Freedom football looking to follow baseball team’s example

By: Ted Sarneso
Saturday, August 16, 2025 | 6:01 AM

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For visitors meeting with Freedom football coach Ron Balog before the start of preseason camp, the most striking sight on campus was probably the baseball turf being torn up awaiting a new surface.

But what really grabbed attention was the large banner hanging from the back of the bleachers reminding those going in and out of the school building of the baseball team’s WPIAL championship and PIAA championship game appearance last spring.

“Coach (Dan) O’Leary did an unbelievable job with that team,” Balog said. “That was so fantastic for the Freedom community.”

With five kids from the baseball team also playing football, three of whom are starters, it can’t be helped to wonder if the football team will look to capture some of the leftover mojo from the baseball team’s run.

“We’ve talked about it,” Balog said. “At small schools like Freedom where kids play multiple sports, success in one program can have an effect on the others.”

After winning three games two years ago and two games last year, it will be about following the process this year, displaying great effort, attitude and execution.

“Winning and losing is too narrow a road to go down,” said Balog. “If we commit to that process and are going 100 percent on a weekly basis, we can have a good shot at making the playoffs, even though we’re in a tough section.

“The group we have this year is very resilient from top to bottom, and we expect to be really good because we have a lot of talent in our locker room.”

Balog began to supplement that talent last year with the hiring of Rick Daman as strength and conditioning coach, and in year two of the program, Balog has liked the results he’s seen.

“You could physically see a difference in our players from the start of camp to the end of last season,” Balog said. “Now that they’re in the second year of Rick’s program, they have accelerated from a strength standpoint. Money well spent.”

Daman’s program also proved beneficial in one crucial aspect of Freedom’s offense last year, providing a boost in confidence to the offensive line in the run game.

“We saw it pay dividends almost immediately,” Balog said. “We ended up averaging 170 yards a game on the ground. Credit goes to that O-line and all the work they put in.”

The Bulldogs lost three stalwarts up front from last year in JT Tatko, Jake Hilberry and Wyatte Lewis. But what gives Balog hope for the group this year is the wealth of depth the team had at the position last year.

Junior Troy Gorajewski started as a freshman, and sophomore Kyle Speicher and junior Charles Powell each played a lot in the second half of the season. Those three will join three-year starter and captain Eli Cottrill as starters along the line.

“JT, Jake and Wyatte were all great dudes, great football players,” said Balog. “It all starts up front with the line, and we’re very excited about those four guys and feel really good about the line in general.”

Of course, it’s not a complete line without a fifth member and Balog says that the team has a center competition going on between senior AJ Wolfe, junior Ryland Phillips and freshman Jaece Leasha.

“AJ is a veteran who has played up and down that line over his first few years on the team,” Balog elaborated. “Jaece, as a freshman, is an unknown commodity, but we know he’s a good football player. Ryland is versatile, having played guard and tackle in the past.”

Whoever wins the job, the other two will become important depth pieces for a line that will look to continue to roll opponents in the run game. The Bulldogs have plenty of horses in the stable to let loose on opposing defenses.

“We are very blessed at the position,” Balog said. “Kaden Bailey is the only junior named as one of our captains. He’s explosive. His work in the weight room is off the charts. He’s strong and very competitive.”

Balog said that when Bailey takes a handoff at practice, he “goes 30 yards at a dead sprint every single time, which is a great example for our younger guys. He has set very high expectations for himself and you can see it in the way he works.”

Joining Bailey in the backfield is senior captain Garrett Drutarosky and juniors Mason O’Donnell and Riley Henley, three players who also were members of the Freedom baseball team in the spring.

Others include Ben Glass, Zach Shiring, who will split fullback duties, and Ethan Wynn.

Clearly all those players can’t be in the backfield on every play, so Balog will use them in other facets, namely combining forces with a deep tight end group to provide pass catching options on the outside.

Receivers Cooper Young and Dekota Roberts played both on the outside and were seen in the backfield last year. Both graduated, leaving a void to be filled.

