More than a county rivalry

By Dave Morrison

Independence coach Scott Cuthbert knows exactly how Liberty’s Jeff Alexander feels.

“I was teaching at Liberty when I started at Independence,” Cuthbert said Wednesday. “I taught there for five years. But we sort of have a law. I tell the kids to stay away and show good sportsmanship. We don’t rag coach Alexander or anything like that.”

“Yeah, they kind of stay away,” Alexander, who teaches at Independence, said. “It’s actually pretty quiet.”

The annual Raleigh County rivals meet tonight and, as has been the case the last few years, it’s more than county bragging rights on the line.

Liberty is 4-2 and has lost two straight. After tonight’s game the Raiders still have games with Class AA No. 1 Scott, another county rival, Shady, and then up-and-coming Wyoming East.

Independence is in better shape, at 5-2, with PikeView and Wyoming East remaining.

“I really don’t want to tell our kids this is a must-win game,” Alexander said. “We don’t want to base an entire season on one game. But there comes a point where you need to win. Losing can become a mindset, just like winning. We want our kids to expect to win, not expect to lose.

“We need to bounce back. It just so happens we have to bounce back against a team that has won five (actually four) straight.”

Cuthbert admits his team is in a better spot. It was this game last year that came during a season-ending seven-game win streak that propelled the Pats to the playoffs.

“If we win, that’ll be six, and last year, I think the last team that made it in had six wins,” Cuthbert said. “I’m sure he feels like they really need this one after losing two straight.”

For Liberty to win, it’ll have to stop the Patriots’ shotgun offense, which Cuthbert said he took after seeing Nevada in a TV game last year. The tailback actually lines up behind the quarterback, who is in shotgun formation. Cuthbert added some jet motion of his own and an offense was born.

Mark Cuthbert, the coach’s son, operates the offense at quarterback. So far, the senior signalcaller has completed 41-of-71 passing for 857 yards and nine touchdowns. And, more importantly, no interceptions.

“That’s one thing that Mark said he wanted to do, cut down on his mistakes,” coach Cuthbert said. “And he has done that. We do have a good short passing game, but he has also thrown a 90-yard TD pass and a 68-yarder. So we can throw deep.”

Cuthbert’s favorite target has been Josh Nelson, who has 22 receptions for 620 yards and seven scores.

Cuthbert is the team’s leading rusher with 319 yards and three scores. Cameron Blevins has added 252, Jake Wright 183 and Brett Lacy 158.

Cuthbert said he is concerned about the weather affecting his team.

“But we still have our old full-house, Woody Hayes offense,” Cuthbert said. “We can still go to that. We did it last week. Instead of three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust, it was three-yards-and-a-pile-of-mud.”

Alexander is impressed with Cuthbert the quarterback

“He’s a good kid,” Alexander said. “I like him a lot. And he’s a good quarterback. A big, strong quarterback. And he has good receivers in Nelson and (A.J.) Waters. They’re seniors and you expect that out of them.”

Liberty is spearheaded by a tough ground game, led by Josh Hodge, who has 951 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Nick Hylton, who has 505 and six scores.

“They’re good running backs and the quarterback (Austin Wright) is pretty good, too,” Cuthbert said. “It’ll be a challenge trying to stop them.”

By Monday, Alexander will be going back to work at Independence.

“It’s not bad,” Alexander said. “Win or lose, coach (Cuthbert) and I are still friends. This isn’t a bad rivalry. There is no bad blood between these schools. It’s always a good, hard-fought game. I’d expect nothing different (tonight).”

“Coach (Alexander) and I are good friends,” Cuthbert said. “It’s never personal with us. I think for both of us, the Shady game is a more fierce rivalry. But it will be intense and both teams will go at it.”

— E-mail: demorrison@

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