Liberty Christian seniors take leadership beyond basketball, border
PATASKALA — The maturation process of freshmen to seniors is never subtle.
Liberty Christian boys basketball coach Brandon Geiger sees it firsthand. Frustration, however, often turns to pride over the course of four years.
"When these guys were freshmen, I wanted to wring their necks every day," Geiger said. "It's been great watching these guys go from wild animals to getting into some semblance of a system and to become not just leaders, but vocal leaders. Now, they have to learn sometimes you have to mix in a little bit of honey with their words."
Liberty seniors are nearing the end of the line as the basketball seasons have hit their stretch run. They not only are leaders on the court, field and diamond, they also have an obligation to be at the head of the pack in the classroom, church and community.
It is a responsibility that cannot be understated. Passing on Christian values and leaving a legacy are their priorities.
"It's huge to leave a lasting impact on the school and be someone they can look up to as a good example for effort and character," said Caleb Reichert, who is joined on the boys basketball team by classmates Kaden Minier and Evan Dupler. Reichert and Minier also are soccer standouts in the fall, and Dupler is one of the Eagles' top baseball players in the spring.
Liberty returned to action on Tuesday after a nearly two-week layoff. The Eagles (5-10) understandably remained rusty in Thursday's 45-29 loss to visiting Genoa Christian (11-6), but the pause was for good reason.
The school's seniors took part in a mission trip to Costa Rica. It was a cultural enrichment that could not be duplicated in a classroom.
"This was my first time being on a mission trip, and it was a great experience," said Shelby Carr, the star senior on the girls basketball team, where she is joined by classmates Carolee Marcum, Maddy Cox and Kelly Philhower. She also was among the Eagles' scoring leaders on the aforementioned coed soccer team in the fall.
"It was just really cool seeing how God worked throughout that week," Carr added. "He gave us a lot of energy to get things done. Some of us were running on minimum sleep, feeling tired and exhausted from working in the heat. The things we got done down there were amazing."
Minier takes his leadership role seriously, noting his biggest role model is his father Keith Minier, lead pastor for Grace Fellowship.
Minier had a rare off night against Genoa, finishing with a team-high 12 points, but he was visibly frustrated by the Lions' zone pressure, which often had two players keeping close contact with Minier, an 18-point scorer. That was where his actions had to speak louder than words.
"(Keith Minier) knows how to build something in a church, and I want to build something on the basketball court," Kaden Minier said. "I am an aggressive leader that's not too aggressive. I want to get on someone where I get the point through, but I don't want to be too hostile. I feel like sometimes I am just too hostile, but I care so much."
Liberty players were wearing Carolina blue "Rebounds for Rylie" T-shirts during warmups on Thursday. The program will be raising money for Rylie Huneycutt, who is battling cerebral palsy, during the season's final two home games Feb. 20 and 22.
Junior Carson Crabtree added 11 points in the loss for the Eagles, who faced a rebuilding season after graduating standouts Josh Onabanjo and Evan Adair.
"As a program, we are going through a lot right now, and we are just trying to find our identity," Reichert said. "Honestly, a lot of the issue is we are dealing with pride, and we have to learn how to trust each other as teammates."
Geiger talked with his team in the locker room for more than 20 minutes following the loss. The Eagles look to regroup and finish the regular season strong during a busy stretch, which includes a trip to Delaware Christian on Friday and a visit from Cristo Rey on Saturday.
The message, however, always is about much more than wins and losses.
"Caleb, any chance he gets to pray he does it," Geiger said. "He was seeking people out on the mission trip at McDonald's, just finding them and asking them. Those kinds of things are great. It's bigger than basketball. They are becoming young men."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Liberty Christian seniors take leadership beyond basketball, border
