Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
When Jimmy Zachery was named head coach of Liberty High School, one of the first moves he made was to get running back Zaiden Foster on the phone. “We’ve got to have a running back to make it go,” Zachery said. “I called him, talked to his mom. 'Give us a chance. We’re going to do right by him. We run the ball a lot.'” Foster trusted Zachery and stayed at Liberty. The decision has paid dividends both for him and the Patriots. Liberty sits at 5-4 overall and 2-2 in district play. Foster has 1,823 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 244 carries. The Patriots will close out their season with Woodlawn. A sixth win would match the number of games the team has won in the past three seasons combined. More importantly, the team sits 23rd in the Division I Select power ratings, just two spots above the playoff cutoff line, and a win could get them into the dance. Along with Foster, the team added senior wide receiver Conner Nairn from the school’s basketball team. In his first year, he’s caught 35 passes for 664 yards and 10 touchdowns. 'Can’t say enough about Zaiden' Foster has been one of the key catalysts for Liberty’s resurgence. He’s just 177 yards away from 2,000 rushing yards on the year, which is a feat Zachery told him he could accomplish before the season even began. “You can’t say enough about Zaiden,” Zachery said. “We set the goal for you coming into the season, and you actually hit that goal.” Zachery is proud of his whole offense, led by junior quarterback Brice Preston, and his offensive coaches, who have helped the Patriots average 37.2 points per game. Foster credited his team and offensive line for his success. He added that his play comes from how he handles himself. “I always keep my head down,” Foster said. “My mindset keeps me on track to do what I can do and show what I can do on the field.” Foster also praised the coaching staff for shaping the team as players and men. He said the team feels like a family. They joke around and have fun, but when it’s time to lock in between the white lines, they’re ready to go. He called this season his favorite year on the team. O-Line making things go Beyond retaining Foster, Zachery and his coaching staff had to teach the offensive line new techniques and schemes. He said they did a great job learning a new scheme quickly. “Those guys bought into the brand,” Zachery said. “If it wasn’t for (them), none of this would be possible.” Zachery said the team plays a physical brand of football. It took time, but he was able to get his players to buy into the vision he’s brought to Liberty. Beyond their ability to match the coaching staff’s mentality, they play with an unselfish attitude, knowing offensive linemen rarely get the love they deserve for their work in the trenches. It’s a mentality Zachery understands and tries to instill in his offensive line. “We’re the big uglies, baby,” Zachery said. “We’re going to do the dirty work. We‘re the hogs, baby.” Zachery added that while the O-line doesn’t mind not getting the spotlight, they’ll still joke with Foster if he doesn’t give them a shoutout in interviews. Seniors changing culture This season has delivered major wins for Liberty. For the first time since starting a varsity football program in 2021, the Patriots defeated Zachary in a 52-31 victory on the road. “That’s a program definer to me,” Zachery said. “To go beat a powerhouse in the district, that says a lot about the kids. That says a lot about the coaches.” Foster and Nairn understand that everyone knows Zachary is a great program, and they were ready to make a statement. “Everybody was just locked in,” Nairn said. “As soon as we stepped foot on campus, you could tell the atmosphere was different.” Zachery said the win was a statement-maker. “To get a win like that, that not only stamps our program, like, we’re here,” Zachery said. “We can coach with the best of them, and we can play with the best of them.” Despite big wins, Liberty’s players know they can keep improving. Zachery said that has to do with the culture they’re setting within the program. Foster said the change in the team’s overall performance this year is a shift in mindset. Beyond the practice field and weight room, even the mood while walking around school is better. “This 2026 class, we came in, we want to change something,” Foster said. “Just change everything, how people think of Liberty.” He said the team doesn’t miss a day working out and brings the intensity to get better, which has fueled his mindset on the field. “We wanted to win,” Nairn said. “Prove everybody wrong.” Nairn said he knew the team could be special in the summer. “Nobody was missing days, just getting work in,” Nairn said. “I knew it was going to be special.” The big picture isn’t just winning seasons and playoff berths, it’s state championships. It’s a goal Zachery thinks about often, with the dates for the state title games written on the whiteboard behind his desk. “This is the kind of culture we want to create here,” he said. “We’re a championship ball club. This is what you strive for every year, or you’re doing it for nothing.” Anything can happen Zachery wants to deliver a winning season this year for the Patriots, a feat not achieved by this current group of seniors. He knows a win will also help Liberty lock up a playoff spot.
