LH Independent 1-30-2020

2020

Volume 33, Issue 10

www.LHIndependent.com

News@LHIndependent.com

January 30, 2020 | 50 Cents

City, Chamber strike deal on downtown office space

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The Stubblefield Building downtown, which was refurbished by the City and opened to the public last May, is going to be home to the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce, and a new place for visitors to learn more about the area.

The Liberty Hill City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a proposed agreement with the Chamber allowing the organization to office in the building.

In exchange for the space, the Chamber agrees to staff the office with an employee or volunteer to keep it open for visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and four consecutive hours each day Saturday and Sunday.

The Chamber will pay the building’s electricity and $10 per phone line, while the City will cover other utility costs.

The Council supported the agreement, but Council member Kathy Canady said it was not clear the Chamber would also support it.

“This vote is to approve the contract and what we will send to the Chamber,” she said.

“They may not like it. We may not have any agreement. This is what we want if they’re agreeable to it.”

Just before noon Tuesday, Chamber Board President Jared King issued a press release to The Independent applauding the proposal, with the release implying the Chamber Board was in favor of the agreement.

“The Fowler/Stubblefield Building has been a cornerstone of our community since 1871,” the release states. “Over its history, the lower level was used as a home for many businesses. It is with love of it and what it represents to the arts, culture and business community that the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce hopes to partner with the City to establish its new office there.”

It was not clear whether the press release was an official endorsement of the proposed agreement, but the implied support raised questions of whether members of the Chamber had seen or been involved in outlining the agreement prior to Monday’s meeting.

King declined an interview on the issue. He did say through an exchange of emails with The Independent that the City brought the idea of the partnership to the Chamber. He confirmed the Chamber Board had not met officially to vote on the agreement and anticipated voting soon.

Mayor Rick Hall refused to answer questions Tuesday on who first suggested the partnership, saying Mayor pro tem Liz Rundzieher was the contact for the issue and that he had “been totally out of the whole conversation.”

Rundzieher could not be reached for comment before this week’s deadline.

Conflict of interest?

Two weeks after the City Council’s initial closed-session discussion of the potential agreement, Hall declared Monday he was recusing himself from further consideration of the agreement.

“I have executed a conflict of interest affidavit and filed it with the City Secretary,” Hall said prior to the Council taking up the item Monday.

“I am recusing myself from this discussion, participation and or voting because my spouse has a substantial economic interest in one of the parties of the agreement being considered.”

But two weeks prior, Hall did participate in the closed-session discussion, which led to the Council emerging and voting to move ahead with specifics in drafting the agreement.

Rundzieher made the motion Jan. 13 to move forward.

“I would like to ask the attorney to draw up an agreement between the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Liberty Hill as we discussed in the executive session and have the contract at the next meeting this month,” she motioned.

The Council approved the motion without discussion or explanation of what that agreement was for.

In a telephone interview Jan. 15, Hall declined to provide more details of the agreement the Council intended to present.

“That’s when we’re going to discuss it in open (session),” Hall said. “We are discussing with our legal counsel on how we want the agreement structured. Then we are going to have to vote on it that we want to send this agreement to the Chamber. Then they will have to vote to accept it so this is not a one and done process.”

When asked Tuesday, Hall defended the choice to not recuse himself from earlier discussions on the agreement.

“I recused myself last night

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Uplifting finish

The Liberty Hill powerlifting team competed Jan. 23 at the Burnet Invitational. Braeden Hewlett (pictured) lifted in the Class 4A, 275-pound division, scoring 1,065 points. James Eckford finished fifth in the 148-pound class with 900 points and John Delacruz was also fifth in the 165-pound class with 1,030 points. On the girls’ side, Jena Pina won the Class 4A, 114-pound division with 550 points, while Katy Gibson was second in the 105-pound class with 560 points and Taylor Sims was third in the 181-pound division with 765 points. See more Panther Sports in Section B.

Kline excited to be part of something new

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Diving into something new is not a foreign concept to Kristy Kline. That’s how the one-time accountant got into teaching in the first place.

“I didn’t start out as an education major, I started out as an accounting major and I worked in the accounting field for a while,” Kline said. “Then when I had children I stayed home with my youngest son and I went to work part time at a preschool.”

That education career that has now spanned two decades has led Kline to where she is today, embarking on a new journey as the first principal of Santa Rita Elementary School, set to open next fall.

But looking back on those first days in a teaching environment, it is still vivid in her mind how it all clicked.

“I came home that first day, I was working with three-year olds as an assistant, and I said ‘I want to be a teacher, this is what I’m meant to do’,” she said. “It was just so clear and within two months I was enrolled at UT and pursuing a teaching degree.”

It didn’t take long to change her whole perspective on careers as she remembers what she calls an “Aha moment.”

“It was reading with children in my lap,” Kline said.

“I’ve always heard people say go back to what you wanted to do when you were little.

Sometimes we miss our true calling and I remember as a child always playing school and always loving to learn. It was just one of those moments being around children and realizing what I wanted to do.”

In those nearly 20 years in teaching, Kline has taught

preschool, second and fourth grades, and has been a principal for 14 years, the last four-plus years leading Laura Welch Bush Elementary in Leander ISD. “I just knew very clearly I was very interested in administration,” she said. “I just felt like that really fit my skill set and so my principal at the time gave me some good opportunities to shadow and to work on some special projects.

Probably after my second year of teaching I knew I wanted to pursue administration. I’ve always felt that my calling was to support teachers and coach teachers so they can do what they need to do in the classroom for students to succeed and grow.”

Building relationships and helping teachers quickly rose to the top of Kline’s list of priorities, and that opportu-

See OFFICE, Page A4

©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent

is currently held by Board President Clay Cole who has yet to announce his intention.

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

The three positions on the Council will be the first to receive compensation as discussed and voted on by the Council. The Council members will each receive $12,000 annually, while the Mayor will receive a $40,000 annual salary.

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

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

See KLINE, Page A4

The Liberty Hill Council saw a revised version Monday of the new monument signs being planned for the east and west entrances to the City on SH 29. The projected cost of the two signs combined is $76,000 not including any site work or installation costs.

One new name joins election filers

One new name has joined four incumbents on the list of those who have filed for a place on the May 2 ballot in the Liberty Hill City Council and Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees elections.

All three incumbents – Mayor Rick Hall, Place 2 Council member Kathy Canady and Place 4 Council member Tony DeYoung – have filed in the Council race. Canady and DeYoung were both appointed in 2019 to finish unexpired terms.

Antonio Canas, who resides in Lively Ranch, has filed for Place 2 in the Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees race, joining Place 1 incumbent Clint Stephenson on the ballot. Place 2

nity presented itself best in an administrative role where she could help teachers succeed.

“I find a lot of value in coaching teachers,” Kline said. “I love curriculum, I love instruction, I love doing observations and giving feedback. I really want to help every teacher

COURTESY GRAPHIC

Council set to improve city entries

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Liberty Hill will seek bids for the new monument signs planned for the east and west entries into the City following a unanimous vote of the Council Monday.

The Council got its first look at proposed new monument signs to welcome visitors to Liberty Hill.

The proposal discussed included three sign options with a combination of various stone and metal that measures approximately 20 feet wide by

just over eight feet tall at its tallest point.

The sign will be LED lit and solar to avoid having to provide electricity to the site. It will also include a water storage tank inside the column on the left end that can be used for drip irrigation for the landscaping.

The Council approved the modified design presented by Halff & Associates following an initial look at design options on Jan. 13.

Brian Binkowski with Halff & Associates presented the new

design along with a cost estimate, which totaled $76,000 for the two signs combined, not including any site preparation or installation costs.

Do to the projected costs the City is required to solicit bids for the project. The Council plans on considering the bids received at the first meeting in March.

Mayor Rick Hall said the City already has a commitment from a developer on the east end of town to dedicate property for the sign.

The new sign on the west end

of town is expected to replace the sign at Liberty Hill Cemetery.

The City plans to move the existing monument signs to other entries to the City on RM 1869.

Honoring former leader The Council also approved the signage design to identify “Charles Canady Memorial Loop 332”.

The larger two of the four signs will be about 9.5-feet tall

See COUNCIL, Page A4

Page A2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, January 30, 2020

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

Public Meetings

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

- Liberty Hill City Council, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, at City Council Chamber, 2801 RR 1869. libertyhilltx.gov/agendacenter - Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees, 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, at LHISD Administration Bldg., 301 Forrest Street. libertyhill.txed.net

Jan. 31 is deadline for property tax payments

GEORGETOWN – Williamson County Tax Assessor/Collector Larry Gaddes reminds property owners that 2019 property taxes must be paid in full by Jan. 31 to avoid accruing penalties and interest.

The most common payment options include: • Mail payments to 904 S. Main St., Georgetown, TX, 78626.

• In person at any location, make a same day appointment at www.wilco.org/taxoffice/ appointment.

• Payments can be made by searching for your property online at www.wilco.org/ propertytax. Credit card and e-checks are accepted but incur additional vendor fees.

• Payments made by check can be placed in drop boxes located outside of the Round Rock and Taylor offices, to the right of the entrance door at the Georgetown tax office or in the Cedar Park drive-thru.

For a full list of payment choices go to www.wilco.org/ propertytax and click on PAYMENT OPTIONS. Taxpayers are strongly encouraged to avoid the rush and pay before Jan. 31. However, if they wait until the last day, taxpayers are urged to either pay online through the tax of-

fice website, pay in person at the nearest tax office, or request a postmark from a post office clerk for payment sent by mail. Placing payments in a USPS drop box does not guarantee the same day postmark and using a bank’s online bill pay could delay payment, both of which could result in additional penalties and interest.

For answers to many questions about property taxes, visit the County Tax Assessor-Collector’s website at www.wilco.org/propertytax, email proptax@wilco.org or call 512-943-1601.

Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild meets Feb. 4

The Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild meets Feb. 4. The program is “Quilts in our Lives” trunk show by the Material Girls Bee. Material Girls is one of the oldest bees in our guild, with very talented members. Come see some of the exquisite work they’ve created over the years.

The next workshop is Feb. 5 “Stack ’n Whack”. Come learn how to make these amazing, mesmerizing kaleidoscope patterns. These quilts are as fun to make as they are to look at.

Member and non-member pricing available. Visit www. ctquiltguild.org for more information on the guild and other programs/workshops.

Liberty Hill Garden Club meets Feb. 11

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

She will discuss recommended types of roses to grow here, diseases and treatments.

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

Events, entertainment announced for Williamson County Fair

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The Williamson County Fair is official.

Scott Heselmeyer, president of the Williamson County Fair, took the podium Tuesday to make the formal announcement of the event scheduled to take place in October in Taylor.

“What we’ve never had is one central event where a family can come and enjoy a rodeo, a carnival, a county fair atmosphere, an experience with livestock and really celebrate our agricultural heritage,” said Heselmeyer With the Williamson County Expo Center in Taylor, it’s now possible to host an all-encompassing event like the planned fair.

“We now have the facilities, and with the additional construction, we now can see this dream come to a reality,” Heselmeyer said.

