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Junior achievement: Lisbon juniors key strong season
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Three years ago, Lisbon basketball coach Chris Huckshold saw the Blue Devils’ future for the next four years in four talented freshman: from left, Avery Andric and Josh Liberati (front) and Austin Rutecki and Josh Craig (back). Now juniors, the quartet are earning their third varsity letters with the team they’ve helped take to 13-5 and 10-2 in the ITCL Tier One, good for second place.
After taking their lumps as freshmen, Lisbon juniors keying strong season
By Tom Williams | williams@vindy,com
For the 2012-13 basketball season, Lisbon High School coach Chris Huckshold had one senior and one junior returning.
On deck for the Blue Devils was a very successful group of eighth graders. But were they ready for varsity?
Huckshold kept an open mind about the youngsters until the first summer league game in Steubenville. Sparked by strong play by three freshman guards (Austin Rutecki, Avery Andric and Josh Liberati), Huckshold began thinking about a freshman-dominated lineup.
“We went 2-1,” Huckshold said of the first summer experience. “That opened my eyes, There was no scare, no deer-in-the-headlights [reactions].”
In the next round of summer games, the Blue Devils were shorthanded. Josh Craig, who attended junior high at Heartland Christian in Columbiana but had attended elementary school in Lisbon, asked Huckshold if he needed another player.
Craig played and soon committed to attending Lisbon (partly because of the football team, something Heartland lacks).
Huckshold saw the Blue Devils’ future for the next four seasons. He knew some might think him “crazy. But as a coach, I thought, ‘Yeah, I think we can do this.’”
“They only lost one game in junior high and you could see the writing on the wall,” Lisbon’s sixth-year coach said. “You could tell there was something special.”
This winter, the four are earning their third varsity basketball letters. The Blue Devils are 13-5 and 10-2 in the Inter Tri-County League Tier One, good for second place. Their league losses were to undefeated Springfield.
It’s been a fun ride.
Liberati, who has been the Blue Devils quarterback for three seasons, said their freshmen year was “insane.”
“You’ve got a 15-year-old kid who can’t even drive yet, who doesn’t have his permit, playing [against] an 18-year-old with a beard — it was crazy.
“You live and learn — it took us a while to get used to,” Liberati said of their 11-win season. “The first game, we got destroyed by Southern’s Luke Griffith. He put on a clinic [against] us.”
That season, Rutecki, Andric and Liberati started while Craig was first off the bench.
“Going from eighth grade to freshmen playing great competition is a huge jump,” said Rutecki who needs 39 more points to reach 1,000 for his career. “The speed of the game is completely different.
“[Opponents] were so much bigger and faster than we were,” said Rutecki, a three guard. “That’s when our basketball knowledge came into use because we [had to be] smart. We knew we weren’t going to out-jump them.”
They weren’t typical freshmen.
“It was weird because in practice the freshmen usually have the duty to pick up all the balls but Coach Huckshold wanted us to be in the [final] huddle,” Andric said. “It was kind of confusing of what we were supposed to do because we were playing.”
“It was definitely different because usually as a freshman you are the lowest on the totem poll.”
About growing pains, Andric said: “You had to learn [fast] the things you couldn’t do at the varsity level that you could in junior high, like passes with a high arc.
“For a few games, I was scoreless.”
Last season, Lisbon won 21 times.
“We had chemistry; we were thrown into that fire but we took it very well,” Craig said. “We were productive.
“We’ve all improved in our skills,” Craig said. “Lib has the [school’s season] assists record two years in a row. AR’s [Rutecki] shooting skills are a lot better, Avery’s driving to the basket more and I’m rebounding more.”
Liberati, the point guard, said things have changed now that they are upperclassmen.
“There is a lot more responsibility,” Liberati said. “Two years ago, [Coach said] ‘you guys are freshmen, I’ll give you slack here.’
“Now, there’s [no slack]. What you’re told is what you’re going to do.”
Huckshold said Liberati is on a pace that could land him in Ohio’s Top 10 for career assists.
Rutecki has a shot at Lucian Smith’s career scoring record of 1,439.
“This year, there is no sneaking up on people — you get everybody’s best shot every night,” Huckshold said. “Doesn’t matter if we’re going against a three-loss team or a three-win team, we’re getting everybody’s best shot.”
All four stay busy.
Rutecki and Craig also played football while Andric was on the golf team.
“I love golf but basketball is different because of the bond we have as a team,” Andric said. “I don’t have that in golf. I’ve been playing with these guys my whole life so when [basketball season] comes around it’s the best time of the year for me.”
In the spring, Liberati will run track while Craig plays AAU basketball and Andric plays baseball.
“Basketball and football are my favorite,” Liberati said. “I just do track to keep in shape.”