Liberty Union looks to overcome difficult schedule with dedication in the weight room
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
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BALTIMORE, Ohio (WOUB) – The Liberty Union Lions are always fighting an uphill battle. They are the only Division VI program in the MSL-Buckeye, and there is only one other school below Division IV.
But, this season, the Lions have accomplished something head coach Dan Shirey has never seen before. All 12 seniors joined the 1,000 pound club. The 1,000 pound club is a weight lifting term that combines the total weight of the bench, squat and deadlift to reach or surpass 1,000 total pounds of lifting.
“This team has bought into what it means, what the weight room means,” said Shirey. “And the offseason right now, going out onto the field, giving hits, taking hits. So they’ve really bought into all of that.”
Liberty Union plays a difficult conference schedule, but that spills out to their nonconference opponents too. The Lions non-conference schedule included two more postseason bound teams in the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes and Heath Bulldogs. In total, Drew Pasteur ranked their schedule as 10th most difficult out of 106 Division Six opponents. They will begin 2025 with an equally tough test in Monroe Central. The Seminoles finished 2024 with nine wins, falling in the first round of the postseason by a single point.
For the Lions to be successful, senior and first-year quarterback Cooper Meachem knows the team needs to be on the same page, an aspect they have emphasized this offseason.
“It’s been kind of playing our own game, playing separate games,” said Meachem. “But, I feel like this year, everyone’s been playing together.”
Meachem and the Lions have been working to break out of the conference and get back to winning football. Over the past three seasons, Liberty Union has five wins, but head coach Dan Shirey has taken the Lions to and won in the postseason. In 2020 and 2021, Liberty Union earned consecutive postseason berths. With that previous success, the Lions are focused on not letting who their opponent is dictate their play.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m always feeling like we’re at a disadvantage,” said senior offensive and defensive lineman Kayden Trent. “And I feel like, if we come in with a little bit of confidence, a little bit of fire, we might be able to pull it off.”
On offense, Liberty Union will feature Max Harris and Ethan Stapleton at running back beside Meachem at quarterback for the Lions. Cooper Manson will be a part of the Liberty Union receiver room. These upperclassmen who will lead the way for the Lions have been pushed by a large freshman class.
“The big thing right now is the competition from the younger guys that are pushing the older guys that we haven’t had for a long time,” said Shirey. “The freshmen come in and are hungry, and that’s making us better all the way around.”
With a strong senior and freshman class, Liberty Union is eager to break through for the postseason for the first time in four years.
“We are bought in as a team, and we’re really focused on that one goal to make it to the playoffs,” said senior tight end and linebacker Pierce Weiss.
“Watch out,” said Shirey.