In 2013, Williamson County voters approved over $12 million in bonds to ex- Organizers of the Williamson County Fair met with the news media Tuesday to pand the center reveal their plans for the three-day event in October. from a rodeo and enjoy live music. event. Partnering with the arena to a multipurpose facility.

The livestock show element Mustang Heritage Foundation, The event will take place from will focus on cattle, steers, and the fair will host a veterans and Oct. 22-24. Fair attendees will heifers. The stock show won’t horse program. enjoy a rodeo, carnival, ven- just focus on county particiThe program brings together dors, livestock show, and live pants. It will be open to com- six veterans, six accomplished music. petitors from all over the state. professional horsemen and On Friday and Saturday, the “We already have a county women, and six wild horses for stage will feature local music show in Williamson County,” a six-week program. Veterans with concerts planned for after said Heselmeyer. “So the idea will work with a professional the rodeo and other events as is not to change or interfere to train their wild horses and well. with that. It just gives kids eventually perform with them While the search for a featured another opportunity to partic- on the first night of the fair. entertainer on Friday night is ipate.”

“The attraction of the cowboy still in the works, Saturday’s The event will also include a and the cowgirl and a horse in featured performer will be county youth fair to encourage a county fair cannot be beatTexas’ own Tracy Byrd. Byrd kids to embrace their creativi- en,” said Vice President Patti is known for no. 1 hits “Hol- ty.

Colbert. “When you add cardin’ Heaven” and “Ten Rounds “Youth are going to cre- ing for our veterans that have with Jose Cuervo.” ate projects at home or in the served our country so well, it The rodeos are planned for classroom,” said Heselmeyer. becomes a moment you’ll nevnights two and three, featuring “They will be in divisions for er forget.” a traditional eight-event ro- woodworking, photography, In order to include citizens in deo including bareback riding, art, metalworking, horticul- helping the development of the steer wrestling, saddle bronc ture, baking, and sewing.” county’s them, a slogan conriding, tie-down calf roping, laThere will be separate divi- test is open until Feb. 17. dies breakaway roping, barrel sions available for adults to The slogan must represent the racing, and bull riding. For the participate in as well. Entrants county’s heritage and weave kids, there will be mutton bust- in the youth and adult divi- together the past, present, and ing and calf scrambles. sions will face a panel of select future of Williamson County.

In the indoor expo center, judges and have the chance to The slogan is limited to five there will be a vendor fair. Out- win awards, including ribbons words. Citizens can go to the doors there will be a farmers’ and cash premiums.

Williamson County Fair Facemarket, wine and beer garden, Thursday night will serve as book page and Instagram, and food trucks so attendees veterans night and will center where a link to submit the slocan walk around, eat, drink, around a special first night gan will be available.

The Liberty Hill Independent YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Throwback Thursday A return trip to 1969 Liberty Hill schools

By JAMES WEAR Columnist Several months ago we invited readers to join us as we shared photos and memories from the 1968-1969 school year, and today we ask you to join us as we pay another visit to that year and offer a few more photos scanned from the Panther yearbook.

The school year got underway with many students nationwide still reeling from events that occurred earlier in the year, including the assasinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The Vietnam War raged on, with 549,5000 troops in that conflict alone.

And, as the new school year got underway, a television “magazine” made its debut, with “60 Minutes” destined to become a part of Sunday evening viewing fare for many Americans. The hour-long show remains popular today.

Liberty Hill had its own problems, with 1969 being the final year students would attend high school locally until a few years later when the community rallied and once again gained accreditation for its secondary level of education.

The varsity boys basketball team struggled early, winning only four of its first 13 games; but then went on to post a 7-2 mark in district play, including a 103-39 victory over Jarrell in the season finale. The Panthers also brought home the consolation trophy from the Florence Tournament.

Meanwhile, the girls varsity raced to a 12-2 record in non-district play, but could win only five of eight district games. The squad did place second in the Leander Tournament and took first place in the Florence Tournament.

Mary Parker, a senior forward, earned all-tourney at both Leader and Florence and was named all-district.

Connie Foust was named honorable mention while Pam Williams earned a spot on the all-district team. Cadmus Brown served as head coach for both boys and girls.

Perhaps due to deadline schedules, the yearbook did not include results of spring sports.

Students did fare well in both the Williamson County Livestock Show and the Taylor FFA Poultry and Livestock Show.

The high school faculty numbered seven while six persons made up the elementary teaching staff. A total of 11 persons were pictured as personnel, with three of those -- Wes Brown, Frank Ford and Glen Shuffield -- identified as bus drivers. The lunchroom staff included Mrs. Lee Hays and Mrs. Henry McLeod.

The 1968-1969 Liberty Hill chapter of the Future Homemakers of America included, front row from left, Shirley Dodson, Debbie Jones, Margaret Bracamontez, Tommie Bracamontez, Betty Guerin, Betty Whitehead, Connie Foust, Pam Cox, Linda Berry, Lori Lay, Lucy Lay, Barbara Rampy, Darnell Dodson and Nelda Bonnet. Second row, from left, sponsor Mrs. L.S. Coers, Paula Lane, Peggy Berry, Sarah Jones, Marla Brown, Carolyn Foss, Effie Montgomery, Pam Williams, Mary Parker, Donna Jay, Margot Wetzel, Teresa Williams, Debbie Mather and Barbara Pogue. (Courtesy Photo)

Ninth grade class officers during the 1968-69 school year included, from left, Gregg Thomson, vice president; Darnell Dodson, treasurer; Carroll Montgomery, reporter; John Bailey, reporter; Betty Guerin, secretary; and Bill Spradling, president. (Courtesy Photo)

Page A3

EDITORIAL:

Chamber a welcome addition to downtown

Sometimes you can fall into the best possible outcome at the end of a troubling journey.

As a downtown business and longtime active member of the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce, The Independent is excited about the addition of the Chamber to our new neighborhood.

The new home and new focus on a visitors center are further signs Liberty Hill is blossoming.

There has been a buzz around the announcement, though, that the newspaper opposes the plan. That is not true at all. The Independent recently moved downtown to be a part of its growth, and having a place for visitors to come every day to learn more about our great city, its history and what it has to offer is music to our ears.

The Independent supports the Chamber as it does the business community in Liberty Hill, knowing we all succeed together as local business partners.

But we have to remember that a great end result doesn’t always justify the decisions made in the journey to get there.

Questions remain about the journey the City Council and Mayor Rick Hall chose to take in bringing the Chamber downtown.

This non-controversial move could have been managed without even a perception of conflict, but it was not.

If a member of the Council – Hall or anyone else – requested that the idea be put on the agenda for discussion and an open community conversation was had on the matter, there is little doubt most in Liberty Hill, including the newspaper, would have applauded the suggestion. The response would have been similar had the Chamber initiated the discussion and asked to be placed on the agenda to consider a partnership.

But it was unclear how the item worked its way onto the agenda on Jan. 13. The intent and parameters were kept secret for a reason yet to be explained. The Independent began asking questions about what would be included in the agreement on Jan. 13. The paper was first told such information would not be available until it was voted on. But even after it was voted on Monday, it took an additional day of emails and phone calls to obtain a copy of the Council-approved document. Why? The Mayor’s last-second recusal on the matter Monday clouds the situation further. If there is potential for a conflict of interest, shouldn’t Hall have stepped away from the discussion immediately rather than waiting until all the details were ironed out, before making a symbolic declaration to separate himself from the issue?

This issue is not about where the Chamber of Commerce will hang its sign. There is no better place than downtown. The issue is with how the City Council conducts its business, and whether the process is open and honest with the public it serves.

The Independent will enjoy being closer every day to our Chamber of Commerce. But we will also take very seriously our responsibility being across the street from City Hall and continue to report on and raise questions when appropriate on how decisions are made and who they benefit.

ARE YOU READY FOR

THE SUPER BOWL?

The 1968-69 Liberty Hill Junior High Pep Squad included, front row from left, Mary Littleton, Joyce Handsel, alternate cheerleader Margaret McBee, Becky Hyden and sponsor Loraine Beyer. Second row, from left, are Barbara Myers, Sue Handsel, Linda Allman and Darlene Sims.

The third row includes cheerleaders Cathy Foust, Marie Sims, Elaine Gaddy and Vickie Holmes.

(Courtesy Photo) A total of 24 children were pictured as first grade students, while the second grade had 17 students. Nineteen youngsters were pictured as third graders,

while the fourth grade had 17 and the fifth grade totaled 28 children.

And while the numbers don’t come close to matching to-

day’s enrollment figures, conversations with former students have revealed that school spirit was alive and well as the decade came to a close.

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Page A4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Liberty Hill Police Blotter

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department Week of Jan. 20-26, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 308 incidents resulting in six cases, 17 citations, 56 warnings and no arrests.

Weekly Highlights: - On Jan. 20, at approximately 12:25 PM, officers responded to the 100 block of CR 200 for an accident.

- On Jan. 21, at approximately 7:18 PM, officers responded to the 3000 block of RM 1869 for loose livestock.

- On Jan. 22, at approximately 3:51 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On Jan. 22, at approximately 4:15 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for found property.

- On Jan. 22, at approximately 8:17 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a hit and run complaint.

- On Jan. 23, at approximately 6:59 AM, officers responded to N. Hoot Owl Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

OFFICE

Continued from Page A1

because it was on the voting of the contract,” he said. “Still, as the Mayor of the City I’m still responsible for what happens here. I still get say, but again the Council is the ultimate authority so I had input as far as what I would expect and then the Council made the final decision as far as what they wanted and then I recused myself last night from the vote and even the reading of it over the perceived conflict of interest I have with my wife being on the Chamber Board.”

Hall served as Chamber of Commerce President up until shortly after his announcement

KLINE

- On Jan. 23, at approximately 4:44 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a disturbance.

- On Jan. 23, at approximately 7:35 PM, officers responded to Trellis Blvd. for an animal bite complaint.

- On Jan. 24, at approximately 11:25AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On Jan. 24, at approximately 3:29 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a fraud complaint.

- On Jan. 24, at approximately 9:15 PM, officers responded to 12000 block of W. SH 29 for found property.

- On Jan. 25, at approximately 3:14 PM, officers responded to Remuda Drive to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Jan. 26, at approximately 12:12 AM, officers responded to Phillip Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Jan. 26, at approximately 7:58 PM, officers responded to Hillcrest Lane to assist the Liberty Hill Fire/ EMS.

to run for Mayor in February 2018. Hall’s wife, Jerri Hall, currently serves as the Chamber’s Executive Director.

Council fluctuations One point of contention on the issue of the Chamber of Commerce having an office in the building is the change of direction over the last three years on how the City intended to use the facility.

Canady made the argument Monday that when the purchase was made, the intent was for the Chamber to operate from the building.

“There’s been some things

Continued from Page A1

grow professionally and develop the skills they need to be great educators. Teaching is such a hard job and I like to see myself as the teachers’ biggest cheerleaders.”

With a focus on setting and reaching goals, Kline said everything begins with keeping kids at the center of each goal.

She believes that when teachers are successful, students are as well.

“I always ask myself ‘what is best for students?’” she said.

“It always goes back to that. In every conversation, every decision we make, I ask myself or ask the team I’m working

with what’s best for students.

