instead.”

Simons said he let his hair grow long once he got to high school and hasn’t looked back since – even earning a locks-inspired nickname, he said.

“One of my coaches called me ‘Spicoli,’” said Simons, a reference to the surfer-type Sean Penn character in the 1982 movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”

But, has he ever tested the waves standing on a board, himself?

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “My grandma has a place we visit in Florida and I went to a surfing camp once. I also snow-

board in New Mexico.”

Aside from the style, Simons also has substance in what he brings from one sport to the other in the form of sore-muscle memories from days gone of throwing iron around and the mentality it forged in him as an athlete and a person.

“Football was like a family to me,” said Simons, who as a 13-year-old would routinely lift the same amounts as 19-year-olds. “When you leave that weight room, you come out a different man.”

Despite the fact he can no longer collaborate with them between the lines, Simons still remains tight with his pigskin brethren, spending time fishing among other activities, while also maintaining a relationship with his girlfriend, Cierra Cragg.

In other words, he keeps himself a quite busy, young man.

However, the way in which his football days ended remain a source of sorrow – and always will, he said.

“When I couldn’t keep playing football, it was heart-shattering,” said Simons. “I felt like I let (former Liberty Hill head football coach) Jeff (Walker) and all my brothers down. When something like that happens, you don’t really get over it – you just learn to live with it. You believe God has a plan – whether you like it or not.”

McMahan and RJ Sanchez are also among the group who will return next season to build on valuable experience gained.

According to Boren, all is certainly not doom-and-gloom as a result of how the varsity squad’s season abruptly ended without the playoff success of years past, for once the dust of disappointment settles, it’s once again crystal-clear what resides inside the gym walls of the place he’s called home for two decades.

“We have a solid program -- it’s one many schools would love to have,” said Boren. “All

three of our teams – freshman, junior varsity and varsity – won over twice as many games as it lost and finished in the top three in district,” said Boren. “Yet, we won no championships. We’ve done it before – the belief is we can do it again. It appears Georgetown and Glenn are headed for a showdown to see which one will go to state. We know what they look like because we played both in our district. So, in my mind, we’re close – we just have to do better. We have to be better and we’re on it.”

Thursday, March 4, 2021

STEPHENS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 8

physical style Class 5A sides employ has also proved to be bothersome for Stephens, but when she finds herself getting roughed up by opposing defenders, she simply uses her rage against them, she said.

“When it gets physical, it makes me more angry,” she said. “I can’t channel it.”

Despite her newfound role, Stephens has still netted 10 times to go with 11 assists

so far this campaign, including a two-game stretch that saw her score a hat trick in an 11-1 away victory over East View and a pair of goals the following evening during an 8-0 home win against Marble Falls.

So, she still has her scoring shoes on – although these days they’re just as likely to spring a teammate in on goal with a crisp, precise pass as

they are to unleash a cannon blast bound for the back of the net.

Which is perfectly fine with Stephens.

“I feel like I get more satisfaction now from sending a good ball through than scoring myself,” she said. “Since I’ve gotten used to it, I’ve realized I’m more of a threat by creating chances.”

TRACK

Page 9

Continued from Page 8

the 100-meter hurdles (18.19), Natalie Roth was runner-up in the 800 meters (2:36.49) and Greta Coker was second in the pole vault (9-6).

Other top-six finishers for the Panthers were Isabella Brethower (200 meters, fourth, 29.51), Megan Sims (200 meters, fifth, 29.52, triple jump, sixth 32-11), Hanson (300-meter hurdles, fourth, 51.02), Lexi Whitmore (300-meter

hurdles, fifth, 52.89), Taylor Sims (shot put, sixth, 27-9) and Emma Hiebner (3200 meters, fourth, 13:32.36).

Whitmore, Brethower, Kyndal Carpenter and Megan Sims finished third in the 4x200-meter relay in 1:53.82.

Liberty Hill will next compete at Vista Ridge on March 4.

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Page 10

Stevens

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

facing educators today.

