Liberty Christian coach Josh Martin emphasizes grit in first season with Warriors

Liberty Christian is a program known for winning in TAPPS Division 1.

That standard hasn't changed for 2026, but the team admits they're playing with an extra edge.

"I think we just have a little bit of a chip on our shoulder," Liberty Christian linebacker Cooper Witten said. "We got something to prove this year. Last year, the season ended short. Some new guys coming in all have goals of winning state championships."

That mentality has certainly shown up on the field this season.

In week 2, the Warriors beat Fort Worth All Saints, snapping the Saints' 29-game win streak.

"It was win or win, so we knew we had to go out and win," Liberty Christian quarterback Drew Messer said. Now it's....let's just keep rolling. It's the win or win mindset, and we're just going to go into every week like that."

"Whoever steps on the field, we want it," Liberty Christian wide receiver Cash McCoart said. "We want all the smoke, and we're going to be ready to go win state."

Leading the Warriors into a new era is head coach Josh Martin, who arrived from Nebraska, where he served as the Cornhuskers' tight ends coach. He's now tasked with following Cowboys legend Jason Witten.

"The culture was right when we got here," Smith said. "These kids expect to win. But they understand that it takes work. You don't just show up Friday nights and win. That was kind of the nice thing... just picking up where Coach Witten was. They did such an unbelievable job with the character and overall culture of the program."

"He really makes us desire for the game," Messer said. "We're in here probably 5 hours a day just doing football stuff in general. He makes us love the game, and he makes us work for it."

Winning on the field is one thing. Doing it consistently is a whole other matter that starts in between the ears, and that's what coach Martin wants to instill into his team each time they step onto this field. Be smart but play nasty.

"We want that gritty football team," Smith said. "That's how football is supposed to be played."

"We just want to be grittier than the other team, want it more, just how bad do they want it," McCoart said. "Nobody wants it more than we do, so we're going to go get it."