It may not be the easiest thing for us.”

The job of teacher and administrator is not always easy and not all about fun, but Kline said the only way to make sure kids get the full benefit of their time in school is to love the experience.

“My vision is always creating a joyful learning environment,” Kline said. “I think that is so important and a joyful learning environment is where every child is valued and challenged. I also want students to develop a love of learning. I think elementary school is the

COUNCIL

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Continued from Page A1

and 4-feet wide with an image of Canady and an inscription explaining his contributions to the establishment and early growth of Liberty Hill.

The smaller pair of signs are smaller panels that include the City logo and words “Charles Canady Loop”.

The cost of the project is estimated at $4,218, with installation done by City staff.

Noise canceling Questions have been raised over the effectiveness of the City’s noise ordinance, and to simplify and clarify the issue, the Council approved changes to help Liberty Hill Police enforce it.

At issue is the lack of clarity in the current ordinance.

“Currently, as it’s written, it’s enforceable against folks if the noise is greater than what a person of ordinary sensibilities would deem reasonable,” Tad Cleaves, city attorney, said. “Now that becomes difficult to prosecute because you’re talking about one person’s reasonableness versus another person’s judgment that makes for difficult enforcement.”

Cleaves added that cities employ a wide variety of approaches to noise control, but Council members were intent on a simple approach.

“We can always issue a variance but I don’t want to overcomplicate this for the citizens to understand it or (to complicate) the enforcement of it,” said Council member Steve McIntosh. “I understand eventually we will have entertainment areas, but we can make modifications at that time.”

The resulting solution is to allow noise up to 85 decibels during the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The decibel reading is taken from where the noise is originating – such as music, industrial activity or even talking – and not from the point where the complaint is made.

Anything above 85 decibels could result in a citation.

During the quiet hours a decibel reading is not required for a complaint to be filed.

According to Police Chief Maverick Campbell, officers would seek voluntary compliance in response to the com-

plaint or mediate between the neighbors. A citation would only be issued in that circumstance if a complainant requests it.

New impact fees official The long-anticipated increase in Liberty Hill water and wastewater impact fees was made official Monday when the Council unanimously approved the hikes on new homes and businesses to be served by City water or wastewater.

The water impact fee increases to $5,500 Feb. 1, with subsequent hikes on Jan. 1 of the next two years to $6,500 in 2021 and $7,037 in 2022, the maximum allowed for the City. The wastewater impact fee will increase to $4,000 for homes and remain the same at $4,500 for commercial properties.

Currently, the water service and wastewater impact fees are each $3,500.

The rate increase is to fund future infrastructure improvements for both systems.

In November, the Council unanimously approved the 10-year capital improve-

ment plan for its water and wastewater services, a critical step in determining if and when impact fees should be changed.

The Impact Fee Committee proposed $61 million in water infrastructure improvements and just under $76 million in wastewater infrastructure improvements.

Projections show the annual growth rate in water customers is 10.2 percent, reaching 1,958 connections by 2028, while wastewater service is expected to expand from 4,413 customers currently to 13,089 by 2028.

Projects include the current and another future expansion of the current wastewater plant, as well as a new Northfork Wastewater Plant. On the wastewater side there are a number of lift station improvements and capacity upgrades planned.

On the water side there are many capacity upgrades for increased population as well as fire suppression, but the high-dollar items include a drinking water reservoir, raw

See ORDINANCE, Page A5

that need to be clarified I think from the intention of what we did at the last meeting,” she said, reading an excerpt from an article in The Independent from Jan. 13, 2017.

“The City Council voted Monday to purchase the historic Fowler Building downtown for $225,000....following a 25 minute executive session the Council voted unanimously to approve the purchase which will be made with revenue generated by tax notes.

Council member Elizabeth Branigan said the City intends to restore the historic building at 1000 Loop 332 to its origi-

nal state and plans to use it for offices and meeting space with the possibility of a small museum showcasing sketches and artifacts from the 1976 Liberty Hill International Sculpture Symposium that was organized by Mel Fowler from his art studio. City Administrator Greg Boatright told The Independent in December that the first floor of the building would house the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce and the City’s Economic Development Corp. The second floor would be home to the symposium museum.”

Canady’s citing of the article

was meant to counter the recent report in The Independent that in January 2019, when the possibility of housing the Chamber in the building was proposed to the Council by then Chamber of Commerce President Kim Sanders, the Council unanimously refused to consider the request.

A number of Council members at the time spoke out against the idea, and the Council voted 4-0, including Rundzieher, to deny use of the building to the Chamber.

“When we purchased the Fowler Building, we did that with the understanding we

were going to use it as an art museum, then we had the Chamber come, and somebody intimated to them they could use the Fowler House as offices,” then Council member Ron Rhea said. “What we voted on was to use that as an art museum and an archive for the City of Liberty Hill and when we have special events we could use that building. It is not to house the EDC or the Chamber or anybody else. I’d like to reaffirm what we originally voted on, regardless of promises that were made to the Chamber from whomever.”

best place to hook students on learning and help them become life-long learners.”

The love of learning can only be nurtured by teachers who demonstrate the same.

“Teachers are not in the business for the money. Teachers are teachers because they love children and they want to make a difference,” she said. “The teachers I have been fortunate to work with really have that passion for learning and in order for us to have students who are passionate about learning we have to model that.”

There was no shortage of reasons the new position in Liberty Hill appealed to Kline, but the top of the list was all she had heard about the culture of the district.

“I’ve heard people over the years talk about Liberty Hill in such a positive way,” she said.

“I’ve been intrigued, wondering what is it about Liberty Hill? I think the focus on academics is important, that’s what we’re here to do, but I think Liberty Hill’s focus not just on academics but on building character and community is so important. I really was drawn to that.”

The chance to open a new school and build a team from the ground up also created great intrigue.

“That is one thing that really excited me,” Kline said of her new post. “I am very passionate about bringing teams together and developing common vision, common goals, and I’ve done that at both of the schools I’ve led and that’s exciting to me. I’m a very collaborative leader and that’s key to me.”

Kline is now spending time

in both roles, coming to Liberty Hill on Wednesdays as she continues her duties in Leander ISD until a replacement is hired.

The to-do list is long, but there are a couple of milestones she has in mind that will be extra special.

“We’re going to have to become a team very quickly and get to know each other and our strengths,” Kline said. “That’s going to be critical. The next thing will be setting up systems that have to be put in place. Nothing is intimidating, it’s really a fun process to work through and I feel super excited to have the opportunity to build this from scratch.”

And the most important milestone on the calendar right now is that morning in August when she watches students walk into the new school for the first

time.

“I think it’s going to be a wonderful moment and a great sense of accomplishment because there is so much to do between now and the start of school to successfully open the school,” she said. “In my mind I just have lists and lists of things already just brainstorming and thinking about things that we need to make that first day successful.”

Kline and her husband have five grown children and three grandchildren, all of whom she said live in the area surrounding Liberty Hill.

She has a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting from Tarleton State University and a Masters in Education from Texas State University.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

ORDINANCE

water intake and pump station and a direct reuse drinking water plant.

Election business The May 2 municipal election was officially called with the approval of a joint election with Liberty Hill ISD. The Council also unanimously approved a ballot measure for voters to decide whether Council terms should be extended to three years or be left

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page A4 at the current two years. If approved, the terms would be extended to three years for Council members currently on the ballot – Place 2 Kathy Canady, Place 4 Tony DeYoung and Mayor Hall. The other three Council places would be extended following the 2021 election for those spots.

Speed limits The speed limit on Loop 332 will officially be lowered to

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30 miles per hour effective March 1. The issue was first discussed at the Jan. 13 meeting. Currently the speed limit on the Loop fluctuates from 30 to 40 miles per hour, and includes school zones in front of Liberty Hill Elementary and Liberty Hill Intermediate. The speed limit in the school zones during posted hours will not be impacted.

The delay is to allow the City time to post new signs

and spread the word throughout the community of the new speed.

Dais addition To open Monday’s meeting, Hall took time to thank City Secretary Barbara Zwernemann and Deputy City Clerk Nancy Sawyer for their work for the City, as well as Finance Director Becky Wilkins.

Wilkins was singled out and asked to join the Council on

the dais for meetings moving forward, due to what Hall called her important and growing role in the City. She joins the Council, City attorney and City Secretary on the dais.

“Becky has done a lot of hard work and has brought the City a long way from where we were at prior to her coming in,” Hall said.

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Page A6

Cheerleaders find success in balance

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Before the first bell, there are plenty of echoes through the high school as students begin to pack the halls. Standing out prominently above the chatter is the sound of music coming from Gym 3.

The girls that make up the Liberty Hill High School cheer squad are a group dedicated to the sport of cheer, making an effort to be in the school gym every day at 8 a.m. for practice. Finding the ideal balance of schoolwork, cheer practice, and personal life can be overwhelming, but the girls manage to pull it off.

“Balancing is tricky for sure,” said Panthers cheer squad co-captain Halle Hudson. “You have to make sure the second you get home that you get all your homework done because we practice after school. Between all that, we somehow manage to have a personal life.”

Fellow co-captain Montana Sowell has cheered alongside Hudson since childhood, as have many of the girls on the team, sharing a passion for competition and the sport.

“I think we’ve done cheer since we were little because we just love the bonds we get to make with all of our teammates,” said Sowell. “We have that competitive side to us and we just love competing.”

The price of competition comes with aches and pains, both mentally and physically.

Aches and pains that the girls

feel get forgotten.

“It is incredibly hard what we do, there is a lot of pressure on our bodies,” said Hudson.

“Obviously, male athletes go through a lot of pain as well, but it is a lot of pressure, and it is a lot of hours that we put into it. A lot of people don’t see that because they aren’t aware of what goes on.”

Aside from handling the physical aspects of cheering, coping with the mental stress that comes with it is a challenge that can be difficult.

Sowell’s approach to combating it is placing a focus on the positive aspects of competing.

“You have to learn how to put all of it aside and not think about anything except your team and having fun,” she said. “It’s a competition, but it doesn’t really matter beyond having fun, traveling, and being with our team.”

For Hudson, the moments before performing a routine come with feelings of anxiety and anticipation. When the time comes to deliver, those feelings are left at the door, and all that matters is execution.

“It’s very nerve-wracking for sure,” said Hudson. “You get there and go through warmups for at least an hour and a half, then you get on deck, and all you can feel is the butterflies. You get so nervous, but as soon as you go on, all of it kind of goes away. Once we hit it and run off, we all feel incredibly proud of ourselves because our hard work paid off.”

Sowell emphasizes the need

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Liberty Hill Cheer Squad is (back from left) Ally Costarell, Halle Hudson, Kloe Foster, Ryley Tanner, Abby Basalla, Montgomery Madison, Savannah Steele; (middle from left) Kennedy Bye, Bella Brethower, Mia Montes, Lauren Ponish, JayeAna Barker, Montana Sowell, Briley Judd; (front from left) Emily Smirl, Katy Gibson, Kyndal Martin, Ashley Ediger, Taylor Shephard, Shalynn Barker. Not pictured is Megan Sims. (Courtesy Photo) to focus on themselves and what they do best despite how difficult it can be not to compare themselves to their opponents.