“I’m confident my healthcare background will be an asset to the board,” she said. “I think it will bring a different perspective considering our current COVID-19 concerns.”

When she talks about COVID-19, she doesn’t only mean the threats from the virus, but the other impacts being seen related to mental health.

“It is evident from my career that I’m concerned about the health of the community and especially concerned with the mental health of our children,” she said. “They are really challenged by the restrictions we currently have in place.”

Finding a way to get children back in school is at the top of her list of concerns.

“My main thing is getting them back to school full time, as long as it is done in a safe manner for everyone,” she said. “The effects of isolation

Messana

on the children we’re yet to see. As a nurse, we see the anxiety frequently.

“I volunteered before on different boards regarding our vulnerable populations,” she added. “I recognize the amount of anxiety that parents and children and I have had during these times, and I think we definitely need to focus on that. I do think the school district has done a fabulous job, but I know there is still a lot of anxiety out there.”

Stevens has been a registered nurse for 29 years, and she is currently finishing work on her MBA. Her children are grown and did not attend Liberty Hill schools, but she said this is the right time in her life to be able to step in and give more to the community.

“I’ve volunteered in other aspects in my past,” she said.

“Not in this school district, but time has opened up now. I was busy raising my family, going

Continued from Page 1

of LHISD has always been the intent since his family made the choice to move to the area.

“It is pretty simple,” he said.

“My family made a commitment to stay here throughout our kids’ school years. We moved here because we liked the Liberty Hill school system and we wanted some space and we liked the smaller community. We moved here for the schools even before we had children.”

Dedicating themselves to remaining in the community made it easy to take the next step and look for ways to get more involved.

“I want to be involved and I want to be there to help the community and grow the community,” he said. “If I don’t win, that’s fine, if there’s somebody more qualified that’s great, but if I can help

the school board in this immense growth time then I’m glad to do it. I don’t have any kind of personal agenda than to continue what they’ve done over the years, which has been an amazing job.”

While Messana is very impressed with the communication, transparency and planning the district does, and the way it has spurred local involvement, he feels he has a lot to add in those areas.

“Those are all things I’ve done in my previous careers and I feel like I can continue what David Nix has done,” Messana said. “I’m not saying I want to replace him, but I want to continue what the board has done.”

His career includes a lengthy employment with Home Depot, before creating his own business, Austin Canoe and

the goal is to make things easier for families in the areas.

“When we look at the sheer numbers of students coming in, we wanted it to make the most sense. We want families to move as few times as possible,” said Snell. “We understand we have families in the community that move every time we’ve opened a school.

We’re trying to get more of the neighborhood school options so people know this is

the school they will attend. It’s difficult with new divisions popping up daily. That’s why it’s important we study the demographics.”

Snell says within the next decade, LHISD will continue to expand. This expansion will further shrink attendance zones.

“We’ll start to see the east side and the west side start to get smaller and smaller. Within the next 10 years, we think

Boundaries

More

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Continued from Page 5

to school and working two jobs, and now I feel like I have the time.”

She chose the school board because of the critical impact education has on a community.

“I want to be involved in the community and the critical place is the school board, I feel,” Stevens said. “I chose the school board because the schools directly influence our communities as our children grow into adults. Because of the fast growth – and I’ve done a lot of reading on Liberty Hill and can see what’s happening – it is exciting and this is a great opportunity to get involved and support my community.”

She supports the bond proposal on the May ballot but knows it is a lot for people to consider.

“I’m in agreement with the bond, of course,” she said.

“We’re given limited information, just the amounts, what

it’s being used for, and that is a lot for people to wrap their minds around.”

To help people digest so much information, and be more in tune with what’s needed in the district, Stevens said a continued focus on encouraging more parental engagement is a critical task for the school board.

“I know there are many volunteer opportunities and parents do a great job at supporting their kids with extracurricular activities, but there are a lot of other opportunities to become involved and that would be a focus of mine.”

Kayak.

“I spent 25 years in customer service,” he said. “Both of those jobs were heavily focused on the customer. We looked at more than just the retail customers as our customers. Our vendors were our customers, our suppliers were our customers, and our employees in some regard were our customers. I think my focus on listening to the customer and figuring how to solve their problems and provide that service has always been my passion.”

