Team

Liberty

Record	Div.	Conf.
7/3	Div. V	All-American Conference Blue Tier

LEOPARDS’ RESURRECTION AHEAD OF SCHEDULE UNDER FIRST-YEAR COACH BRIAN JONES

By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

LIBERTY

First-year Liberty coach Brian Jones never questioned the talent or heart of his players. Still, even he admits to being a little surprised with the current status of his team

“Coming into the season, I knew we had some tools to work with,” Jones said. “Plus, our guys were putting the past behind them. They were pouring their hearts and souls into turning things around.”

But?

“But these guys hadn’t won a game in nearly two years. They were dealing with a new coaching staff and a new system. I’d be lying if I said I expected us to be 7-1 at this point.”

However, 7-1 is exactly where Liberty is as it prepares for the final two weeks of the regular season. After entering the 2012 campaign on an 18-game losing streak, the Leopards are winners of six straight, including a 5-0 record in the All-American Conference’s American Division.

Liberty owns a one-game lead over Lakeview in league play. The two teams square off tonight in Liberty. With a win, the Leopards will secure an outright league title.

The Leopards are also very much in the thick of the playoff chase. They are currently ranked sixth in Division IV, Region 13. A win over the Bulldogs would go a long way in securing the school’s first post-season berth in four years.

“I’m just thrilled for the kids,” Jones said. “They have worked their tails off. They put some personal differences that existed last year behind them for the betterment of the team. They took the losing streak personal and they came together as a group to bring respectability back to Liberty football. This success is all on them.”

The Leopards have been more than respectable over the course of the season. The losing streak, which dated back to Sept. 10, 2010, was snapped in Week 1 with a 21-17 come-from-behind win over Salem. Liberty then lost its only game to date in a hard-fought 12-6 setback at Niles. In that game, the Red Dragons (7-1) were held to a season-low in points scored, and needed a late fourth-quarter touchdown to secure the win.

Ironically, the setback may have proved to be a springboard to success, according to Jones.

“We were in that game the whole way, and as a coach you worry that players who are used to losing will have the mindset of ‘Here we go again,’ ” Jones said. “I was very curious to see how they would respond that week in practice, and in their next game.”

Liberty responded by once again winning in comeback fashion, scoring 26 fourth-quarter points to defeat Berkshire, 36-24. A week later, the Leopards scored on the game’s final play in a 25-20 win at LaBrae.

“We showed a lot in those two games,” Jones said. “There was a lot of determination, even when we were down late.”

The Leopards haven’t been seriously threatened since. They have averaged 39 points per game during the six-game winning streak. A year ago, they averaged 9 points per game.

Offensively, Liberty is sparked by Sherron Walls. The running back has rushed for 1,240 yards and 16 touchdowns. In last week’s 47-12 win over Newton Falls, the senior ran for 136 yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries.

In the come-from-behind win over Berkshire, Walls went for 199 yards and crossed the goal line four times. Like his coach, Walls pointed to that game as a measuring stick of how the rest of the season would play out.

“For me personally, it was a huge momentum boost to have that type of game. After the game was over, I was like, ‘Wow, those are some crazy numbers,’ ” Walls said. “It all happened because of the offensive line. They’ve stepped it up all year. They get our offense started every night.

“For our team, that win kind of showed others that we didn’t just get lucky the first week. It gave us a lot of confidence.”

Jones describes Walls as “a game changer” and noted that he has been a reliable go-to player for several years.

“As a coaching staff, we spend hours looking for different ways to get the ball into Sherron’s hands,” Jones said. “He is one of those guys who can turn things around every time he touches the ball.”

Walls’ value to the team goes beyond the numbers, according to his coach. Jones said Walls is a silent leader whose actions greatly influence younger players.

“He’s a special kid. He’s so talented, yet he never takes anything for granted and he works as hard as anyone I’ve coached,” Jones said. “He’s not a rah-rah guy. He just always does what he has to do. Others see that, and they follow his lead.”

The Leopards don’t pass often, but when they do they turn to Asim Pleas. The junior quarterback has completed 46 of 75 passes for 516 yards and six touchdowns. In last week’s win over Newton Falls, Pleas threw just eight passes, but completed five, including two for touchdowns.

Defensively, Pleas also leads the team with four interceptions.

“Asim is a great kid who is going to be a great quarterback when all is said and done,” Jones said. “We’ve been putting a little more on his plate each week, and each time he responds. He understands our offense inside and out.”

John Helms has been on the receiving end of five of Pleas’ scoring strikes. In all, the senior has 27 receptions for 314 yards.

Like his coach, Helms admits he is somewhat surprised at Liberty’s record “considering everything we’ve gone through.” However, Helms said he always believed his class of 17 seniors had the ability to put together a solid season.

“Three years ago our freshman team won a league championship against the same guys we’re playing against now,” Helms said. “I kept saying, ‘Why can’t we do the same thing as seniors?’ It was all about coming together and playing like a team.”

Pleas echoed the comments made by Helms, adding that he felt the mindset of the team had changed for the better even before Liberty played its first game in August.

“I remember thinking back in the early summer that things felt different,” Pleas said. “Last year, it seemed like everyone was playing for themselves. This summer it felt like we were all playing for the guy next to us.

“I kept thinking, man, if we can get that first win, we can get some confidence and things could take off.”

While Liberty’s success has created quite a buzz throughout the community, Jones said the mood within the program remains as cool and collected as it did in early August. Make no mistake about it, players and coaches are enjoying the wins, but they are also looking toward a bigger picture.

“They’re having fun, and they should. This is high school football,” Jones said. “But these guys understand that they put themselves in this position through hard work. They haven’t let up one bit.”

Following tonight’s game with Lakeview, Liberty closes the regular season at Champion.