“It’s tough not to compare ourselves to other teams, especially when you’re competing against them,” said Sowell.

“We know the work we put into the routine; we deserve to show it off as best as we can.”

As co-captain, Sowell has learned that despite knowing the girls on the team for years, there is still a need to separate friendship and leadership.

“We’ve grown up with these girls for quite a while, so it’s not too difficult on us,” said

Sowell. “But we do have to separate having authority and being friends with them. It’s a fun thing to do, lead the team to the successes that we’ve had this season.”

As Hudson and Sowell prepare to head to Texas A&M after high school, Hudson feels the most important lesson she’s walking away with, and the most crucial skill in her next phase of life is how to be flexible socially.

“I think I’ve gained a lot of people skills and a lot of confidence in myself,” said Hudson. “We’re competing in front of hundreds of people. Having been on different teams and

growing up in different gyms, you have to learn how to talk and be with people. You learn how to pick your battles and see how everyone interacts with each other.”

The skill to socialize with others and the ability to lead a group are valuable lessons learned. For Sowell, it’s the knowledge of how to manage time that is the greatest lesson for the young co-captain.

“You have to have time management skills because we do practice before and after school,” said Sowell. “Some of us work, so that’s difficult as well, but we’ve learned how to do it. Even though we com-

plain about it, we love being busy.”

More than the thrill of competition and the recognition and glory of success, Hudson appreciates the lifelong connections cheering has allowed her to make with her peers.

“My favorite part of doing this is being able to make new friends,” said Hudson. “We all really bond doing this together because we all experience the nerves together and the excitement of doing things well together. It really helps strengthen our relationships, and they’re relationships we’re going to have forever.”

DECA competitors find redemption

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Leroy Fick and Lane Shaw get described by their teacher and DECA sponsor Tammy Webb as best friends. Although the two playfully deny it, the bond is evident in their interactions with one another.

After falling short last year and being the only two not to advance in competition during their freshman campaign, the two sophomores achieved the redemption they sought, reaching state competition this time around.

“They have a slideshow presentation that lists the names,” said Shaw. “When we found out we won, it was just pure excitement for 15 to 30 seconds.”

Their excitement was quelled because, in a reversal of fortune, Fick and Shaw were the only two club members to advance to state this year.

“We were pretty happy about it,” said Fick “But we slowly got more and more worried as no one else in the club advanced. That’s the opposite of last year because last year we were the only two that didn’t advance.”

DECA is a global not-forprofit organization dedicated to taking students in high school and college and transforming them into leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

Competition for DECA is divided into several different categories. During their first attempt last year, the boys competed in a written competition that required a 10-20-page business plan. This year, Fick and Shaw competed in a team entrepreneurship event. They were first required to take a career cluster exam; then are given a role play situation with 30 minutes to prepare before presenting.

“I think that they’re really good in role playing,” said Webb. “They’ve found they their niche is role playing.”

Fick joked that the two friends originally chose the entrepreneurship event because they believed it would be easier than the writing event, a misconception later debunked.

“Because I’m the treasurer of DECA, we went to the leadership event,” said Shaw. “When we were there, they told us that the entrepreneurship event was the hardest test. So, it turns out we picked that hardest test.”

The boys were in the role of an investment firm from a big city looking to invest in a small-town business.

“We came up with the idea of having a fair with rides and all,” said Shaw. “We would have the small business have their booths, and whoever raised the most money and created the

ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO

After falling short last year, Leroy Fick and Lane Shaw qualified this year in the Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making Event for the Career Development Conference (District 5), advancing to State CDC competition in February.

(Courtesy Photo) most revenue would be considered for investment.”

Fick says they chose to create a fair with a specific goal in mind.

“It’s like a real-world place for them to test whether their business works or not,” he said.

The thrill of competition and taste of professionalism are the things the boys find most satisfying about taking part in DECA events.

“It’s the professional atmosphere,” said Shaw. “Everyone is dressed nicely and acting professional, and no one is making rude remarks.

Everyone greets you nicely.”

The lessons learned in DECA are some that the boys feel will help them not only in the business world but in their personal lives as well.

“It’ll be good for anything that we do because of the skills we are polishing,” said Fick.

Skills that can apply to nearly anything later in life.

“If we’re trying to get a job it could give us a step up on our competitors trying to get the same position,” said Shaw As time gets closer, the students are looking to avoid the same pitfalls they fell into during last year when they fell short of even making it to state.

“We live in the same neighborhood, but his house is two blocks down,” said Shaw.

“When I would go to his house to work on the paper, he had this basketball game we would always play instead.”

To prepare for the trip to Fort Worth and their matchup against Texas’ top competitors, Webb believes the boys

need to work on the amount of time dedicated to practice for the test and role play.

“I feel that they need to study and practice the online test,” said Webb. “We have a form they can practice, so when the role play comes up, they can look at the different areas they need to cover and what they need to address.

It’s practice, practice, practice.”

Shaw says the biggest thing they’ll work on moving forward is “coming up with enough ideas and being able to keep the conversation going.”

Tying it together with Shaw’s point, Fick believes they need to be able to fill their speaking time with more substance. The state competitor said that “a lot of the presentation is forced at the end because you’re trying to make it up on the spot, but It sounds like you’re going over the same ideas.”

“My DECA students are limitless, and the sky is the limit for them,” said Webb.

Cadette Troop 1408 members Requay Pace, Riley Brown, Rachel Ware, Sophia Ortiz, Kamryn Matula and Abby Parsons have taken on the project of creating Buddy Benches for Liberty Hill elementary schools.

Girl Scout Cadette Troop 1408 makes effort to spread friendship

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The members of Girl Scout Cadette Troop 1408 are working to help make the often daunting and overwhelming task of making new friends a little less difficult for Liberty Hill students with the introduction of Buddy Benches.

According to Buddybench. org, “the buddy bench is a simple idea to eliminate loneliness and foster friendship on the playground.” Spreading inclusion and kindness is the ultimate goal for the program.

“The buddy benches will go at the three elementary schools,” said troop member Sophia Ortiz. “Basically, we’re each going to design one. It’s for the new students and the younger students who really don’t have many friends. If they need someone to play with, they’ll go and sit down on it, and it lets people know they need a friend.”

While the creation of Buddy Benches will earn the girls their silver award, the real inspiration for the benches comes from a place close to

home.

“We each have a younger sibling,” said Ortiz. “They’re all at Bill Burden, and that’s what really inspired us.”

Abby Parsons is the quietest of the girls developing the benches and draws her inspiration from personal experience.

“I hope that people can have an easy way to make friends because I didn’t have any friends at that school, and if there was a bench, I maybe could have made friends easier,” said Parsons.

The fun part for the girls is using their creativity to configure the benches in fun and exciting ways for the kids. Each cadette will design her own bench based on what she believes will catch the students’ attention.

Ortiz is developing her bench with the theme of one of Disney’s most recognizable characters, Winnie the Pooh.

“My design is going to be Winnie the Pooh and have a friendship quote. It’s going to be very colorful to attract the kids.”

Matula’s theme is based on

one of the most notable characters to latch on with children in the last two decades, Spongebob Squarepants.

“I decided to do a TV show, Spongebob,” said Matula.

“Because Patrick and Spongebob have an iconic friendship.

Yes, the bright colors will attract students, but I think it will relate to a lot of the students because they watch a lot of TV.” Parsons, a lover of reading, decided to use books as her bench’s theme.

“I went with books, they won’t have actual books on them, but they’ll have the titles of them,” she said.

The ultimate goal for the troop is that the children who use the buddy bench can develop friendships that extend far beyond their school years.

“I hope that they make lifelong friends because I did at those schools,” said Matula.

“I have friends that have been with me for almost an entire decade, and I met them at those schools.”

Williamson Census Complete Count Committee hosts kick-off event Feb. 5

The public is invited to the Williamson County Census Complete Count Committee Kick-off! Join the committee, community leaders, area partners, non-profits, outreach groups, community members, and others in launching the County’s effort to make sure everyone in Williamson County is counted!

A complete count is extreme-

ly important as Census figures determine the allocation of funds for federal spending programs including highway planning and construction, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, very low to moderate income housing loans, state children’s health insurance program, Federal Direct Student Loans, Community Development Block Grants, school funding

for things such as free and reduced lunch and more!

The event will be held on Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. at Williamson County Georgetown Annex, 100 Wilco Way, Georgetown, Texas second floor large meeting room In September, the Williamson County Commissioners Court appointed a 13-person committee to raise awareness

regarding the 2020 Census and motivate residents to respond.

Even a 1 percent undercount could have a significant impact to programs and initiatives in our county. It is estimated that an area could possibly lose approximately $1,500 per each person who is undercounted!

SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, January 30, 2020 Section B Page 1

Rebounding from disappointment Boys hoops squad riding three-game win streak

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When the Liberty Hill boys’ basketball squad walked off the court in Salado following a 70-62 defeat to the Eagles in the district opener on Jan. 17, to say it was a disappointment would be understating the matter.

But the Purple-and-Gold have rebounded from that loss with a vengeance and are currently riding the wave of a threegame winning streak, which has seen them defeat Eastside Memorial (100-15), Taylor (56-49) and Burnet (63-46).

As the Panthers approach the halfway mark of the district schedule, head Coach Barry Boren has seen his side gradually improve as the campaign has worn on.

“I think we’re better now than we were then,” he said. “But, I don’t believe we’re as good yet as we’re going to be.”

Expectations are lofty for the Panthers coming off last season’s playoff run that saw them advance all the way to the Class 4A state championship game. Despite the fact his team’s record isn’t quite as impressive this year as it was

at the same time last season, Boren believes the competition has done some catching up to his club.

“I think the teams around us have gotten better this year,” he said. “You look at Salado, Burnet, Lampasas and Taylor and there’s four good teams who are all in our district.”

Boren breaks down the Panthers’ season thus far into two phases – one before they got center Walker Baty back after the end of football season and another after they finally added the 6-foot-5, 260-pound board banger to the roster.

“We knew going into the season we were going to have to hang on until we got Walker back,” he said. “Since we got him back, we’ve played differently.”

What Boren refers to is a more half-court, low-post inside game that suits the skills of Baty more than the high-octane, full-court pressure system the Panthers like to run, which has given his squad a bit of an identity crisis, he said.

“People will come up to me after games and say, ‘Hey, you guys used to be so wide open and now you’re going down to

the post,’” said Boren. “But, we’ll still play that way on occasion just to prove we still can.”

Boren has a solid starting five, but now the veteran coach has been able to work his bench into the scheme of things effectively.

“I wanted an eight-man rotation and our bench to provide a little bit more offense,” he said. “I think we have that now although we’re still evolving and have to grind it out every day.”

In recent games, different players have stepped up at various times, which has provided Boren with multiple options to spark his club when needed. “(Leading scorer) Carson (Perkins) is always superlative in everything he does for us,” said Boren. “But, we’ve had guys like Hunter (Clayton), who’s done a really nice job and Kadin (Knight), who can hit threes step up – it doesn’t always have to be the same guy.”