Everyone involved in LHISD is a customer of the school board in Messana’s opinion.

“I think the district does a great job taking care of its administration, students, teachers and taking care of the community,” he said. “That’s what excites me and I think I can

bring that to the table and help expand that.”

He also pointed to his many years in logistics and planning, taking his first store from a 2,500-square-foot business to a five-store chain.

“The way this district and community is growing I feel I can leverage that and maybe shine an educated opinion on the ins and outs of how to grow fast,” he said.

Whether it is school bond information or anything else, Messana said communication in the district is great, but he also isn’t sure if everyone gets the same message. Bond information is a good example.

“It is a communication challenge and you have to make sure it is communicated clearly because there’s a lot of confusing things out there and disinformation that can be spread,”

he said. “I want to make sure the communication from the district I’m receiving is what everyone is. I’m not sure everyone is receiving it the same way I am. I don’t know if everybody feels like they are receiving a lot of information and communication, so I want to make sure that it is getting out there to everybody and I’m not in a bubble.”

The bond proposal on the table is a big one, and Messana knows there will be more in the future, and helping to make sure those funds continue to be spent carefully with lots of planning and foresight is something else he’d like to be involved in.

“It’s a lot of money, it’s a lot of work and there’s a lot of infrastructure that needs to be built and there needs to be a lot of planning along the

way. Also, should the demographics change, should the growth slow or increase, we have to make sure that money is deployed or not deployed the right way so we continue to provide this great education and not squander any of that money.”

He currently serves on the City of Liberty Hill Planning & Zoning Commission, and simply wants to get more involved.

“This community is important to me,” Messana said. “I’m retired at the moment, I have the time, I have the energy, so I felt like this was a good way to give back and be involved.

It’s important to focus on the entire district. I want my kids to have the same opportunity as everybody else, and others to have the same opportunity my kids have.”

ning for them now is critical.

“So, a 6,000-student high school is not only large from the standpoint of the number of kids, but it’s large from the standpoint of the footprint that school would have to have,” he said. “We would need a school three times the size. We don’t want kids to get lost. We want them to be successful. Whether it’s one high school or two or three, that’s an opportunity for them all to be champions.

The same level of expectations for academic championships, athletic championships, fine arts championships, it’s going to be at every school. No matter how many schools, we’re going to have that same level of expectations.”

For parents who have questions or need more information, LHISD will host meetings in person and virtually.

Discussions on new elementary school boundaries will

begin soon.

“We encourage everybody to listen. It’s not just about bond elections. It’s about the future of Liberty Hill,” said Snell. “We’ve been involved for the last 12 months in strategic planning and being very purposeful with what we do as we grow. We all love Liberty Hill, and we want to make sure every new school that opens is just as wonderful as the next.”

Continued from Page 1

we’re going to have five or six middle schools,” said Snell.

“We think we’ll have 15 elementary schools and two high schools while working on the third. It all depends on the growth, and if it keeps going at the rate it is.”

Based on demographic studies, by the end of the decade, the high school is expected to have close to 6,000 students.

For Snell, that’s why the addition of new schools and plan-

and Mr. Snell to resolve that or ease the pain.”

He added that it means taking care of and listening to parents as well as district staff.

Being an outspoken supporter of the bond proposal, Ferguson also encourages people not to forget the candidates in the May 1 race.

“What I would encourage people to do is do the research on the bond, but don’t get so lost in the bond that you don’t look at the candidates running,” he said. “Make sure you vet the candidates and see what qualifications they

have.”

Being a part of a community he says impresses him every day is something Ferguson said is critical to him.

“We’ve been faced with COVID, we’ve been faced with a winter storm, and if anything, I’ve seen the compassion that neighbors and the community has for one another,” he said. “We are so glad we’re in Liberty Hill and so glad our kids got to school in LHISD, and honestly that’s what I want to project and help emphasize – that culture and the academic excellence.”

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