Arcadia is set to travel to Liberty High School in north Peoria tomorrow at 7 p.m. for Division III second round match-up against the Lions. The Titans are coming off a 21-7 win over No. 10 ranked Peoria in last week’s game. They are averaging 116.7-passing yards and 219.1-rushing yards per game.

Liberty is led by head coach Dan Filleman who said after the Lions 20-3 win over Poston Butte in their first game of the playoffs, his team is preparing like there is no tomorrow. The Lions are averaging 206.2-passing yards and 217.9-rushing yards per game.

“That was our mentality last week and will continue to be our mentality throughout the playoffs. We have to be round two champions to see round three,” he explained.

After being knocked out of the 4A-II state playoffs as the No. 4 seed, suffering a loss to No. 13 ranked Thunderbird 45-21, Liberty understands the importance of tomorrow’s game.

“Our mentality is we have to practice every day like champions.  We need to make sure we are mentally prepared for anything and everything that can happen,” Filleman said. “Our seniors experienced that loss last season and are doing and have been doing everything they possibly can to make sure that does not happen again.”
 

Filleman said they have set goals for their match-up against Arcadia and their first is to stop their running game.

“They like to control the clock and shorten the game.  We need to do a great job on first down to put them into situations where they must throw the ball,” he said.

-Jennifer Jimenez