Tension filled the air ahead of the boys 6A soccer state championship between the No. 1 Liberty Lions and No. 6 San Luis Sidewinders Friday at Mesa High School.

To both sides, the next 80 minutes-plus meant everything. 

The Sidewinders played to finally grasp the elusive state title trophy, which had fallen just out of reach in all five of their previous championship appearances.

For the Lions, the game was about their coach, Tyler Hussey, who took a step back from his position this season while battling a rare form of cancer. 

But even multiple rounds of chemotherapy earlier in the day couldn’t keep Hussey from showing up for the Lion’s big game. He got to watch his team win its first state championship after beating San Luis 2-1 in overtime. 

“I was feeling proud of all of the hard work the boys have put in,” said Hussey Saturday morning via text about seeing his team lift the gold ball. “It has been a long season and for them to stay focused and battle like that to the end was truly a blessing. Liberty has always been a special place for me and my family for the past 15 years. Liberty has won a lot of state titles. Now we get to add soccer to our trophy case. It seems unreal. I just kind of sat there and took it all in last night as everyone celebrated next to me." 

From start to finish, fans made the atmosphere feel no different than a game at the professional level - keeping chants constant and spewing drinks through the air. 

The ball seemed to cover every blade of grass throughout the first half, but neither side could come up with anything productive until the 38th minute, when San Luis (17-6-1) senior striker Rodrigo Ortega drew first blood.

The first half closed with a 1-0 lead for San Luis.

In the 55th minute, the Sidewinders barely survived a close call at their own net. Multiple San Luis defenders managed to block a shot on the goal line and quickly booted it back the other way. 

Lions fans got on their feet for the first time all game, then immediately sat back down, desperately glancing at the scoreboard as time continued to dwindle.

On the other side of the field, Logan Barron was Liberty’s defensive stalwart. The junior made multiple saves himself and took home match MVP honors. 

“He was just like a rock wall back there,” Eric Gardner, Liberty’s athletic director, said. “I mean he saved two goals with his head. Our goalie was down and he blocked two of them with his own head. He was a huge part of this.”

Finally, with five minutes remaining, Liberty found the late surge it had been hoping for. 

Senior Caleb Anderson sent a rocket into the back of the net, which sent the game into overtime.

“We found ourselves down yet again in a postseason game and had to fight back,” Hussey said. “Logan played a beautiful free kick into the box that Caleb has done well finishing in the air all year. Caleb is special in the air and has scored so many important goals for us." 

After what felt like an hour, extended play began. The stakes at hand were translated through passion and physicality on the field. 

Neither team intended to go home empty handed. The crowd roared even louder than before as both goalies traded saves during the first half of overtime. 

With eight minutes left in extended play, it was Anderson who delivered the finishing blow dead center of the Sidewinders’ net - his 33rd goal of the season. 

“The overtime goal was a great set up by Seamus Keeler and Luke Williams, which led to Caleb just needing to shoot on frame to take the lead,” Hussey said. "Great team play. This team just never gave up. No matter the score or the situation, they believed in each other and battled to the end.

“Coach Paul Barron did a tremendous job training and leading this team as I stepped aside to focus on my health. He is a great coach who knows how to maximize his players abilities on the pitch." 

The Lion pride went ballistic after the goal, and from there the defense closed out the season to help their program win its school record 23rd victory and a gold ball. 

“I’m a grown man and I was crying,” Gardner said. “It was just so much relief. We wanted this so badly for coach Hussey, and we actually did it.”

Gardner likely wasn’t the only one moved to tears on a night that lifted the spirits of a man who has meant so much to his community.