The Liberty Leopards will open the Chet Allen era

at Leopard Stadium when they play host to the

Struthers Wildcats.
Struthers finished the 2014 season a disappointing
4-6 after going 9-3 and advancing to the second
round of the OHSAA D.IV Playoffs in 2013.
Currently on a 15-game home win streak dating
back to the 2012 season opener (a 21-17 victory
over Salem), this will be the first time in threeseasons that Liberty gets to open up the season on
their home field. The Leopards have also qualified
for the OHSAA playoffs in three-straight seasons.

WHAT TO KNOW
GETTING TO KNOW NEW LEOPARD HEAD COACH, CHET ALLEN:
Back in May of this year, Chet Allen was named the Leopards fourth head coach
in five seasons. This hire however has a long term feel to it.
Allen, a 1992 Liberty graduate has been around football as a player and coach
for a long time. This however will be his first head coaching job.
Most recently the defensive coordinator at Niles where he has spent the previous
three-seasons. Allen began his coaching career as an assistant at Liberty under
long time Leopard coach George Gulgas.
Allen, who is currently a special education teacher in the Liberty School District also had assistant
coaching stops at Warren G. Harding, Girard, Cuyahoga Falls, and Newton Falls.

HOME SWEET HOME:

The Leopards enter the 2015 season on a 15-game home win streak
dating back to August 24, 2012 when Liberty defeated Salem, 21-17 to
open up the season. The last time the Leopards tasted defeat on their
home field was back on October 28, 2011 when the Girard defeated
Liberty, 28-12.
That victory over Salem in 2012 also ended a 19-game losing streak
which saw the Leopards drop their final 8 contests of the 2010 season
and going win-less in 2011.
Liberty has since gone 26-9 over the past three-seasons (2012-2014)
and has qualified for playoffs in each of those seasons.
Tonight is the first time in two-seasons that the Leopards get to open the season at the 3,400 seat
Leopard Stadium which maintains one of the best natural grass playing fields in the Mahoning Valley
as Liberty opens their 36th season at Leopard Stadium. The Leopards won their opening contest at the
stadium back on September 18, 1979 when they defeated West Middlesex (PA) by a sore of 27-18.
Upgraded in 1998, Leopard Stadium received many upgrades including new home and away seating
which is handicap accessible, new lighting, and a new press box.
Leopard Stadium received another upgrade in 2007 when a new scoreboard was installed.

POUND THE ROCK:

The Leopards will turn to senior Branden Smith to carry the bulk of the load along with Ke'Andre
Bowers and Jon Griffin. Smith had a very impressive scrimmage against Edison and West Branch
proving to be a threat to break long runs. Liberty also has freshman and sophomores who could see
some reps at the running back position.

WHITMAN A FORCE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FOOTBALL:

Liberty senior JaShaun Whitman enters the 2015 season as one of the best known deep ball receiving
threats in the Mahoning Valley. Last season Whitman hauled in 16 passes for 375 yards (23.4 yards per
catch) and 4 touchdowns.
Whitman is also known for being a force on defense leading the Leopards with 8 sacks and also
leading the way with 56 tackles, including 10 for a loss. Whitman also recovered 2 fumbles a season
ago and recorded an interception.

SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACKS ARE NOTHING NEW AT LIBERTY:

Sophomore Dra Rushton will take the snaps under center for the
Leopards to open the 2015 season. Rushton becomes the sixth
sophomore to start at quarterback for Liberty in the past twenty-seasons.
Rushton joins Brian Beinecke (1995-97), Justin Smokovich (1998-00),
Brian Jones (2002-04), Asim Pleas (2011-13), and Lynn Bowden (2014)
as sophomore signal callers for the Leopards.
Liberty must replace Bowden who transferred to Warren G. Harding this
past offseason. Bowden completed 43 of his 90 pass attempts for 889
yards and 14 TD's while only being intercepted 5 times while earning All-Ohio honors.

PLAYOFFS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME PLAYOFFS:

Liberty has qualified for the postseason in three straight seasons. The Leopards will seek to make it a
school-record fourth straight appearance in the OHSAA playoffs this season. Liberty will be
participating in D.V Region 15 for the third-consecutive season.
Last season, the Leopards finished the regular season 9-1 after losing their season opener on the road to
Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph by a score of 54-29 in Euclid. Liberty would win their opening
round playoff game over Gilmour Academy, 62-7 before falling to Ursuline in the second round of the
playoffs by a score of 23-7 at Warren G. Harding's Mollenkopf Stadium.
Along with the Leopards, D.V Region 15 will consist of the following teams:
Hawken, Brooklyn, Warrensville Heights, Tuslaw, Gilmour Academy, Champion, Wickliffe,
Beachwood, Berkshire, Fairless, Manchester, Black River, Crestview, LaBrae, Grand Valley, Lutheran
West, Sandy Valley, Garfield, Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Pymatuning Valley, South Range, Canton
Central Catholic, Cardinal, East Palestine, and Rootstown.