“Seniors Charles Brenckle, another one of our captains, and Zach Kuntz, another baseball player, are guys we love at the tight end spot,” Balog said. “They’ll both be hand-in-the-dirt tight ends, but then we’ll have them split out wide.”

Seniors Takoda Epperson and ZeShawn Williams, as well as junior Landon Palka, will fit in the mix as well at tight end, while Bailey, O’Donnell and Shiring will also see time on the outside.

That is a ton of weaponry for the Bulldogs to have on offense, so who will be distributing the ball?

Sophomore Carter Brown steps in after the graduation of Isaiah Leasha, who had a smaller playbook last year when compared to what Tyler Schulteis had the year before.

Balog says that the playbook will once again remain small because it helped the offense function better.

“Isaiah did a great job of running the offense last year,” Balog said. “Carter is a really good athlete and has a great head on his shoulders. We expect ups and downs because he is just a sophomore, but we think he’ll have more ups than downs. Will we end up putting more on his plate as the season progresses? We’ll see how it goes.”

What Balog is looking for is balance from his offense, but not balance in the way many think, like 50-50 run/pass. He brought up a quote from the late Mike Leach to explain:

“Mike once said that if you have five skill guys on the field, other than the QB, how many times does each guy touch the football?” Balog said. “We’ve got good enough athletes who we want to touch it multiple times.”

Defensively, many Bulldogs will be playing two ways, with the linebacking corps being the strength.

Even with the loss of all-conference backer Carter Osadciw, O’Donnell returns and Shiring and Brenckle will join him. There also remains a battle for the last outside position, where Drutarosky and Glass will compete.

“Drutarosky could play there or he could end up in the secondary for us, which if he does go to the secondary would make that unit stronger,” said Balog. “It just depends how things play out. Our backers will be very fast, and they all tackle very well.”

If Drutarosky does happen to slide in at outside linebacker, Bailey and Henley will be the two veterans in the secondary, with Henley slotting in at safety where he played a ton last year.

Wynn and Palka will also see time on the back end.

With a roster flush with talent and depth, Freedom will look to navigate a tough MAC conference and try to win more football games.

“Last year Ellwood City went undefeated and they graduated a lot of seniors,” said Balog. “But they also have a lot coming back. We expect Coach (Tim) McCutcheon and Mohawk to also be pretty good. They have a great quarterback in (Bobby) Fadden. Western Beaver has been rock solid the last few seasons, and we expect them to push for the top half of the conference.

“Johnny (Macuga) is doing a great job at New Brighton and the same with Coach (Rob) Magnifico at Riverside, who wound up a playoff team last year. We have to be on our game every week, and I’m confident our guys will rise to that competitive level.”

Freedom

Coach: Ron Balog

2024 record: 2-6, 1-6 in Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference

All-time record: 434-563-54

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.22 at Quaker Valley, 7

8.29 Rochester, 7

9.6 at Summit Academy, 12:30

9.12 New Brighton*, 7

9.19 at Ellwood City*, 7

9.26 Beaver Falls*, 7

10.3 at Riverside *, 7

10.10 Union*, 7

10.17 at Mohawk*, 7

10.24 at Western Beaver*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Isaiah Leasha*

26-82, 340 yards, 3 TDs

Rushing: Kaden Bailey

74-508 yards, 2 TDs

Receiving: Cooper Young*

8-122 yards, 1 TD

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Last season, the Bulldogs only played eight games, losing two to severe weather. They opened the year against Quaker Valley and won. Then in the second game at Rochester, the game was suspended. The next week, Summit Academy came to Freedom and again the game was suspended due to weather. The Bulldogs opened the season on Aug. 23, then didn’t play another complete game until a month later in the conference opener against New Brighton, which they lost by eight points, 32-24.

• The Bulldogs will also look to better their record at home. Last season they went 1-4 at home, with the only win against Quaker Valley.

• Freedom looks to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Tags: Freedom