After two months of being “‘bout it,” the Freedom varsity wrestling team hasn’t fallen short of what they have been striving for all season. The work they have put in has led them to hold a 9-1 record on the season, which is an indicator that the squad is doing the right things such as perfecting technique and molding as a team.

“We have been working hard but injuries have been holding us back. Once we get everyone healthy, I know we will start clicking again and we will achieve all of our goals,” captain, senior Evan Sweesy stated when asked if he thought the team was on the path right path to reach their goals.

The team’s first opponent of the regular season was Ellwood City. Freedom showed dominance and scored multiple pins along with several other wins. The Bulldogs came out victorious.

The next match was away against Butler. This tested their limits and took a wrong turn. They were defeated and took it as a chance to learn.

“No one ever likes losing, but it was a wake-up call. It made us work harder and it showed us that we can’t take anyone lightly. I think it helped us become even better,” Sweesy said when asked about the team’s first loss.

For the next match, Freedom was not only competing with just one team, but with two, hosting Central Valley and Beaver on Dec. 15. Freedom won both matches, which strengthened their record to 3-1.

The regular season took a pause and the Bulldogs were headed to Canon-MacMillan for the Powerade Tournament on Dec. 29-30. This prestigious event is the second hardest tournament in the country, where 50 teams from all over the United States compete. The finals consist of 16 of the highest ranked wrestlers in the country. Sweesy was the only one to place from Freedom and took fifth in his weight class.

Next came the MAC tournament on Jan 6-7.
“MAC stand for mid-Atlantic conference and the MAC tournament is where the 15 teams from the conference go to compete. It is mandatory to wrestle in,” junior Michael Muron explained.

The wrestling team was highly decorated at this tournament. Senior Kody Komara took first, while sophomores Jake Pail and Bryson Miller took second, alongside Sweesy. Senior Randy Simmons took third, senior Dean Ward took fourth, junior Gordon Kalamaz took fifth, sophomore Andrew Kalamaz took sixth, junior Brett Johnson took seventh and senior Jake Leonberg took eighth.

On Jan. 25, the wrestling team traveled to Burgettstown to compete in the section playoffs. This playoff match consisted of the last four remaining teams in their conference.

The playoff is structured as single elimination, and the winner comes out as section champions. Freedom’s first match was against the Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers. Freedom won 58-12 and moved onto the last match.

The final match was against the Burgettstown Blue Devils. The Bulldogs were in for a test as they fell behind the Blue Devils. The team dug in and pushed themselves. They got out of the deficit and the match was tied 21-21.

From there, the Bulldogs took a stand and started to rack up the points. They gained a substantial lead but they couldn’t let off the pedal until it was all finished. Freedom was victorious and won by a score of 45-27.

The Freedom Bulldogs brought home the section championship for the second consecutive year. The team will head to Canon-McMillan on Feb 17-18 to compete for the WPIAL Championship.