Looming next for the Panthers is a road game in Lampasas, followed by home games against Salado and Eastside Memorial, then consecutive

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Hunter Clayton (#20) is one of the players who have provided the Panthers with a spark off the bench this season. road contests against Taylor and Burnet before wrapping up the regular season by hosting Lampasas on Feb. 18.

Boren knows the path ahead won’t be easy.

“We’re at the point in the season now when every game is

tough,” he said. “But, I don’t think we’ve peaked yet.”

Next season when the Panthers take the field, it will be as a Class 5A school after moving up due to increased enrollment.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Kenzy Wise (#14) is one of the Lady Panthers’ best screen-setters due to her rugged style of play.

Proper execution creates open shots, generates offense

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor A point guard on the dribble speeds across the lane with a defender in hot pursuit.

Bam! In the blink of an eye, the defender finds herself on the floor after being leveled by a perfectly-set screen.

The offensive player rolls off the screen, receives the ball and sinks a wide-open midrange jump shot.

Success.

There are many different kinds of screens that can be utilized in running an offense, but one thing all of them have in common is when carried out in the right manner, they’re very difficult to defend against.

Back, ball, cross, double, down, drag, elevator and flare are only some of the various screens, which can be set for players to get open shots in different parts of the court, whether it be on the outside for 3-pointers or mid-range jumpers or down low on the blocks for post players to get lay-ups.

“We run a lot of screens so we can get people open for shots,” said junior center Olivia Shelton. “But, whether or not it works depends on the angle

we set it at.”

In order for a screen to work properly and produce the desired result – an open scoring chance – the player setting the screen must line up her backside in the direction she wants the play to go.

Along with proper positioning, a good screener must be willing to take the physical punishment of being run into by opposing players, something his team has no shortage of, said Lady Panthers head Coach Chris Lange.

“You have to be able to take a little bit of a beating,” he said.

Like Kenzy Wise, for example.

The sophomore forward is slight in build compared to some of the players she takes on, but no matter, said Lange.

“Kenzy’s a monster and really gets after it,” he said. “She’s aggressive and smart – her only downfall is her size.”

Or is it?

Wise plays much bigger than her frame would suggest, said Lange.

“When Kenzy was a freshman, we went up to Killeen Ellison and she was up against a girl who outweighed her by about 50 or 60 pounds,” he

said. “She doesn’t back away from it.”

Depending on whether his side is facing a man-to-man or zone defense will determine the kind and frequency of screens which are run, said Lange.

“Against a zone, we screen areas as opposed to players,” he said. “If it’s a man defense, we can take girls to screens and create what we want offensively.”

According to Shelton, one of the most difficult aspects of setting good screens is to have the ability to stand one’s ground.

“You have to try your best to stand still and keep from moving,” said Shelton, whose job description as a post player includes plenty of screening for teammates. “You have to be sturdy – but, I like the physical contact in helping my teammates get shots.”

In fact, a good screen is just as important – if not more so – than the actual assist in scoring, but it’s an element of the game that isn’t as glamorous said Lange.

“You have to want it more

See SCREENS, Page B4

New dawn for Panther sports

Move up to Class 5A will provide new challenges

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When the 2020-21 school sports season kicks off in the fall, Liberty Hill will find itself in a decidedly more competitive arena, as the Panthers will be competing in Class 5A for the first time in school history.

Call it a brave, new world.

No longer will the Purpleand-Gold look across the line-of-scrimmage, the court or the diamond and see the likes of Burnet, Lampasas and Canyon Lake, but much more formidable schools such as Leander, Georgetown and Cedar Park.

On Feb. 3, the new district alignments will be released by the UIL and Liberty Hill athletic director and head football coach Jeff Walker – along with all of his coaches across the entire athletic spectrum – will know exactly what they’re up against.

One thing is for sure – it certainly won’t be easy.

But, followers of the Panthers need not worry, said Walker.

“For us, it really doesn’t matter who we play,” he said.

“We’ll just figure out what we have to do.”

Football will be in a different district compared to the other sports due to the cutoff for enrollment being 1,921

students, as opposed to 2,219 for the others.

Either way, Liberty Hill will still be plenty competitive, said Walker.

“There are some really good 5A schools and some really bad ones,” he said. “A good 4A team can beat a bad 5A team.”

Possible district opponents for the Panthers include Leander, Glenn, Rouse, Georgetown, East View, Bastop, Lockhart, Cedar Creek, Connally, Marble Falls and a quartet of Austin schools in Navarro, Crockett, Travis and McCallum.

One aspect that will be a welcome change regardless of what schools Liberty Hill is up against is less time on the road. No more 80-mile oneway trips to destinations like Canyon Lake.

“The travel will be a lot shorter, that’s for sure,” said Walker. “Even though we’ll be playing people with a lot more kids – all this time we’ve been the big fish, now we’re going to be the small one.”

Historically, the Panthers have played up against bigger schools during the pre-district schedule, but now that they’ll up in Class 5A already, Walker said he’s having difficulty getting teams to play on the gridiron out of district.

“It’s definitely making it harder to find games,” he said. “Either way, we’ll be battle-tested by the time we get to the playoffs.”

During Walker’s first tenure at Liberty Hill as an assistant football coach in 2001, the school’s enrollment was 1,000 fewer students than it is now – quite a rapid growth.

“We only had about 400 kids back then and now we’re up to 1,400,” he said. “When you have more kids, you need more coaches. Some of those bigger schools have four volleyball and basketball coaches, for example. I think it’ll be a strain at first, but we have good coaches in our program and we’ll continue to put out the best players we can.”

As far as the athletes suddenly finding themselves up against tougher competition, Walker believes they have what it takes to continue to succeed.

“At first, it’s going to be an adjustment,” he said. “But, they’ll step up and meet the challenge – I know what kind of kids we have and I don’t see us taking a step backward.

We’re not lowering the bar or our standards.”

Walker added he’s confident the Panthers will remain competitive at a higher level due

See ALIGNMENT, Page B4

Page B2

Set pieces critical part of soccer THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, January 30, 2020

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor A wall of players sets up just yards away from where the ball is placed – its object to defend the shot that will soon be on its way to the goal with the intention of hitting the back of the net.

A pair of players stands over the ball and the defense has no idea which one will strike the ball with extreme prejudice – they only know it will be coming at them very shortly with a great deal of velocity and one of them may be required to sacrifice their body for the team with a resounding block.

If the wall does its job.

Or the shooter doesn’t.

Boom!

The first player over the ball carries out a fake, merely running past the point of contact, while the other steps into it and sends it up and over a jumping wall only to dip down under the crossbar and past the goalkeeper.

Mission accomplished.

Set pieces – whether free kicks or corner kicks – are an element of soccer which, when executed clinically, can reshape the entire shape of the game by leveling the playing field and bridging the gap for a side that isn’t as skilled as the other.

According to head girls’ soccer Coach Darren Bauer, it’s a

he likes to be able to settle on a small group of dependable shooters who can be deployed depending on what the situation calls for.

“We want players who can be consistent with their delivery,” he said. “They need to have confidence and know it’s part of their job.”

Successful set pieces can either target a particular player in the box – such as a tall center forward who has a height advantage – or can be aimed for a particular place.

“We always want to put the ball into a dangerous area,” said Bauer. “Especially on corners, it’s all about areas, we like for our players to find small pockets of space.”

However, the most important aspect is to run interference on the goalkeeper, making it more difficult to play the ball, he said.

“The biggest thing is to wreak havoc on the keeper,” said Bauer. “We want to clear a path to the ball and force the keeper to make a decision to either stay SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO back or come out and get the ball and create as much anxiety Madi Fuller (#7) sends a free kick toward goal during the Grizzly Cup in Leander earlier this season. for her as we can.” part of the game that can have nities you get where you don’t ble for free kicks and for the “Honestly, you just have to But, the most important thing a profound impact on a game. need to worry about build-up Lady Panthers, junior mid- hit it right,” she said. to always do is simply get a “Set pieces are responsible play.” fielder Mykenna Russo is one Bauer named Emma Ste- shot on frame. for a high number of goals Usually, a team will have of them and said it’s not nec- phens and Alyssa Lee as others “You always want to put it on over the course of a season,” designated players who are essarily rocket science when he trusts to hand these golden See KICKS, Page B4 said Bauer. “They’re opportu- charged with being responsi- it comes to unleashing a blast. opportunities to score and said

BOYS BASKETBALL

provides a tremendous boost for he and his teammates.

“It really helps a lot because we know we can rely on him,” he said.

As for the victory over their rivals, Clayton said the game seemed more than just another ordinary contest.

“The game was very intense and a lot of fun,” he said.

“It means a lot more to win against Burnet.”

With the way the Panthers have rebounded with a threegame winning streak following a district-opening road loss to Salado on Jan. 17, Clayton is confident his club can run the table the rest of the way.

“Losing in Salado was very disappointing for us,” he said.

“I guarantee we’re not going to lose any more district games.”

For the second straight home game, there was a raucous atmosphere, which hadn’t existed earlier on in the campaign, something Clayton and the rest of the Panthers feed off, he said.

“In past years there haven’t been as many people at our games,” said Clayton. “But, I think after we went to state last season, people are more excited and it makes it more exciting for us to play.”

Baty added 10 points and Kadin Knight nine for the Panthers on the game.

Boren said victory over Burnet was simply the cherry on top.

“Burnet’s a huge rivalry for us,” he said. “Anytime Liberty Hill plays them in anything, it’s a huge game.”

LHHS 56, Taylor 49 Kadin Knight couldn’t buy a basket in the first half of Liberty Hill’s home district contest against Taylor on Friday and his coach let him know it.

“I had to keep pulling him out of the game because he was forcing it too much,” said Boren. “But, in the second half he settled down.”

Did he ever.

Knight poured in a gamehigh 18 points, all of which was scored in the second half of the Panthers’ 55-49 victory over the visiting Ducks.

After point guard Carson Perkins had done his part scoring 12 points in the first half, providing the home side with a 27-20 advantage at the break, Knight emerged from the halftime locker room with a vengeance, hitting from beyond the arc for the first points of the third quarter.

But, the junior guard was just getting warmed up.

After Kaleb Bannon scored on the next Panthers’ possession, Knight hit back-to-back 3-pointers, as part of an 11-3 Liberty Hill run, increasing the lead to 38-23.

Walker Baty then continued his battle under the boards

Panthers pound Bulldogs, 63-46

When Carson Perkins is on his game, he’s difficult to stop.

Look no further than Liberty Hill’s 63-46 home victory over Burnet on Tuesday for an example.

Time and again, the Panthers’ senior point guard took over the proceedings on his way to a game-high 27 points as he repeatedly drove to the basket and hit from three-point range, displaying a dizzying assortment of skills the Bulldogs simply couldn’t counter.

According to head Coach Barry Boren, he and his team have made adjustments in order to allow Perkins more freedom to operate.

“Recently, we’ve done some different things with our offense with the whole purpose being to open up the floor for Carson,” said Boren. “People have been doubling down on (center) Walker (Baty) in the post, so it seems like it’s been a decent strategy.”

Liberty Hill came out flying against their rivals from the west, outscoring the Bulldogs by a 24-7 margin in the opening quarter of play, as Perkins quickly got to work, scoring 13 points, including a nifty spin move on a lay-up and an upand-under reverse, which was the first of three consecutive scores by the shifty playmaker.

