By Tom Williams

williams@vindy.com

LISBON

Armed with a quarterback who has been starting since Week 5 of his freshman year three seasons ago, the Lisbon High School football team is loaded.

The Blue Devils’ senior class has plenty of experience. It starts with quarterback Josh Liberati.

“Our juniors and seniors have seen the good, the bad, the ugly,” head coach Jim Tsilimos said, referring to 2-8 and 3-7 seasons before last year’s 7-3 record.

Offense

Tsilimos said Liberati acts as a coach on the field.

“He calls a lot of our offense on the field,” Tsilimos said. “He studies the game, he’s a smart kid, he’s a great team player.

“He’s what everyone wants as a quarterback — [there’] very few that you get that you can just unload the offense on them and they go out and perform.”

Liberati said the arrival of his final season is “definitely bittersweet. It’s weird. I It’s crazy how fast it came.”

The Blue Devils have 16 players returning who started at least once last fall and 15 on defense.

The offensive line has four two-year starters in Austin Rutecki, Alex Barnes, Josh Craig and Jake Liberati. Jared White and Colin Sweeney are two-year starters at wide receiver.

“We’re all excited because most of us have been playing together for a ton of years,” said Rutecki who has a broken collarbone but is expected to get medical clearance this week. “We’re excited, ready to play our last year together.

“We’re looking forward to this season.”

Craig calls the quarterback’s experience the Devils’ top threat.

“It’s a very good weapon,” Craig said. “He was a very young [starting] quarterback so having his knowledge, knowing the game very well, really helps the team out.

“He really takes control of the game. If we are out of line, he keeps us in line He’s just a real good leader — best senior leader we’ve got.”

Defense

Defensively, Jared Everett joins Barnes, Jake Liberati and Craig as two-year starters returning. Rutecki has three years experience at linebacker while Josh Liberati, Frankie Morrell and Danny Shultz have two.

In the secondary, Sweeney, Jason Thompson, Colin Sweeney and Cody Freeland have two years starting experience.

“We bring a lot back on both sides,” Tsilimos said. “The big thing for us now is to get some backups [playing time.]

“We’ve got 12 seniors,” Tsilimos said. “This group does a great job of leading, of keeping everything together. They include the young kids — I’ve had some teams [that didn’t].”

SPECIAL TEAMS

Nate Cook is the punter. Tsilimos has to decide on a kicker.

OUTLOOK

This fall, Lisbon is part of the ICTL’s Blue Division that includes Columbiana, Leetonia, Southern and Wellsville. The Blue Devils should run the table.