By Steve ruman

sports@vindy.com

NILES

It is often suggested that a high school football team shows its biggest improvement between the first and second games of the season.

Liberty coach Kevin Cylar couldn’t agree more. However, following the Leopards’ non-conference game Friday night at Niles, Cylar didn’t point to his team’s play on the field, but rather its attitude, which improved by leaps and bounds.

One week after losing by 30 points at Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, the Leopards rebounded to defeat the Red Dragons, 24-18. The road win was the first of the year for the Leopards (1-1) while Niles falls to 0-2.

“After last week’s game, this group of young men came to practice every day this week with fire in their hearts,” Cylar said. “They weren’t down on themselves. Instead, they came back to work this week with absolute determination that they were going to correct the wrongs and make things right.

“Passion. That was our biggest improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.”

Thanks to a trio of big plays by Ben Phillips, the Leopards righted their ship in quick fashion.

On Niles’ initial possession, Phillips intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards to the Red Dragons’ 39. Two plays later, the senior took a handoff and ran 39 yards down the sideline to give the Leopards a 6-0 lead.

Phillips wasn’t through. Niles’ next possession ended on a three-and-out, and Phillips took the ensuing punt and went 53 yards for a touchdown.

Niles responded with a 15-point second quarter to take a 15-12 lead into the break. Senior Corey Hayes (6 of 11, 128 yards passing, 38 yards rushing) hooked up with Chance Hanshaw on touchdown passes of 40 and 26 yards to give the Dragons a halftime lead.

Liberty scored the only points of the third quarter on JaShaun Whitman’s 27-yard touchdown reception from Lynn Bowden (18 carries, 132 yards). Niles tied the game at 15 on the first play of the fourth quarter with Zach Adkins’ 26-yard field goal. The Leopards then put together an eight-play, 48-yard drive which ended when Bowden plowed in from the 1 with 2:44 left on the clock.

“I knew I was getting in,” Bowden said. “I got stopped on the first try, but I told my teammates and coaches, ‘One more try and we’ll get the lead.’ ”

Whitman then iced the game with an interception on Niles’ final possession.

“You look at the big plays tonight, and you find that we had a whole bunch of different players step up at big moments,” Cylar said. “From the water boys to my assistants, this was a total team effort.”

Niles coach Brian Shaner was upbeat despite the setback.

“Our boys are getting better each and every week,” Shaner said. “We played hard tonight and we executed well. It’s hard to have a good feeling after a loss, but our kids never quit against a good team.”