EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the latest installment of a weekly series featuring area high school seniors.

LIBERTY – Liberty High School football coach Kevin Cylar doesn’t regret much from his first year leading the Leopards, but there is one thing he wishes he could change.

It wasn’t a play call, a game plan or any type of innovative scheme. His angst is centered around the title of Tarik Muse.

“One of my biggest regrets when I think back is Tarik should’ve been a captain,” said Cylar about the all-purpose, two-way senior starter, who also wrestles and runs track and field at Liberty. “That’s not taking away from the captains I had, but looking back, if there’s one kid who personified being a captain, it’s Tarik, because when someone allows you to coach them, that’s a big deal because those are the kids you can trust. Tarik allowed me to coach him, and for that, I really appreciate him.”

He’s not the only one.

Now that he’s taken his talents to the wrestling room, Liberty wrestling coach Hadi A. Hadi is seeing firsthand why Cylar feels a bit of remorse. Luckily for Hadi, he didn’t need to name Muse a captain – Muse’s teammates did it for him. He earned the distinction despite this being just his third year in the sport, one that Hadi said requires years and years of experience to master.

“Physically, he’s a specimen,” said Hadi of the 5-foot-11 Muse, who boasts an intimidating, muscular frame along with incredible speed and explosiveness. “He started the sport late, but when you look at the progress he’s made – he’s taken down some of the better wrestlers in the area. He just lacks experience, and that’s something the sport requires for you to be able to excel at an elite level. But that doesn’t deter him one bit. He still comes to practice every day and busts his butt.”

It wasn’t just superior athleticism that allowed Muse to quickly grasp the nuances of the sport (he’s one of the Leopards leaders in takedowns). Hard work, dedication and a positive attitude that’s infectious to those around him played a major role in him becoming a quick study.

“If I had 100 Tariks, I’d whip St. Paris Graham’s butt,” joked Hadi, referring to the top-ranked high school wrestling program in Ohio. “He’s the hardest working kid in the (wrestling) room – hands down.”

Wrestling isn’t the only thing Muse studies. He owns a 3.6 GPA and intends to major in physical therapy in college (he’s leaning toward attending Kent State University).

In football, he played five different positions, Cylar said. Muse missed the early part of training camp because he was out of town visiting family, and the time off caused him to get behind, but his work ethic and ability to quickly learn multiple positions earned him a starting spot by Week 2.

Muse said he applies the knowledge he gained in the classroom to the field to speed up the learning curve.

“Not really,” said Muse of whether it was difficult to understand the role of five different positions. “Being a student-athlete, it helps me on the football field because when you go out there and you learn a play, it’s like going over something in math or English.”

Muse has endured quite a bit of change during his time at Liberty. Cylar is the Leopards third coach in the last three years, and during that time, they’ve implemented three different offensive and defensive systems. Muse also never wrestled prior to his sophomore year, so he had no knowledge of the sport.

Like he’s done for most of his life, he adapted to the situations and flourished. He played a key role in Liberty reaching the playoffs for a second-straight year in football, and he’s the unquestioned leader of the wrestling team.

“I had to take everything I learned from each year and elevate my game,” said Muse of having multiple coaches. “When I was younger, I moved quite a bit, so I had to grow up and accept it. I’ve seen a lot of different things, and I had to adapt to those situations, so when it came to the football field and I had to play a different position, I was able to adapt.

“Wrestling was a whole new sport, so I had to catch on fast and work harder than everyone else to try to be my best.”

That mindset of applying what he’s learned in life and in school to sports is what Cylar and Hadi said sticks out most with Muse. His athleticism and knowledge is impressive, but his heart and determination are what make him successful.

“When you look for someone to give you leadership in a program – whether it’s football, basketball, track, wrestling, whatever – you need an individual who leads by example more than he leads vocally, and that’s what I get out of Tarik,” Hadi said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that whatever Tarik Muse wants to do, he will do it. He’s a goal-setter. He knows what he wants. He sets a goal. He goes and gets it.”