But, he wasn’t finished there.

Perkins drew a foul while fighting for a loose ball under the basket, hitting both free throws, then drove to the hoop with authority once again on an and-one to end the period with the Panthers up by 17 points.

“We came out guns blazing at the beginning,” said Boren.

“But, then Burnet settled in and started to play.”

Indeed, the visitors outscored the home side, 12-8 in the second quarter, but the Panthers still led at the half, 32-19.

Baty hit a close-range bucket to open the third quarter before Perkins once again put on his scoring shoes, hitting a basket and then immediately stealing the ball back and hitting a three, which was followed by a pair of free throws after being fouled on the Panthers’ next possession to open the lead up to 41-19.

After once again being outscored by Burnet in the third quarter, 15-14, Liberty Hill reestablished dominance in the final period, 17-12, in sealing the deal and it was only fitting Perkins would hit the final basket of the game.

Junior guard Hunter Clayton said having a player like Perkins who can single-handedly light up an opposing defense

against a physical Taylor front line, hitting a free throw after being fouled, followed by another bucket the next time down the floor.

However, the Ducks went on an 8-0 run after that which reduced the Panthers’ lead to eight points at 41-33 entering the fourth quarter.

Perkins worked his magic all game long in the open court, continuing to dribble in and around Taylor defenders on his way to the basket before either dishing it off or taking it to the hoop himself, including back-to-back buckets midway through the final period, the first of which included a nifty spin move.

Knight then hit his fourth three of the game to make it 50-38, but the visitors kept hanging around.

Finally, Knight went up for a shot underneath, which missed, but he fought for the rebound and got a put-back to help seal the outcome.

Knight said he knew he had to keep hoisting up shots despite his doughnut in the first half. “(Assistant) Coach (Blake) Boren always tells me ‘shooters have to shoot,’” he said.

“Once I got it going, it was fun.”

The fact he and his teammates were able to step up and meet the challenge of a physical opponent spoke volumes of the work ethic and desire the Panthers displayed, said Knight.

“I felt like we handled the physical play well,” he said.

“We played harder than they did and I think it showed.”

Perkins added 17 points on the evening, while Baty scored nine and Bannon eight.

Boren said his club capably responded after the 70-62 road loss to Salado to kick off district play the previous Friday.

“We’re at a point where if we’re going to win district, we have to win all of our games,” he said. “It’s an uphill battle for us.”

Liberty Hill (20-7, 3-1) will next play at Lampasas on Jan. 31.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Lady Panthers fight back against Burnet

If in fact Tuesday night’s meeting between Liberty Hill and Burnet in girls’ basketball was the last we’ll see for some time, both teams certainly sent the rivalry out with a bang.

After trailing for the entire game, the Lady Panthers finally gained the lead for the first time midway through the fourth quarter and held off the Bulldogs for a hard-fought 4643 victory.

Jessica Holliday led Liberty Hill with 11 points in the

ALEX RUBIO PHOTOS

Cole Ondrasek (#22) goes up for a shot in Liberty Hill’s 63-46 home victory against Burnet on Tuesday.

Kenzy Wise (#14) had 10 rebounds and Morgan Jackson (#23) nine points in the Lady Panthers’ 46-43 home win against Burnet on Jan. 24. schools’ final meeting before the Lady Panthers move up to Class 5A next season.

Sophomore center Emma Hubbard felt like it was her duty to spark her teammates after a slow start to the contest, she said.

“I felt like early in the game, we kept getting down on ourselves,” said Hubbard. “So, I tried anything I could to get us back into the game.”

Burnet opened the game with an 8-1 run before Holliday hit the first shot from the floor for the home side, which was followed shortly thereafter by a Baylee Laird and-one after she took a hard foul driving to the basket.

However, the visitors remained in the lead at 11-6 after one.

The second stanza saw Morgan Jackson hit the first of her trio of 3-pointers on the contest, which was immediately followed up with another from Madison Walker to close the gap to 13-12.

But, that was as close as the Lady Panthers would get for the time being and Burnet led at the break by a score of 1913.

Holliday and Regan Walker each hit threes at the outset of the third period, as the Lady Panthers kept themselves within striking distance of the Bulldogs and then it was Tay-

lor Swieczkowski who once again come off the bench and spark her club.

Just as the junior forward had scored a career-best eight points in Liberty Hill’s 44-25 win over Taylor on Friday, she once again came out firing with a newfound confidence, scoring back-to-back buckets, including an and-one.

As the fourth quarter began, the Lady Panthers still trailed 29-26, but that was when the home side really came to life and kicked their game into high gear.

Sweiczkowski opened the final period with another score to pull the Lady Panthers

See BRIEFS, Page B4

Thursday, January 30, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Fitness level critical to success

Page B3

Panthers wear down competition with conditioning

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Keep going.

When the game is on the line in the waning minutes of a soccer match, tired legs cause tired minds which make mistakes and ultimately determine the outcome and who claims the spoils.

All one can do at times like these are exactly that – keep going.

However, without proper conditioning and a high fitness level, opposing players will run past you and steal victory.

Count the Panthers’ boys soccer squad as one that won’t ever let that happen.

“Fitness is very important for how we play the game,” said Liberty Hill head Coach Wayne Munger. “We need it for us to be able to control the game and not give the other team time and space to make plays.”

The Panthers play a possession game that involves a lot of running – and running – and

running some more and over the course of a contest, he who doesn’t tire usually has a better chance of winning, said Munger.

“When you can run for the entire 80 minutes with no breaks and no time-outs, you can wear another team down,” he said.

“Usually in the last 10 minutes of a half is when you’ll see it.”

Center back Rhett Hofmann is one of the Panthers’ more well-conditioned players, which comes in handy with the amount of ground he covers during a game.

“In theory, as center backs we shouldn’t have to cover as much ground,” said Hofmann.

“But, we also press forward a lot in the attack.”

Hofmann said he can tell when he has an opponent where he wants him from a fatigue standpoint.

“You can tell when you have a physical advantage,” he said.

“When you get in someone’s head like that you can dominate them.”

Excellent conditioning allows defender Rhett Hofmann (#3) and his Panthers teammates to wear opposing teams down late in games.

According to Hofmann, the mental and physical aspects of conditioning go hand-in-hand.

“When you get tired physically, it can lead to mental mis-

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Lady Panthers goalkeeper Sam Carter (#00) has been Liberty Hill’s No. 1 since she was a freshman.

Carter more than just a keeper Lady Panther netminder just as comfortable baking bread as making saves

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Make no mistake.

Sam Carter knows her way around a penalty area.

Even since the age of four when she was put between the sticks by her coach – and mother – on her first youth team, she’s patrolled the patch right in front of her side’s goal and defended it with an unmatched ferocity.

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’ve always been a goalkeeper,” said Carter, who is currently a junior in her third season of being the Lady Panthers’ No. 1 keeper. “Everyone else wanted to play up front and score goals, but not me.”

Carter said one of the main reasons she likes the position so much is her ability to soak in all that is unfolding in front of her.

“I like being able to sit back and observe everything,” she said. “Unlike the field players who can only really see what’s going on right around them where as I can see the organization of the game.”

Due to the Lady Panthers’ possession-based game, which keeps the ball away from the other team effectively, Carter will find herself alone on a island all the way at the back for long stretches while her teammates are pushing forward attacking her counterpart at the other end of the pitch.

Complacency can set in.

“I think it can be boring, especially during district play,” she said. “But, the relationship I have with my team makes me stay focused, so I do a lot of watching, listening and speaking – I’m very talkative.”

However, she needs the abil-

ity to quickly turn on once the other side does get the ball and mounts an attack coming her way.

“It happens when a striker gets the ball,” said Carter. “At that point, it’s a matter of getting zoned in as quickly as I can.”

Although goalkeepers are known for cat-like reflexes and acrobatics in making saves, being overly mobile isn’t part of the job description, which suits Carter just fine, she said.

“I don’t really find enjoyment in running around,” said Carter.

So, she stands her ground.

Like during the Class 4A state semifinal her freshman season when the Lady Panthers and Midlothian Heritage were deadlocked at 1-1 with five minutes left in regulation and a berth in the state title game at stake. An opposing player came charging in on goal, Carter left her line to go out and challenge the shooter and made a save on the potential game-winning goal.

Only thing was in the hefty collision that took place between the players, Carter came out of it the worse for wear with a broken rib.

“Part of being a goalkeeper is sometimes you have to sacrifice your body for the team – it’s what you do,” she said.

“Ever since then, I’ve been fearless and more confident.”

Another place Carter is confident is in the kitchen.

“I love baking,” she said.

“There’s just something about bread which I love so much.”

Carter said she got interested in the hobby after watching a Netflix series called, “The Great British Bakeoff” and has been hooked ever since, listing

Irish soda bread, ciabatta and French bread as a few of her favorites.

However, despite the fact she loves to bake, cooking is another matter altogether, she said.

“With cooking, you have a lot more liberty and freedom to add to recipes with spices and seasoning,” said Carter. “But baking is a lot more technical – there’s a certain way to make something.”

Kind of like the difference between playing goal and being an outfield player.

“Goalkeeper is a completely different position,” she said.

“We yell a lot, but that’s just releasing all the adrenaline and energy which is inside of us.”

Another way Carter expresses herself is with the written word.

“Ever since I was little, if there was an emotion I couldn’t handle, I would write it down,” she said. “It’s how I organized my life and it gives me an outlet.”

Carter aspires to attend New York University and said she feels a definite pull toward The Big Apple.

“New York in where I feel like I really need to be,” she said.

For now though, she is content to go hiking when she’s away from soccer with her German Shepherd, Mr. Darcy, hitting the trails on an average for about five miles at a time.

Back on the field, Carter remains vigilant and is ultimately proud of the position she plays.

“Nobody really knows about how we help in winning games,” she said. “Goalkeepers are the last line of defense.”

takes,” said Hofmann.

High school soccer allows player substitutions, which allows Munger to rotate his players in order to keep them

from tiring before the end of the game.

“We always want to keep our players fresh,” he said. “But, we’ll never sub just for the

sake of it – we want the right players to be in the right place as much as possible.”

See FITNESS, Page B4

New district, new challenges

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor With D-Day – that is, “district d a y, ” looming – when Liberty Hill’s various sports teams will find out who their new opponents will be on Feb. 3 upon moving up to Class 5A next year, we thought we would do some speculating about the entire situation and the possible consequences and repercussions.

First, we’ll consider it from a geographical standpoint.

It would make all the sense in the world for the Panthers to find themselves in a sixteam league with all three 5A neighbors in Leander – Glenn, Rouse and Leander – along with the two Georgetown schools in East View and Georgetown.

For starters, think of all the nice, short road trips.

No more 160-mile roundtrip jaunts to the likes of Canyon Lake, for example.

Nothing against Canyon Lake, it’s a lovely place, just a bit far for a district opponent.

Being 4A all these years, the closest opponents were places like Burnet and Lampasas, but those days are now over, as Liberty Hill continues to grow while some of these other places haven’t.

Progress, people.

