By Curtis Pulliam

cpulliam@vindy.com

Liberty

Brandon Rios remembers the feeling well.

Last year Liberty traveled to Crestview High School with great expectations.

They came away with a 35-26 playoff defeat.

“For the people who played last year, it hurt us really bad,” said Rios, a junior. “It hurts me thinking about it just knowing that we were so close but yet so far.”

Put the past behind you, right?

Not so fast.

“I don’t stop thinking about it,” Rios said. “I use it every single day to push myself to get better and better. And to never ever feel that pain that I felt last year again.”

The Leopards have high expectations again this season, but start off with a home playoff game for the first time since 2008.

The Leopards play Gilmour Academy on Saturday night.

“All the pretenders are going home so there is nothing but contenders left,” said second-year head coach Kevin Cylar. “They are going to be a formidable foe.”

The Lancers have a tough offense according to Cylar.

“They have a little shifty quarterback who reminds me of some of the Crestview quarterbacks in the past,” Cylar said. “He’s feisty, and doesn’t go right down.”

The Leopards (9-1) have an explosive offense of their own featuring sophomore quarterback Lynn Bowden. Bowden has 34 touchdowns (21 rush, 13 pass) through 10 games.

“I’m really excited, but I’m staying humble,” Bowden said. “I have to stay cool because if I get too excited [my team] gets too excited and that’s when mistakes come.”

Bowden says there is no pressure.

“We are not trying to get too far ahead of ourselves,” Bowden said. “It’s still a regular game, but there’s more at stake.”

The Leopards have not lost a home game since the 2011 season.

“I’m excited for my boys to have an edge,” Cylar said. “We’ll have our home field and our fans. We have a pretty good streak going and we are hoping to contain it. I think the kids our comfortable (at home). To lose this one would not sit well with me.”

As much attention as the offense gets, Cylar knows his defense will have to step up.

“They just have to be consistent and play well,” Cylar said. “The defensive line has to be stout and play together as a unit.”

Although some of the Leopards played in last year’s playoff game, this team has a lot of youth.

“I’m their experience,” Cylar said. “I’ve been there before, I’ve been to the highest point. So it is up to me to make sure that these guys understand what’s going on and just keep it as a regular football game.”

The offensive game plan for the Leopards won’t change.

“We just need to score the football,” Cylar said. “I don’t want to confuse the kids. What we’ve been doing has been working. No sense in trying to be Bill Belichick and never going to be.”

Bowden is excited to prove this year’s team is different.

“We should have went to states last year,” Bowden said. “But last year provides me with the strength I need to have to go to the state championship this year.”