Countdown to Signing Day: ATH Michael Liriano picks Keiser

MOORE HAVEN – Michael Liriano is that rare kind of player you just want to have on your side.

The Moore Haven 2025 athlete is not one you can define by any quantitative measure. Ask anybody who has either played with or coached him, and they will all tell you the same thing.

This matters because Liriano is going to be a huge asset to Keiser – his college choice – on the next level. 

Seahawks head coach and reigning AFCA Coach Of The Year Myles Russ knows it.  Seahawks running backs coach and former NAIA national championship quarterback Justin Wake knows it as well.

Simply put: Having Liriano on your roster will elevate a team in ways that can never be expressed in just words. He’s a glue guy that cannot be replaced in any way, shape, or form.

Liriano went on to verbally commit to on Jan. 9 to the 2023 NAIA national champion and three-time NAIA national finalist (2022-2024). He will go on to sign with the program this afternoon (Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. – National Signing Day) at Moore Haven High School.

“My decision that led to Keiser came from the head coach Myles Russ and Coach [Justin] Wake,” the 5-foot-7, 180-pound athlete said. “They both have been an attribute in the program and helped me lean towards to being apart of it. As I garnered history with Russ and his promotion, it was just an easier choice overall because of the type of program he leads and the person he is. Overall the program made me feel welcomed and like family, and that’s what you’d love from a school.”

Russ and Wake were able to go beyond Liriano’s stats. They looked at the level of his character, which is unlike anything they have seen prior to meeting him.

Take notes, folks. A high level of character can take you that your on-field production alone may not.

Case in point – In what was an injury-shortened senior season, Liriano posted the following statistics on both sides of the ball: 

OFFENSE

•25 carries, 100+ yards as a running back

DEFENSE

•15 tackles, 1 sack as a linebacker

Best individual game: Week 10 at home against Zephyrhills Christian Academy in 36-0 win

•7 tackles, 1 sack

Liriano helped Moore Haven earn a 5-5 final record and berth in the Rural playoffs. He reflected on his senior season with the Terriers.

“My on-field performance could have been better,” Liriano said. “But struggling through injury, I feel as if this could have been worse. If anything, I appreciate what I got with my team. It was a result of hard work and grit and battling through hardships.”

Liriano did not stop there.

“If anyone who was behind the scenes and knew the story and the struggles we faced, everyone would have had a different opinion,” Liriano said. “Regardless l, I can’t be more proud to have played on this team with familiar faces and a comfortable atmosphere under the coaching of Coach [Emanuel] Hendrix – one of the best coaches to come from the Muck – and Coach [David] Simmons.”

PHOTO CREDITS: Fenthon Aristhomene / Top Shot Files and Marlon Williams / Marxdsgn