Sometimes you can win by sheer talent. <\/p>\n
Two seasons ago, Freedom did just that when a squad led by Derike Chiclana and Nyreef Jackson went 17-10 and reached the District 11 4A final. <\/p>\n
This Patriots squad may not feature a player with the star power of Chiclana or Jackson, but it does offer a scrappy unit that works hard on the defensive end and on the boards. <\/p>\n
It was those little things that led to a big Freedom win over host Dieruff on Friday night. <\/p>\n
The Pates came up with 11 steals on defense and 14 offensive rebounds in hustling past the Huskies 48-42 to win their third game without a defeat in a surprising early-season run. <\/p>\n
Jeff Toronto scored 13 points and had six rebounds all at the offensive end to help Freedom rally from a 37-32 deficit over the last five minutes. <\/p>\n
Toronto came up with the ball after Demond Farley missed the second of two free throws with 22 seconds left. <\/p>\n
Farley had made his first attempt to make it 45-42, but Toronto was able to put the game away with two foul shots when he was fouled on his follow attempt. <\/p>\n
\"[Dieruff's Isaiah Johnson] sunk inside a little bit and I was able to jump up and get it,\" Toronto said of the key rebound. \"Coach always talks about next man up and we're all contributing to these wins.\" <\/p>\n
Patriots sophomore Nick King had 13 points and six rebounds, but it was the overall defensive pressure that caused problems for Dieruff. <\/p>\n
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Freedom scraps its way past Dieruff to stay unbeaten<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sometimes you can win by sheer talent. Two seasons ago, Freedom did just that when a squad led by Derike Chiclana and Nyreef Jackson went 17-10 and reached the District 11 4A final. This Patriots squad may not feature a player with the star power of Chiclana or Jackson, but it does offer a scrappy unit that works hard on the defensive end and on the boards. Continue reading