As the late summer air rolls in, the stadium lights of Friday night football flicker to life once again. The student section, though small in number, is loud, supportive and rallying behind their classmates with unwavering spirit, win or lose. The familiar sound of the band echoes through the stands, as parents, friends and community members join together in red and-white camaraderie. Though fans have longed for the feeling of the stadium’s game night atmosphere, the weather has prevented the Bulldogs from playing as much as initially anticipated in the schedule.
After six members of the football team graduated at the end of last season, the upcoming class of seniors had several important spots to fill in order to save any chances of a successful season. Though all of the losses affect the team dynamic differently, the most prevalent changes to the team come after Tyler Schultheis’ starting quarterback position and Cody Patterson’s wide receiver position became up for grabs. With several years of experience, the best choice to replace Schultheis was Isaiah Leasha (12). The replacement for Patterson was not as clear as several players on this year’s roster have as many as three different positions they are trained to play under. These players can be interchanged as needed for the team’s success or as seen fit under the direction of Head Coach Ron Balog.
The first game of the season was a home opener against Quaker Valley on Aug. 23. With high expectations for the Bulldogs after winning last year’s opener against the Quakers, the match had tensions rising from the first whistle. Freedom carried an early dominance in the game, earning a first-quarter touchdown that was the result of a 20-yard pass from Leasha to running back Kaden Bailey (10). Garrett Drutarosky (11) made light work of the extra point kick, securing a seven point lead for Freedom. High defensive performances on both sides of the field led to an offensive stalemate that carried the 7-0 score all of the way to the final whistle for a Bulldog victory.
“I’m feeling ecstatic. That feeling of winning, you just can’t beat it. We had some adversity, but we fought through it as a team and we didn’t give up, that’s how you play football!” Leasha said.
The Bulldogs were scheduled to take on the Rochester Rams on Aug. 30, but that game was canceled due to severe weather with no plans on it being rescheduled. The team was also supposed to compete against Summit Academy at home on Sept. 6; however, that matchup was also canceled due to thunderstorms. Despite their performance during the home opener, the recent inclement weather has impeded the players in doing the one thing they set out to do: play football. Pushing through the unforeseen circumstances, the team is to move into the later weeks of the season relatively inexperienced looking for a chance to showcase their abilities and refine their game even more.