LIBERTY HILL      
      One of the most successful football programs in Central Texas      will rush into a new era this fall with old-school swagger.    
      Jeff Walker has grabbed the reins as head      coach and athletic director at Liberty Hill, taking over for      Jerry Vance, who retired. Walker knows the lay of the land at      the high school in western Williamson County. He served as      Vances offensive coordinator in 2001-07, helping the      Panthers win Class 3A state championships in the final two      years.    
      Walker, a 48-year-old Texas State alum, makes it abundantly      clear he remains fully committed to the slot T, an offensive relic of yesteryear,      a ground-bound attack rarer than rain in July in this era of      froufrou spread offenses.    
      Preparing for us in three days is a nightmare, Walker said      Thursday while giving a tour of the schools shiny      purple-hued facilities, which include a 5,000-seat stadium      that opened in 2013. All your outside linebackers have been      in coverage, and now theyre having to take on guards and      sweeps and engage in the physical side of football.    
      I believe in the slot T. We do something different from      anybody else. We dont spread it out, throw it all over;      were a run-oriented offense, which has gone the way of the      dinosaur. We do it from Pop Warner on up. We are different,      and we pride ourselves on that. Well run the slot T and      maybe add a few wrinkles.    
      For those whove never seen it, the slot T involves a lot of fakes and      misdirection in the backfield and complicated blocking      schemes up front.    
      We try to hide the ball, Walker said. We tell our      quarterbacks were not going to pass for 4,000 yards, but      were going to make the ball disappear. Its 11 guys selling      out on every play. I like the toughness it brings. We dont      have that wideout who can just stand there like in the      spread. If we have a kid just standing, he doesnt play.    
      Vance rolled up a 155-46 record in      Liberty Hill with that ancient offense. Walker has a 131-25      record running the slot T as an OC with the Panthers and as      the head coach at Rogers, where his teams were 59-13 and      averaged more than 50 points per game from 2008 to 2014.    
      We have a system from the ground up, Walker said. We know      what we do and how we do it. Its a lot of little things. Our      water breaks are even different from most schools. Everything      we do is scripted. Theres no guessing. We have a proven      plan.    
      Yet for all of Liberty Hills success, some question whether      the slot T will work in Class 5A, which is where the 4A      Panthers are likely to land in February when the UIL      announces the results of its latest biennial realignment.      Liberty Hill never has had a wealth of NCAA Division I      athletes, and the Panthers advantages in size and depth       the burgeoning program has about 160 players available for      its freshman to varsity squads  will be tested by a move up      in class.    
      I like to hear those doubters. We will prove them wrong,      Walker said.    
      He noted that Phil Danaher at Corpus Christi Calallen,      Walkers alma mater, is the all-time winningest coach in Texas high      school football, and he uses the wing T, a close cousin      of the slot T. A year ago, Calallen reached the Class 5A,      Division II state title game, losing to Aledo 24-16.    
      Liberty Hill already has beaten several 5A teams in recent      years, including Brenham in 2014, the year after the Cubs      played for a state title. Walker also was part of a coaching      staff that won big with the slot T at then-Class 5A San      Marcos.    
      People are so caught up in the spread, they think there is      no other way, he said. We have something that works. Our      kids have confidence; they believe in what we do. Well be      successful wherever we go. I really, truly believe we wont      miss a beat. I think the slot T can win a state championship      in 6A.    
      While he insists the Panthers future is bright regardless of      their UIL classification, Walker is still sorting through the      2017 roster, as only five starters return from an 8-4 team      that won a playoff game.    
      Fullback Hunter Oncken, a 1,200-yard rusher, looks to be the      headliner, along with offensive tackle Matthew Carter and      cornerback Bryce McCatty. Yet they all must prove themselves      to their new coach.    
      We can go look at the board right now, but every position is      up for grabs, including quarterback, Walker said.    
      Heres what I can tell you: The cupboard is not bare. We      have lots of good kids coming up. We expect big things, and      so do they.    
      Walker spent the past two years away from football as he      dealt with a medical issue and spent more time with his wife,      Miranda, and their 13-year-old twins, Madison and Regan. As      part of his return to coaching, he hired his younger brother Kent as      Liberty Hills defensive coordinator, and the Panthers will      shift to a 3-4 base defense.    
      Kents got a lot of passion for the game, and he knows      defense, Walker said. Its always great to have someone in      your corner with whom you have the ultimate trust. Hes got a      track record at Round Rock and elsewhere.    
      My last game as a head coach, we lost 73-72 (to Refugio) in      the playoffs. I dont want to get in any more shootouts like      that.    
      At Liberty Hill, Walker will preside over a highly successful      athletic program. The school recently finished third in the      Lone Star Cup Class 4A standings for the 2016-17      school year, when the girls basketball and softball teams reached state title game.      The volleyball team also reached the final four, and the boys      basketball and soccer squads joined the baseball team in      earning postseason bids, too.    
      Everybody around here makes the playoffs, Walker said.      Weve got smart, hard-nosed kids who are very coachable.      When we arrived in 2001, we started raising expectations. We      keep setting the bar higher. I dont think youve seen it all      yet.    
      MAKING ITS DEBUT, THE BREAZEALE CUP    
      Today, we unveil the inaugural Breazeale Cup rankings, which      are topped by Liberty Hill, followed by Westlake and Dripping      Springs.    
      Compiled by American-Statesman sports writer Thomas Jones,      the rankings recognize the most succcessful high school      athletics programs in our coverage area, regardless of their      UIL classifications. The Breazeale Cup follows a formula      similar to the one University Interscholastic League      officials use to settle on Lone Star Cup winners, except that      the Breazeale Cup does not factor in extracurricular      activities beyond athletics.    
      Youll find the top-20 finishers and details about the      Breazeale Cups namesake on Page C7. The complete rankings      are listed online at      mystatesman.com/sports/high-school.    
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Liberty Hill football will stay old school  and proud to do it - Austin American-Statesman