Marlie Phillips has arrived and Liberty looks like a new team.
In the season debut for Phillips at quarterback, Peoria Liberty defeated visiting Gilbert 30-14 on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Phillips finally played after sitting out the first half of the Arizona high school flag football season following her transfer from defending 6A Hamilton, where she excelled as one of the state's premier quarterbacks.
Phillips had four total touchdowns, three passing and one rushing, in the win. It was a game between two teams inside the top 10 in the AIA’s latest set of 6A rankings, with Gilbert at No. 8 and Liberty at No. 10.
Liberty had been on a skid entering the game, losing six games in a row, including going 0-4 at the Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational this
past weekend. But the arrival of Phillips, who holds the state record for most passing yards (6,079) and touchdowns (104) in a single season, has changed Liberty’s team. Phillips was 38-0 in AIA play as a starter at Hamilton and won two 6A state championships.
“Marlie's just one of those different athletes,” Liberty coach Josh Ahlvin said. “She's generational. She's the best at what she does, the absolute best at what she does. Having her on the field is a whole different ballgame. It just changes the way the game is. She's a great field general. She's as smart as they come and her work ethic is unmatched.”
Phillips, who called plays as offensive coordinator while sitting out the first half of the season, said it felt “surreal” playing after watching from the sidelines.
“Just being on the field and feeling the game slow down and feeling so much control when I didn't have that for six games definitely makes me appreciate it a lot more,” said Phillips.
Liberty started out quickly, going 86 yards in nine plays to score on the opening drive of the game, with Phillips connecting with senior wide receiver Makenna Johnson for a 12-yard touchdown to go up 7-0. It was the first of three touchdowns on the night between Phillips and Johnson.
Johnson is one of only two active preps in the state with an offer from Nebraska, the only Power Four school that has varsity flag football at the moment. Her connection with Phillips will be key for Liberty moving forward.
“We've been working really hard in the off-season, and even just working through the ups and downs of these six games she had to sit out,” Johnson said. “We have great chemistry on and off the field. I think that obviously translated into tonight's win, tonight's touchdowns. Super blessed for her, everything she brings to the team. She makes me better and makes our whole team better.”
The game was tied 14-14 entering the fourth quarter before Liberty closed it out. First, Phillips connected with Johnson for a 21-yard touchdown to go up 21-14 with 7:20 left in the game. Then sophomore rusher Jada Morrison came up with a sack and a safety on Gilbert’s ensuing possession to make it 23-14.
With good field position following the punt after the safety, Liberty only needed two plays to score again. Phillips found sophomore wide receiver Anahlee Sifuentes — a Glendale Mountain Ridge transfer also making her season debut — for a 40-yard gain. The next play, Phillips ran it in from seven yards out to extend the lead to 30-14 with 5:29 to go.
On the next drive, Phillips, playing safety for the first time in high school, intercepted a pass from Gilbert senior quarterback Lilah Barton to effectively put the game away.
“I watched so much film,” Phillips said. “You can only imagine, with what a football junkie I am, how deep I went on Gilbert's offense. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to make those plays mentally and put my team in the best position on both sides of the ball.”
With the win, Liberty improves to 5-6 on the season and now looks like a team that could make a deep postseason run with its new offense.
For Gilbert (5-2), it’s the first loss in more than a month. The team is still firmly in the 6A playoff race.
“We just got to play with confidence,” Gilbert coach JD Guererro said. “We’re just going to keep battling. I think they’re pretty confident going into the next game. I think it’s going to make us a little more hungry. We don’t like to lose.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @RLSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Liberty flag football downs Gilbert in QB Marlie Phillips' debut
