As Liberty North senior Michael Wansing described it, the Eagles spent the past month slowly rebuilding a combination of confidence of momentum. It had vanished over a tenuous start to the season, but a three-game winning streak revitalized the process.

This will provide another boost.

Liberty North upended previously-unbeaten Fort Osage 21-14 on Friday, handing The Star’s top-ranked Indians their first loss of the season.

Wansing threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Jack DeGarmo with 4:17 left in the game before the Eagles stopped Fort Osage on a fourth-down play on the ensuing drive.

“We liked the chance to play the best. That’s what we want to do,” Wansing said. “To be the best, you have to beat the best, right?”

Fort Osage lost its first regular season game since Sept. 28, 2012.

“In my career of coaching, I’ve never had a team play tougher than our kids played tonight,” Liberty North coach Ken Clemens said. “I think it was a gut-check game, and our kids responded.”

Fort Osage quarterback Skylar Thompson threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Bailey Williamson to open the scoring, and Thompson ran in a 7-yard score to give the Indians a 14-7 halftime lead.

Dante Edwards and Jon Redmond had rushing touchdowns for Liberty North.