Liberty Magnet Claims Signature Win - Without Head Coach

First-year coach Jimmy Zachery missed the game due to an investigation, per a report

Liberty Magnet head coach Jimmy Zachery was sidelined Friday, due to a pending investigation, but his Patriots still won. / Liberty Magnet Athletics

UPDATE: Per moderator and Baton Rouge expert MT on Louisiana Sportsline, Jimmy Zachery did not coach Friday's game due to a decision by the school (not the LHSAA) in light of a complaint by a parent (for "coaching too hard").

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Suffice to say that the Liberty Magnet Patriots were not supposed to win Friday's game at undefeated Zachary High in a Louisiana Class 5A high high school football matchup. The local newspaper covered several games, but Liberty/Zachary was not one of them.

The Patriots, who had lost three of their last four games and were looking for their first District 4-5A win, beat the Broncos 52-31, in perhaps the evening's biggest surprise. Even more surprising was the fact that the Patriots got the job done without first-year head coach Jimmy Zachery, who wasn't on the sideline due an ongoing investigation, per a report from Louisiana Sportsline.

Coach Zachery won a state title at his previous stop, Opelousas High, before taking the job at Liberty, a Baton Rouge school known for its prowess in boys basketball.

Liberty (4-3) was No. 25 in the LHSAA Division I select power ratings on Saturday. The top 24 teams make the playoffs. The Patriots will enter next week's action with a chance to play themselves into a playoff position. Currently at No. 24 is another District 4-5A program in Woodlawn-Baton Rouge, which will face Liberty in Week 10.

A poster on Louisiana Sportsline connected with Opelousas High noted that coach Zachery is winning with the same formula - a bruising rushing attack coupled with solid defense - that brought him success at OHS with tailback D'Shaun Ford (Louisiana-Monroe) and defenders like Corey Amos (Mississippi). The Patriots are led by tailback Zaiden Foster, who came into Friday's game as the state's No. 8 rusher with 1,143 yards.

Liberty had won just three games in its past six years prior to Zachery's arrival.

Zachary fell to 5-1 and No. 8 in the Division I nonselect power ratings. The Broncos were No. 2 last week.

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