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Freedom Rides First Half Momentum and Holds on to Defeat Easton 31-17

Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News

| September 11, 2021

Freedom Rebounds From Tough Loss To Emmaus Last Week to Gain Win Over Rival Easton.
@BPtashinski on Twitter

BETHLEHEM- In an early season showdown Friday night at BASD Stadium, two teams needing a win to keep pace in the EPC South, Bethlehem Freedom jumped out to a 31-3 halftime lead over visiting Easton team and had to hold off a Red Rover rally in the final period to come out with a 31-17 win before a packed house on a gorgeous late summer evening.

The opening twelve minutes was played even on the scoreboard, with Freedom marching the ball from their own 20 on the opening drive to the Easton one, where the Rover defense stiffened and forced a 19 yard field goal by Zeyad Rageb at the 8:53 mark and a 3-0.

Easton’s Brady Correll connected on a 32 yard field goal to even the score at three with 2:21 remaining on the clock.

The Freedom defense came up with first big play of the half when Owen Johnson scooped up a Cole Transue fumble and took it to the house from 55 yards out with 7:44 left in the half, with the PAT the score was 10-3.

The Easton offense could not solve the Freedom defensive pressure all night as the Patriots took advantage of some great field position and capitalized on a 17 yard run by Jalen Fletcher, then Kyle Johnson found the end zone on a 20 yard scamper to move the score to 24-3 with just under three minutes left. Fletcher then took a short swing pass from Brian Taylor and darted in the corner of the end zone from 21 yards out with just 41 ticks left in the quarter to make the score 31-3 at intermission.

After a scoreless third quarter, Easton was able to put up seven points on the board with 8:11 left in the contest when quarterback Cole Transue connected with JuJu Fears for a 21 yard score to make it 31-10. Transue the hit a wide open Nino Rizzolino on a four yard score at the 5:18 mark to make it 31-17.

Easton did manage to recover the onside kick, but the Freedom defense locked down the Rovers on the ensuing drive, including a couple of sacks and the Rovers could not convert a 4th-and-24. Freedom then took two knees to close out the game

Freedom’s coach Jason Roeder was pleased with his teams performance, but knows there is still work to do.

Freedom(2-1) will travel to Orefied next Friday to face 3-0 Parkland Trojans, who defeated Nazareth 43-40. Easton(1-2) will try to keep any hopes of a playoff birth will be back at Cottingham Stadium next Friday facing Allentown Central Catholic, who will play Emmaus on Saturday at J. Birney Crum stadium at 2 pm

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