Anthony Vasquez: WHEN A HIGH SCHOOL HAS A GYM AS NICE AS THIS, A BASKETBALL COURT AS HUGE AS THIS, AND CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS THAT HANG LIKE THESE. IT’S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT LIVERPOOL’S ATHLETICS HAS CHAMPIONSHIP EXPECTATIONS.
TWO PROGRAMS IN PARTICULAR, ARE ADDING ITS 2023 SEASON TO THE RECORD BOOKS AS BOTH THE BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL SQUADS WON THEIR SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS OVER THE WEEKEND.
WHILE IT’S TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS, THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT BUILD THEM ARE QUITE SIMILAR.
Ryan Blackwell: Think very resilient. I think we’ve had to show times where we’ve been down like at West Genny we were down 13, with four minutes to go – without Bruce in the lineup.
Mike Wheeler: Our basketball team is, we just fought you know. A’briyah Cunningham, Jakeira Stackhouse a double double. A sophomore coming off the bench and electrifying us was big in the sectional final
Anthony Vasquez: EVEN THOUGH THESE TEAMS ARE KNOWN FOR LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD, IT’S THAT GRITTINESS AND PERSISTENCE THAT’S REALLY CARRIED THEM TO THE STATE PLAYOFFS. AND THAT’S SOMETHING ATHLETIC DIRECTOR ARI LIBERMAN SAYS HAS EXEMPLIFIED NOT ONLY HIS HIGH SCHOOL, BUT HIS COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
Ari Liberman: Resiliency, you know? Toughness is not just physical it’s mental. You get down. You get down on your team, you get down on yourself, you get upset with a coach. Your parents upset with you. All those things, your mental toughness and persevering through those things is something that we’re kind of made of here
Anthony Vasquez: THE SUCCESS ON THE COURT MAY PLAY INTO LIVERPOOL’S MANTRA OF WINNING, BUT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL GAME, IT’S MORE THAN THAT.
Ari Liberman: Anytime you win it’s great for the community. We do a lot of winning here at Liverpool. It’s kind oour expectation. That’s why we’re here. It’s about procesds and how you get to the wins, which is important for us here at Liverpool – but we expect to win.
Anthony Vasquez: THE GOAL, IS SIMPLE. ADDING THOSE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS THAT REMIND PLAYERS THAT THEY TOO CAN ACHIEVE IMORTALITY WHEN THAT FINAL BUZZER SOUNDS.
REPORTING IN SYRACUSE, ANTHONY VASQUEZ, N-C-C NEWS.
Liverpool, N.Y. (NCC News) – Liverpool High School’s athletic programs are no stranger to championship expectations. Especially when its programs have a multi-million dollar gym, an NCAA-sized basketball court, and banners that stalk over it.
Two programs have managed to meet lofty expectations and are adding their 2023 seasons to Liverpool’s long list of athletic achievements. Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams won their sections over the weekend – earning a trip into the state tournaments.
While it’s two different squads, the characteristics that build them are quite similar.
“We are very resilient. We’ve been down like before like losing by 13 with four minutes to go against West Genesee,” said Boys Head Coach Ryan Blackwell.
“We just fight you know. A’briyah Cunningham and Jakeira Stackhouse stepping up for us. A sophomore coming off the bench and electrifying us was big in the sectional final,” said Mike Wheeler, the girls’ coach.
Even though these are known for lighting up the scoreboard, it’s that grittiness and persistence that’s really carried them to the state playoffs. That mantra is something that fits in not only with the High School itself but with the community as a whole.
“Toughness is not just physical it’s mental. You get down on your team, you get down on yourself, and you get upset with a coach. Your parents are upset with you. All those things, your mental toughness and persevering through it is something that we’re kind of made of here,” said Athletic Director Ari Liberman.
The success on the court may be important to Liverpool, but in high school sports, it’s more than that
“Anytime you win it’s great for the community. We do a lot of winning here at Liverpool. It’s kind of our expectation. That’s why we’re here. It’s about the process and how you get to the wins, which is important for us here at Liverpool. We expect to win,” added Liberman.
The goal the rest of the way is simple. Bring a state championship banner to the school’s gym. If they do that, they too can achieve athletic immortality when the final buzzer sounds.
