Lisbon expects to challenge for league title

August 24, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

LISBON

Hopes are extremely high that Lisbon will top .500 for the first time since 2003. The Blue Devils are loaded with experienced players — 14 on offense and 11 on defense.

“I’m pretty excited,” senior lineman Danny Donohue said. ‘We expect big things.”

Head coach Jim Tsilimos, who guided the Blue Devils to the 1995 state championship, believes Lisbon has a chance to challenge the Inter Tri-County League’s Tier One’s best teams.

“This year, we are strong enough, athletic enough and big enough to compete in the ITCL upper tier,” Tsilimos said. “The big question will be if we can be physical enough to compete. If we are physical, it should be a fun year.”

OFFENSE

Junior Josh Liberati returns for his third season at quarterback.

Junior Austin Rutecki will be one of the receivers. Austin Davis, Jason Thompson and Danny Shultz are competing at running back. Blocking for them will be returning tackles Donohue (two letters), Jake Liberati and Bryan Scarabino; center Anthony Rhodes (two letters); guards Colt Carlisle and Alex Barnes; and tight end Josh Craig.

Rhodes said his linemates value preparation.

“Being a lineman, you’ve always got to have good technique,” Rhodes said. “You have to be willing to go into the trenches [because] you don’t get as much glory as skill players.”

Donohue said Josh Liberati’s experience means, “we expect big things out of him. He does a good job at what he does.”

Liberati said the Blue Devils took their knocks as underclassmen.

“When we were freshmen and sophomores, we had to play a lot,” Liberati said. “We have a lot of time under our belts and it’s a lot easier to win games.”

DEFENSE

Liberati will compete at linebacker with Frankie Morrell, Carlisle, Davis and Jared White.

Donohue and Rhodes anchor the line. Also up front will be Craig, Barnes, Jake Liberati and Bailey McCullough.

Rutecki, Thompson, R.J. Egelhoff and Colin Sweeney have experience in the secondary.

OUTLOOK

Tsilimos cautions that experience doesn’t guarantee success.

“As a coach, it makes it a little bit easier when you’re installing your [plans] because they’ve been around,” Tsilimos said. “Now, there’s no guarantee of success because you have to do it on the field. But we do feel good that we’ve got experience.

“Let’s hope there is a carryover.”