AAC EXPANSION:
With the All-American Conference expanding with the addition
Warren G. Harding, Boardman, Youngstown East, Ashtabula Lakeside,
Ashtabula Edgewood, and Brookfield, the conference has been forced
to realign with four tiers. Those tiers are as follows and please note
that Niles and Poland will be competing in two tiers:
GOLD: Ashtabula Lakeside, Austintown Fitch, Boardman, Warren G. Harding
RED: Canfield, Howland, Niles, Poland, Youngstown East
WHITE: Ashtabula Edgewood, Hubbard, Jefferson, Lakeview, Niles, Poland, Struthers
BLUE: Brookfield, Campbell Memorial, Champion, Girard, LaBrae, Liberty, Newton Falls

SCOUTING STRUTHERS
Struthers will look to rebound after a
disappointing 2014 season which saw them
finish with a 4-6 record. The Wildcats
should be much improved this season
returning 6 offensive starters including their
leading passer and rusher, the duel-threat
quarterback A.J. Musolinio.
Musolino, a 6-foot-4 junior who tossed for
784 yards and 7 touchdowns a season ago
while rushing for 646 yards and 8
touchdowns.

STRUTHERS QUICK FACTS:

DIVISION: D.IV, Region 11 (229 boys enrolled)
HEAD COACH: Curt Kuntz, 4th season (19-13)
2014 RUSHING OFFENSE: 168.4 YPG
2014 PASSING OFFENSE: 85.7 YPG
SCORING OFFENSE: 17.5 PPG
SCORING DEFENSE: 18.0 PPG

LIBERTY QUICK FACTS:

DIVISION: V, Region 15 (145 boys enrolled)
HEAD COACH: Chet Allen, 1st year (0-0)
2014 RUSHING OFFENSE: 253.8 YPG
2014 PASSING OFFENSE: 79.5 YPG
SCORING OFFENSE: 36.6 PPG
SCORING DEFENSE: 17.3 PPG

2015 LIBERTY LEOPARDS ROSTER

NUMBER
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
20
21
22
24
25
27
33
35
36
44
50
52
53
56
60
63
64
66
70
71
74
75
77
80
81
84
85
87
88

NAME
JaShaun Whitman
Ke'Andre Bowers
Kaylon Davis
Dra Rushton
David Hunt
Branden Smith
Tyler Cargill
Capone Haywood
Brent DeMattia
Chris Edmonds
Andree Bowers
Jalen McKinney
Elijah Matthews
Quaishon Campbell
Charles Pickard
Horizon Watson
Brian Maddox
Junior Blair
Jonathan Griffin
Hamad Alhmeed
Khyri Davis
Zach Coman
Jamarion Aaron
Zion Matlock
Justin Cizmar
Maan Adhami
Kylan Wilson
John Kloos
John Spivey
Alec Coman
Ty Leshnack
Jaylen Williams
Tyler Helco
Mouad Elouaddi
Mohannad Yusuf
Brendan Gilmartin
Jaylen Harper
James Spisak
Derek Gilcher
Ray Minniti
Anthony DeFrance
Yazan Adhami
EJ Shields
Nick Dillabough
Isaiah Matthews

YEAR
12
12
12
10
11
12
11
10
10
10
11
9
9
10
10
10
10
12
12
9
12
9
9
9
9
9
9
12
11
11
10
12
9
10
10
12
10
10
10
10
9
11
10
9
12

POS
WR/DB
RB/LB
WR/DB
QB/DB
WR/DB
RB/LB
WR/DB
WR/DB
QB/LB
HB/DL
QB/DB
RB/LB
QB/DB
WR/DB
RB/LB
WR/LB
RB/LB
HB/DL
HB/LB
WR/DB
RB/DB
WR/LB
WR/DB
WR/DB
RB/DB
WR/DB
HB/LB
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/LB
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/K
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
WR?DB
WR/DB
WR/DB
WR/DB
WR/DB
WR/DB

HGT
6'2"
5'10"
6"
5'10"
5'10"
5'9"
6'2"
5'6"
5'7"
6'1"
5'9"
5'9"
5'9"
5'10"
5'11"
5'8"
5'6"
6'
5'9"
5'6"
5'10"
5'7"
5'6"
5'8"
5'5
5'5
5'7"
5'10
5'8"
5'8"
6'1
6'3"
5'7"
6'2"
6'
5'11"
6'1"
5'10"
6'6"
5'11"
6'2"
5'10"
5'6"
5'9"
5'10"

WGT
180
170
165
155
165
180
170
145
165
185
160
165
150
150
155
160
165
250
180
140
150
160
160
165
155
145
175
210
180
170
180
340
185
180
215
195
300
215
280
165
150
165
160
165
165