Liberty HS Has 'Corn Country' Primed For State Championship
BRENTWOOD (KPIX) -- Ryan Partridge is making last second game plan adjustments ahead of Liberty High School's CIF division 1A state championship game. The Lions and their fans plan to pack Cerritos College in Norwalk for the 8pm kickoff on Saturday against Southern California power Sierra Canyon High School.
"The community is fired up," said Partridge. "Corn Country travels well."
Call the area "Corn Country," call it "The Delta," The city of Brentwood is hoping you call it Titletown after this weekend.
In just his second year as head coach, Ryan Partridge has Liberty playing at a level never seen before.
"Before I got here we had won one playoff game in the 100 year history of the school," he said. "It seems like every win we have has been historical. A state championship for this community is huge."
The Lions are playing for their first ever state crown, but not everyone is satisfied with simply playing in the game.
"I don't understand why it's that big," said senior linebacker Nicky Einess who would prefer everyone act like they've been there before. "We should just keep winning."
While Einess would appreciate the frenzy staying in Brentwood, the team's defensive leader will not play on Saturday after he was stretchered off the field one week ago.
"It was a head injury," said Partridge of the precautionary move to put Einess in an ambulance. "Nothing else is wrong with him."
At the time, Liberty was tied with Valley Christian High School in the NorCal final.
"I told him we're going to win this thing for you," Partridge said. "He replied, 'please do,' and it choked me up the way he said 'please do.'"
Quarterback Jay Butterfield threw the go-ahead touchdown in the emotional 33-21 win.
"We played the rest of that game for Nicky," Butterfield said.
Butterfield is a tall junior with a big arm and is already attracting attention from numerous college football teams. He's the son of former Stanford quarterback Mark Butterfield who is now an assistant in Brentwood.
"He's a heck of a coach," Partridge said. "He's not 'Dad' to Jay he's 'Coach Butter.'"
Father and son want to help bring the Lions a state title -- for Corn Country pride.
"We're the very last game played in the state of California, and there's something to say about that," Partridge said.