Liberty hunting eighth straight region championship
Liberty football coach Rich Muraco likes to imprint the importance of legacy on his players.
To become the first Patriots team to win a state championship it must avoid becoming the first Patriots team since 2009 to not win the Sunrise Region title. Liberty (10-1) will look to win its eighth consecutive region title when it hosts Green Valley (10-1) at 7 p.m. in a game functioning as a Class 4A state quarterfinal.
“There are so many examples in sports of the better team on paper gets beat because you overlook somebody or you don’t play your best,” Muraco said. “They want to continue the legacy of Liberty.”
One player who refuses to overlook the Gators, whom the Patriots defeated 49-14 on Sept. 28, is defensive lineman Crishaun Lappin. Though it might not be fair to refer to him as just a defensive lineman anymore.
Hewas,butthenaunrcoach came to a preseason practice and asked Muraco about Lappin’s potential at fullback. Muraco had laughed when his defensive lineman came to 7-on-7 drills during the offseason, but allowed it.
The Wolfpack offered him a scholarship May 23, and he committed
Oct. 23.
“I love running the rock. I wouldn’t say I like offense more, but I like having the ball in my hands,” Lappin said. “Being able to play both sides of the ball and play well is my thing and what I like to do.”
Lappin was thrilled to carry the ball. He played offense growing up, but Liberty loved his ability on the defensive line. He had 11 sacks last season and gained interest nationwide on the line. But colleges lean toward taller linemen, and Lappin is 6 feet tall.
“There were a couple of schools that were willing to take a chance on him and let him play defensive line, but most of the major Division I schools were intrigued with him as a fullback,” Muraco said.
To put it simply, it’s worked. Lappin leads the Patriots with six rushing touchdowns and is third on the team with 232 rushing yards. And it’s not as if he has seen his play slip on defense because of his offensive duties. He leads Class 4A with 11½ sacks, which included 5½ Oct. 20 at Silverado.
In the last meeting with the Gators, Lappin showed his two-way prowess. He ran for the first two touchdowns, one a 42-yard sprint, and had four tackles and a sack.
The Gators are playing in a region title game for the second time in school history. Quarterback A.J. Barilla is fourth in Class 4A with 2,159 passing yards, the defense has five interceptions, and guard Eric Brown recently committed to UNLV.
But the Patriots are confident. And if Lappin plays as he did the last time the teams met, the Sunrise Region dominance has a good shot of extending one more year.
“I’m sure at one point it’s going to end,” Muraco said. “But while we’re in this streak, it’s nice to be in this position.”
Contact Justin Emerson at jemerson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2944. Follow @J15emerson on Twitter.