Resurgent Lisbon eyes playoffs

By Curtis Pulliam

cpulliam@vindy.com

Lisbon

The last time the Lisbon Blue Devils made the playoffs LeBron James was sporting a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey for the first time.

The Blue Devils went 11-2 — including two playoff wins — in 2003.

“It’s been a long time,” head coach Jim Tsilimos said. “We’ve struggled over the last 10 years to compete.”

Lisbon went 23-76 from 2004-2013. The one highlight season was 2005 when the Blue Devils went 7-3, but failed to make the playoffs.

Lisbon finished 3-7 last season.

The Blue Devils are off to a surprising 6-1 start and have no plans of stopping.

“Attitude,” said Josh Liberati of the difference from last year. “It’s a whole different atmosphere when we come out to practice and when we go out for a game.”

“This group wants to compete and that’s what they are doing,” Tsilimos said. “They’re taking it one game at a time and playing each week out.”

The Blue Devils started 3-0 allowing 13 points in those games. They suffered their only loss to South Range, 56-28, in Week 4.

Since the defeat, the Blue Devils have proved they’re real by beating Crestview and Columbiana.

“They’re focused,” Tsilimos said. “It’s a group that gets along with one another and don’t care who makes the big play on either side of the ball.”

Sophomore defensive back Colin Sweeney did it against Columbiana. He had two interceptions and a kick return for a touchdown in a 41-14 win.

“Last year, I wouldn’t say our attitude was negative, but nobody came to the games like ‘Lisbon is going to blow out this team,’” Sweeney said. “Now they come to the games and they are expecting us to win.”

Winning improves team chemistry as well.

“They hang out together,” Tsilimos said. “So it’s a great locker room.”

The Blue Devils are all about balance on the field.

“We have some big playmakers on offense and then on defense we’ve been able to stop the big play,” Tsilimos said. “We’re just the basic I [on offense] and it’s almost like it’s the 1980s. We’re not very fancy.”

Liberati runs the offense. He has passed for 958 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“Every week we control our own destiny,” Liberati said. “We just have to take care of the responsibility we have each week.”

Lisbon’s offensive line has done just that.

“It starts up front with the line,” Tsilimos said.

Senior lineman Colt Carlisle said the Blue Devils are playing well and having fun.

“We have a lot of talent this year,” Carlisle said. “We have a lot of energy right now. We’re getting ready to go for the United game.”

The Blue Devils have United, Springfield and Jackson-Milton left on the regular-season schedule.

“We are going to have to match their physicality,” Tsilimos said of United.

“If we keep winning out, we can win the Inter-Tri County League,” Liberati said. “We should win it.”

But Tsilimos doesn’t want his team thinking too far ahead.

“I don’t know about what type of season we have had,” Tsilimos said. “You can ask me that at 10 o’clock after game 10. I’ll let you know.”