Of all the quad-A boys basketball teams in Pennsylvania that qualify for postseason, only one ends its season with a win. That would be the team that is crowned state champion in Hershey. <\/p>\n
Freedom was one of the many that fell short. The Patriots dropped a heartbreaking 47-45 decision to Parkland Saturday night in the District 11 Class AAAA quarterfinals at Easton Area Middle School. <\/p>\n
It's doubtful that if Freedom had won Saturday it would have kept winning all the way to Hershey. But somehow it's rather shocking that a team that put forth such a magical season could have it end so soon. <\/p>\n
Freedom, Parkland and Emmaus are arguably the three best teams in District 11 and the quirky playoff system landed all three of them in the same bracket. <\/p>\n
Therefore, it was a foregone conclusion that at least one of the three wasn't going to the state playoffs. <\/p>\n
\"It's a shame, but that's just the way the brackets fell,\" Freedom coach Joe Stellato said. \"It was two good teams going at it. Unfortunately we're going home.\"<\/p>\n
As they have all season, the Patriots left it all on the floor Saturday night. They were a Jarrod Dilts 3-pointer away from advancing to Wednesday's semifinals against top-seed Emmaus. <\/p>\n
When the ball left Dilts' hand, the trajectory looked perfect. The ball rattled the cylinder before agonizingly dropping off at the buzzer. <\/p>\n
Parkland's Rob Dvoracek, a Temple football recruit, snatched the rebound with one second left and flung the ball toward the rafters. The buzzer sounded while the Trojans and their fans rejoiced in a wild celebration. <\/p>\n
\"I thought it was in,\" Stellato said afterward. \"It was a great look. He's a great kid and he deserved it. Unfortunately it just didn't fall for him.\"<\/p>\n
Freedom was involved in a seemingly endless string of white knucklers (barn-burners) this season, and this reporter had the great fortune of covering many of them. I honestly can't recall seeing a team that played more high intensity, down-to-the-wire games than the Patriots the past couple months. \"I knew this was a magical year,\" Stellato said. \"There was something special going on in our locker room. The hardest thing to swallow is I don't get to coach the seniors on Monday.\"<\/p>\n
The team was a joy to watch. They played the game with passion and integrity and never backed down until the clock read 0:00. <\/p>\n
Stellato will dearly miss seniors Joe Lococo, Jordan Young, Tajmire Flood and Dilts. <\/p>\n
\"This is the toughest group of kids I've ever been around,\" Stellato said. \"They're just tough kids physically and mentally. I just hope the younger guys learned by watching (the seniors).\"<\/p>\n
The raucous \"Freedom Family\" student cheering section turned out in large numbers all season and showed its support right to the end Saturday. After the game, the students appropriately began a \"Freedom Family\" chant that exemplified the best in good sportsmanship. <\/p>\n
It was a season to remember for Freedom and one it might not duplicate for quite some time. It was also a season that ended just a little too soon. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nFreedom High School boys basketball team left it all on the floor<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"