The only thing keeping the Panthers from being chummy district brothers and sisters with the Leander and Georgetown schools all this time was another bump in enrollment, which has now put Liberty Hill over the top of the threshold for moving up in class.

We don’t think it will have as huge an effect as it may seem on the surface.

After all, for years now, the Panthers have been playing up in pre-district action and dominating almost to the point of boredom once district play began.

Call it the proverbial big fish in a small pond.

The Lady Panthers’ volleyball squad was so unchallenged they didn’t even lose a single set in district play this season, only to bow out of the playoffs early for the second season in a row.

But, let’s not single out any one particular sport because it’s similar across the board – not really being tested when the going is supposed to get tough and then perhaps not being as ready when the chips are down in the postseason.

All things considered, the move is going to be good for everyone.

Just like the soccer leagues across the pond in Europe – you do well enough and get

promoted to the next higher league. At first, the competition will be more fierce, but in the end it makes you better being in an environment that forces one to strive like never before or be left in the dust.

Some teams handle it quite smoothly while others fail miserably.

Liberty Hill has such a solid foundation and infrastructure throughout the entire athletic department, it’s difficult to imagine the transition being anything but seamless.

However, it seems as if many people are of the opinion just because a school is bigger means they’re better.

Nonsense.

Only difference is the talent pool they draw their athletes from is deeper, which provides more to choose from.

Similar to the pro teams who have the most money to spend on players, but don’t win championships every season because there’s much more to it than simply having numbers.

Football and boys’ basketball are the two sports that come to mind quickest as far as squads who scoff at so-called discrepancies of talent and simply win anyway.

Head coaches Jeff Walker and Barry Boren employ tried-andtrue systems that allow their respective teams to not only compete with – but beat and in some cases, handily – schools that are supposedly “better,” simply because they’re bigger.

Bottom line is the days of Liberty Hill being a sleepy, little town living in the shadows of its nearest neighbors to the east and south are over.

Of course, being grouped with Leander and Georgetown

almost makes too much sense to actually happen in a day and age when common sense is quite uncommon at decision-making levels of governing bodies.

Only time will tell and that time is approaching fast when we’ll find out who the Purpleand-Gold will be playing for at least the next two seasons.

We say bring on the big boys and girls.

The Panthers have proven they’re worthy of more than Class 4A competition, so that’s what they’ll get in the near future and there’s no going back.

One thing that will be regrettably lost are natural rivals such as Burnet and Lampasas and the passion that exists between the so-called haves and have-nots.

But, let’s be honest.

If there’s one event in the entire state of Texas which should happen every year, it’s Texas and A&M facing one another on the gridiron on Thanksgiving – so if that hallowed tradition has gone by the wayside, should we be surprised if the powers that be decide high school rivalries aren’t worth keeping alive?

Of course, we know comparing the big-money world of college football to the prep level is a bit of a stretch, but the principle is the same.

Apparently, these days, nothing is sacred and that’s a shame.

Moving up to Class 5A was an inevitability for Liberty Hill – a question of when and not if – and it’s finally here.

All that remains is to see who the new rivals will be.

Stay tuned.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

FITNESS

Continued from Page B3

Many of the Panthers also play club soccer outside of the high school season, which means games 10 months out of the year, providing them with plenty of opportunities to keep themselves in shape.

“Usually, I’ll have June and July when I don’t have any games,” said Hofmann. “But, even then I’ll run in my neighborhood, go hiking or get a group of us to play a game at the school.”

Munger said with all the run-

KICKS

ning his players do over the course of the year – in and out of season – it’s usually enough to keep them in top condition.

“During the preseason, we’ll have designated conditioning days,” he said. “Over the summer is when they need to work most on their own, but they’re playing so many games with their clubs.”

Good thing because once the high school season begins again, there’s no respite from the running, said Munger.

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goal and make the goalkeeper make a save,” he said. “Not every one has to be spectacular – just dangerous.”

Regular shots on goal and letting fly on a ball that is stationary is apples and oranges, said Bauer.

“There’s a big difference between shooting during the run of play and a free kick,” he said. “You have to get it up and over the wall and still have enough power on it, which can be done through different techniques.”

Striking the ball on either side with the inside of one’s foot will cause it to curl one way or the other due to the spin which is applied – a technique that can be very useful to guide the

ball up and over or around opponents, said Bauer.

“Sometimes, it can be difficult when you have three or four people standing 10 yards away,” he said. “You can always add more movement, but you really just have to trust the ball to do what you want it to.”

Players on the other end of set piece opportunities also play a role in both attacking and defending, said Russo.

“You’re always trying to get in a good position to be able to get the ball,” she said. “You have to make space for yourself so you can jump as high as you can.”

When on the defensive, the objectives are similar with the only difference being to pre-

to the environment that permeates the program.

“In Liberty Hill, we have a culture of winning and our expectations are always extremely high,” he said. “We’re still going to go out and compete as hard as we can and I’m sure the community will still support us, win or lose.”

Facing brand new opponents

will offer a refreshing change from the schools the Panthers have historically matched up with, which is a good thing, said Walker.

“It’ll be nice to see some new faces, like Georgetown and Cedar Park,” he said.

Although Walker would like to continue playing traditional rivals like Burnet and Lampa-

ALIGNMENT

SCREENS

vent a goal rather than score one, said Russo.

“You have to make sure you’re on your man,” she said.

“Also, you have to protect your goalkeeper.”

Either way, a player on the receiving end of a set piece must be aggressive regardless of which end of the pitch the play is occurring, said Bauer.

“You have to attack the ball and be the first one to it,” he said.

Of course the best way to not get beaten by a free kick is to not allow any, said Bauer.

“With our philosophy and playing style, we don’t give up many,” he said. “But, we also don’t worry about committing fouls.”

Continued from Page B1

Continued from Page B1

and be committed to that side of the game,” he said. “Much like rebounding, it’s all about desire.”

Lange estimates the Lady Panthers will run some sort of screens 75 percent of the time when they’re playing a halfcourt, pressuring style.

“It’s all about a mentality you need to have,” he said. “All of our girls have been around what we do long enough to understand the importance of it, but I’ve seen plenty of other teams who aren’t willing to do it.”

Along with Wise, Lange lists Shelton and fellow center Emma Hubbard as the most adept screen-setters on his club, but he doesn’t hesitate in having anyone on his roster execute one, something that sometimes manifests itself on the practice court, he said.

“We’ve had situations where someone will set a really hard screen and people get frustrated,” said Lange. “When that happens, first I’ll tell the player who set it, ‘good screen,’ but then I’ll want to know what the defensive player was doing.”

Shelton recalled an occasion during practice when junior guard Baylee Laird came up against her and came away worse for the wear.

“Baylee ran into me going about 60 miles an hour,” she said. “It aggravated her bad shoulder.”

Shelton added being on either end of a low post collision is

“In an open game, fitness level has to be great,” he said.

“Especially our outside midfielders who run as much as anyone.”

At the end of the day – and games – is when the more conditioned side is usually rewarded, said Munger.

“When your legs are tired is when mistakes happen,” he said. “Which is why the last 10 minutes are usually the most entertaining.”

certainly nothing new for her.

“As a post player, I’m getting hit all the time,” she said. “Sometimes, you just close your eyes and hope for the best. If you set it right, the player will come off your shoulder for a shot or lay-up.”

Another critical element of proper screening is the timing with which it’s executed, said Lange.

“Every play of our offense has to be timed, so that’s something we constantly work on,” he said. “Sometimes, you have to tweak a play to make it work because if the screen sets up too early the defense can get around and if it’s too late, the other player can’t get the ball.”

Perhaps the most crucial screens are set on inbound plays – something that is overlooked by many teams, but not the Lady Panthers.

“For me, inbounds plays are opportunities to score,” said Lange. “You’re going to get a good look at the basket, so it’s a critical time to set screens.”

The other half of the screen is the player who comes off it and ultimately gets the shot, something else that must be done up to standard for optimum scoring chances, he said.

“We want our players to come off a screen already in their shooting motion,” said Lange.

“You also need good hands to be able to catch the ball without bobbling or dropping it.”

Lastly, the placement of the pass must be on the money, he

sas, those two are apparently happy to see the Panthers leave, he said.

“I can tell you neither one of them wants any part of playing us anymore,” said Walker.

“I’m going to miss Burnet, but we’ve outgrown them, so now we’ll just have to make new rivalries.”

said.

“We don’t want the pass to be to the inside hand,” said Lange. “But, to the outside away from the defense.”

Despite the fact screening is a nuance of the game, Lange said it’s the little things such as this which make his job so enjoyable.

“Basketball is so fun to coach because there are so many things which can go wrong you need to be ready for,” he said. “In order to set a perfect screen, the angle needs to be correct and you need to make square contact with the torso of the player, so they can’t go around you – then you can get an easy entry pass which leads to a shot because the defensive player trying to guard gets stuck and has nowhere to go.”

Creating size advantages is another product of proper screening, said Lange.

“If I have two 6-foot-2 girls on each other down low and two 5-foot-4 players up top, I can set a screen for them to switch,” he said. “Then, if the smaller player is guarding the bigger player or the other way around, it creates mismatches.”

However, at the end of the day, proper screening serves a simple purpose, said Lange.

“If you don’t run screens, you don’t get open,” he said. “If you don’t get open, you don’t score.”

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Continued from Page B2

within a point at 29-28, but Burnet answered with a three.

However, a few possessions later, Holliday took it upon herself to provide her team with its first lead of the night.

After she hit another 3-pointer, the lightning-quick point guard stole the ball on the ensuing possession and took it all the way to the hoop to give the hosts their first lead of the contest at 35-34 with four minutes remaining.

Burnet would briefly retake the lead at 40-38 shortly after, but once Jackson hit her third three of the game to put Liberty Hill up, 41-40 with 1:47 left, it was a lead the Lady Panthers wouldn’t relinquish.

After scoring only 13 points in the opening half, Liberty Hill head coach Chris Lange credited the second-half turnaround to a halftime adjustment his players decided on in the locker room.

“We had to change our offense because we struggled early on,” he said. “So, at halftime I asked the girls what offense they wanted to run.”

Whatever the Lady Panthers did after emerging for the second half certainly worked, matching their entire point total for the first half in the third quarter alone and then exploding for 20 points in the fourth.

Lange also said the threepoint shooting of Holliday and Jackson provided impetus for the offense.

“Once we started hitting threes, it kind of helped us get some energy and life back into our game,” he said.

“When we got momentum, we got back to doing what we do well.”

Hubbard added she and her teammates began moving the ball around better, which provided scoring opportunities which weren’t there earlier in the game.

“We started passing the ball around,” she said. “We did a good job of finding the open person.”

As the game wore on, it became more of a physical affair, especially under the

basket, but Hubbard said the gritty side of the game only gets her going even more.

“Yeah, the physical play makes me get after it more,” she said. “Sometimes, it hurts, but you just keep going.”

Speaking of physicality, Kenzy Wise pulled down 10 rebounds on the game and was a driving force in his team’s comeback, said Lange.

“Kenzy plays great defense against bigger players and did a great job of attacking the basket,” he said.

Jackson added nine points and Swieczkowski seven on the evening.

