Palmetto High football team overcoming adversity following tragic death of teammate Jorge Liberato

Manatee County football programs have endured adversity throughout this 2017 weather-plagued season.

But, arguably, no team has overcome more adversity than the Palmetto High Tigers.

From tragedy to Hurricane Irma, the Tigers have fought through a difficult past five weeks.

It began with needing two days to knock off tradition-rich Manatee because of inclement weather. Stormy weather is a trend this season, with last week being the only storm-free one of the season.

A sloppy performance in a 11-10 loss to Sarasota Riverview before Irma’s arrival saw the Tigers give back the momentum from their monumental victory over Manatee.

Then tragedy struck.

The day after that setback to Sarasota Riverview, offensive lineman Jorge Liberato drove along State Road 62 to pick up his mom, Maria, from her job.

Liberato, a junior varsity player who head coach Dave Marino planned to promote to varsity and likely would have played in this week’s crucial Class 7A-District 11 showdown with Braden River, died in a car accident off S.R. 62 in East Manatee County on Sept. 8, two days before Irma arrived.

“He was just a great kid,” said Dan West, whose sons Jesse and Jay grew close to Jorge in the past year. “The first time I met him, he was so polite. It was, ‘Yes sir. No sir. Thank you.’ Shake your hand and he was a wonderful young man. We were just fortunate to have spent the time we did with him.”

Grief counselors were at Palmetto the first day classes resumed post-Irma on Sept. 18. That was the day the football team resumed practice.

Liberato often carpooled with the Wests. The void was noticeable to Dan West the first practice after the accident.

“Jorge was always with them,” West said. “It was a different feeling that first day back, because it was a missing person there. You could tell (Jesse and Jay) were thinking about him.”

Word spread about Liberato’s passing throughout the Palmetto football community as everyone was preparing for Irma.

Marino, who tore his right biceps during post-Irma cleanup, wasn’t at school on Sept. 18. He was having surgery for his biceps injury.

Liberato was in Marino’s weight training class, and though the computer system took him off the attendance sheet, he was still written on the hard copy.

So when Marino returned to school after the surgery, seeing Liberato’s name listed was tough to deal with.

Marino said the Tigers plan to honor Liberato at their homecoming game Oct. 13 against Lakewood Ranch.

A memorial service was held at Palmetto’s First Baptist Church last weekend, and a good portion of the football team attended and spent time talking to Jorge’s mom.

This week’s junior varsity game, where Liberato began the season as a first-year player, is at Sarasota Riverview. The Ram Bowl was also the location of Liberato’s last game on the sidelines with his teammates.

“We just didn’t know that was going to be the last time we were going to see him,” Dan West said.

Palmetto lost football player Kyle O’Halloran, who was killed on Christmas Day 2014. Other former players that Marino coached, such as past Southeast stars Hiawatha Rutland and Todd Williams, the latter playing for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, also have died in the past three years.

“You’re not supposed to outlive your kids,” Marino said.

In addition to the Liberato tragedy, the lights at Palmetto’s Harllee Stadium were damaged during Irma and one of the four sets needs to be replaced. Marino said he’s hopeful it will get replaced in time for Friday night’s game.

This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Palmetto High football team overcoming adversity following tragic death of teammate Jorge Liberato."