Lange said it was nice to beat the Lady Panthers’ longtime rivals, but placed more emphasis on what the victory meant in the big picture.

“Sure, it’s always great to beat Burnet,” he said. “But, winning this game gives us a chance to win district. We did just enough to take care of business tonight and I’m proud of the girls for not panicking when we were down and getting it done.”

LHHS 44, Taylor 29 Taylor Swieczkowski’s role for the Lady Panthers is to come off the bench and give her team a spark – usually on the defensive end with a physical presence under the basket.

However, during Liberty Hill’s 44-25 home district victory against Taylor on Jan. 24, the junior forward decided to add some offense to her game.

Swieczkowski scored eight points – six of which were consecutive Liberty Hill baskets in the second quarter – to help her teammates easily handle the visitors.

“I was more confident with my shot,” said Swieczkowski, who set a new personal varsity single-game high with her performance. “I really don’t know what it was – I was just taking more shots – it was pretty cool.”

Jessica Holliday began the Purple-and-Gold scoring party with a 3-pointer right after the opening tip, followed

by an and-one from Morgan Jackson after she stole the ball and was fouled on the shot, for a quick 6-0 Lady Panthers lead.

After the home side took a 9-4 lead after one period, the Lady Panthers exploded for 16 points in the second quarter, while only allowing Taylor a single free throw, all part of a 13-0 run to increase their lead to 25-5 at the half.

The Ducks opened the second half with a 6-1 run of their own, but Brooke Wright scored off a nice assist from Swieczkowski, which was immediately followed by a Madison Walker three, extending the lead back to 20 points at 31-11.

Fittingly, Swieczkowski scored the final Liberty Hill basket of the night late in the fourth quarter to close out the win.

However, despite his club’s comfortable victory, Lady Panthers head coach Chris Lange was far from pleased at the overall effort.

“It’s nice to get a win,” he said. “But, three out of four quarters, we didn’t play very well and it’s my job as coach to figure out a way to play better. We had difficulty executing our offense, we passed up open shots and missed easy shots.”

Lange did recognize some individual efforts on the evening.

“Taylor (Swieczkowski) came off the bench and gave us a lift,” he said. “Jessica (Holliday) played well and the Walkers both contributed off the bench, as well.”

Holliday led the Lady Panthers with 10 points and in addition to Swieczkowski’s eight, Madison Walker added six and Regan Walker four.

Lange knows he still has much work to do in continuing the district schedule.

“We’re happy we won, but we have to play better,” he said. “It doesn’t get any easier, so we need to clean things up.”

SUBVARSITY ROUNDUP

JUNIOR VARSITY

Boys’ basketball On Jan. 24, the boys’ junior varsity basketball squad hosted Taylor and defeated the Ducks, 66-43.

Gunter Daniels led the Panthers with 14 points, while Aaron Brewer added 11.

The freshmen also downed Taylor, 64-42, as Cayden Branch led Liberty Hill with 27 points and Camden Justice added 14.

Next up for the Panthers was Burnet on Jan. 28.

The JV prevailed by a score

of 80-34, as Daniels led with 25 points and AJ Garza had 10 and the freshman also won by a score of 61-25, as Branch scored 23.

LIBERTY HILL JUNIOR HIGH Girls’ basketball Liberty Hill Junior High hosted Farley on Jan. 23 and went 3-1.

8th Grade Purple lost, 41-33 Kali Hurst 11, Riley Clayton 6, Izzy Amthor 5, Ella Granda 5, Trinity Collins 4, Emily Lilienthal 2

8th Grade Gold won, 26-22 Jordan Wilson 10, Daisy Anaya 4, Abby Swieczkowski 4, Ella Lewis 4, Sofie Emmitte 2, Summer Lewis 2 7th Grade Purple won, 36-26 Evelyn Bruce 11, Taylor Gaines 10, Gabby Mundy 4, Clara Justice 4, Aubrey Hughes 3, Elayna Hubbard 2, Aubri Ettinger 2 7th Grade Gold won, 29-18 Kate Bednarz 8, Shelby Broderick 6, Madi Harlow 4, Adly Avery 4, Haley Maderia 2, Maryjo Martin 2, Emily Rios 2, Hailee Roberts 1

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT ing district to the Multi-family Residential (MF-2) zoning district on the following property: 8.811 acres out of Lot 2, Block A, Holmes 29 Subdivision, Liberty Hill, Williamson County, Texas; generally located along the north side of State Highway 29, approximately 1,521 feet east of U.S. Highway 183, further identified as Assessor’s Parcel Number R-432454.

In accordance with Section 211.006 of Texas’ Local Government Code, a public hearing on these petitions will be conducted by the Planning and Zoning Commission. This hearing will begin at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. The Planning Commission will then forward its recommendations to the City Council, who will conduct its own public hearing at 6:30 PM on Monday, February 24, 2020 and make the final decision on these matters. Both public hearings will be held at the Municipal Court Building, Council Chambers, 2801 RM 1869 in Liberty Hill, Texas.

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CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TX CDBG SIDEWALKS PHASE II IMPROVEMENTS ADVERTISEMENT AND INVITATION FOR BIDS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received by the CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS for CDBG Sidewalks Phase II Improvements.

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

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Bidding Documents will only be made available electronically. To obtain access to the files for no charge, please contact Steger Bizzell – bids@ stegerbizzell.com, 1978 S. Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX 78626, (512) 930-9412. Bids not accompanied by cashier’s check or bid bond will not be considered.

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

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

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

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

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Alyssa Lee (#15) advances the ball up the field during the Lady Panthers’ 2-2 home draw against Stephenville on Jan. 21.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

The Lady Panthers hosted Cedar Park Jan. 24 and defeated the Timberwolves by a final score of 2-0, as junior midfielder Mykenna Russo netted both Liberty Hill goals.

Russo’s second goal of the evening was a masterclass.

Goalkeeper Sam Carter played the ball from the back to Madi Fuller, who then attacked up the field and got the ball to Emma Stephens, who carried it 40 yards forward until laying off a pass for Russo, who made no mistake with the shot.

According to Liberty Hill head Coach Darren Bauer, he’s been trying to get Russo to shoot more.

“We’re always hassling her in practice,” said Bauer. “I think the other girls know she has such a good shot, but she’s also a great passer, so we want to get her to have a balance of both.”

LHHS 19, Jarrell 0 Emma Stephens and Kaylie Fowler each scored four goals in Liberty Hill’s 19-0 road win against Jarrell in the district opener on Jan. 28.

Abbey Janicek added a hat trick, while Madi Fuller scored a pair and Mykenna Russo, Piper Tabor, Ellie Thompson, Rachel Stark, Kelsey Castillo and Athena Brown each scored a goal.

Stephens lead the Lady Panthers with 10 goals on the season.

Liberty Hill (7-1-3, 1-0) will next host Florence on Jan. 31.

BOYS’ SOCCER

Panthers drop road contest to Bastrop

The Panthers’ boys’ soccer team faced an away game Jan. 24 against Bastrop and came away with a 3-2 defeat to the Bears.

Liberty Hill fell behind 2-0 in

the first half, which was where the game remained at the half, despite the visitors dominating possession, said head Coach Wayne Munger.

“We controlled the half,” he said. “But, they finished their chances.”

After the restart, the Bears scored again to increase the lead to 3-0.

However, at that point the Panthers switched on and began to generates scoring chances as Graeme Nelson and Jaron Frye scored minutes apart to pull Liberty Hill within a goal at 3-2.

But, that was all they could muster before time ran out.

“We finally started playing after we were down 3-0,” said Munger. “The playing conditions were difficult and the Bastrop goalkeeper did a good job, but I’m happy with how we fought back.”

Frye’s goal was his team-leading 16th of the season.

LHHS 6, Jarrell 0 Kegan Taggart scored a hat trick for the Panthers in Liberty Hill’s 6-0 away win against Jarrell on Jan. 28.

Jaron Frye scored his 17th goal of the season and Ethan Minix added another for the visitors, who were also helped by a Jarrell own goal.

Liberty Hill (7-5, 1-0) will next host Florence on Jan. 31.

TENNIS

Liberty Hill’s tennis squad is back in action for their spring season after having a fall season where the Panthers finished with a No. 12 state ranking in Class 4A and a second back-to-back district championship.

The spring season consists of individual tournaments in either singles, doubles or mixed doubles and a state championship in each.

At the Bastrop junior varsity tournament Jan. 23 competing

against 16 other teams, most of them Class 5A and 6A and dominated the mixed doubles and girls’ singles events.

In girls’ singles, Abby Gates fell in the championship match 9-7 to Wimberley to finish as runner-up. Kylie Harlow beat teammate Emma Neely to capture third.

In mixed doubles, it was a one-two finish for the Panthers, as Eliza Homorodi and Colin Garner defeated teammates Analysa Caskey and Will Grey in the finals, 8-4.

It was a good day for the team,” said head JV Coach Sue Davidson. “We competed well.”

On Jan. 24 at the Bastrop varsity tournament, the Panthers competed in girls’ singles, girls’ doubles and mixed doubles events only.

In girls’ singles, it was a clean sweep for Liberty Hill, with Sophie Sherman defeating Lauren Crow, 7-6, 6-0 in the finals to finish first and second.

“Last year, Lauren beat Sofie in the semifinals, so this being the finals is a better finish,” said Liberty Hill head Coach Philip Dodd. “Sophie is a sophomore and played doubles last year with Mackenzie Coleman and won the first girls’ doubles district championship in school history as a freshman. This year, she’s focusing on singles and should do well. Senior Lauren Crow has lead the team this year so far, but will have to put some more court time outside of school if she hopes to stay with Sophie.”

In girls’ doubles, the biggest match of the day was in the second round where Lorelei Fay and Cassidy Sudekum defeated Wimberley’s top team, 8-3.

However, the championship belonged to another Panthers duo in junior Mackenzie Coleman and senior Ava Enstrom, who defeated Pflugerville in

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTOS

(ABOVE) Ava Enstrom and Mackenzie Coleman won the girls’ doubles title at the season-opening tournament in Bastrop on Jan. 24.

(RIGHT) Sophomore Sophie Sherman competing in the girls singles championship game against teammate Lauren Crow.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTOS

Lady Panthers players celebrate a goal during the Lady Panthers’ 2-2 home draw against Stephenville on Jan. 21.

Mayson White (#1) speeds past a defender during the Panthers’ 3-2 away loss to Bastrop on Jan. 24. the finals, 9-7.

“They struggled with consistency all day,” said Dodd.

“When they play to the level of their capability, they’re tough to beat, but a lot of unforced errors kept the matches close.

However, a tournament championship in the season-opening tournament is something we have to build on.”

In boys’ doubles, the sophomore team of Zack Kizer and Ethan Wukasch finished second, falling in the finals to Wimberley, 8-3 and the team of senior Tyler Franklin and junior Ethan Warrington finished third.

Both teams are competitive, but most likely only one will play doubles at the district

tournament in April.

“I’ll mix them up over the next couple of months to try and find my best team and then the others will probably play singles as we’ll have chances to advance in that event, as well,” said Dodd.

Liberty Hill will next compete in Llano on Jan. 29.