86 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
MAC • FREEDOM
Coach: Greg Toney
2019 record: 8-4, 5-2 in
Class 2A Midwestern Athletic
Conference
All-time record: 417-534-54
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 New Brighton* 7:30
9.18 at Riverside* 7
9.25 Neshannock* 7:30
10.3 at Laurel* 7
10.10 Ellwood City* 7
10.16 Beaver Falls* 7:30
10.23 at Mohawk* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Cole Beck
71-146, 1,167 yards, 15 TDs
Receiving Reiker Welling
27-563 yards, 7 TDs
Rushing Brett Boyd
140-659 yards, 7 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Freedom has qualified for
the WPIAL playoffs four
straight years. That may not
seem like much, but the Bulldogs
had only played in the
postseason three other times
in the first 16 years of the
century.
• Greg Toney begins his second
full season as Bulldogs
head coach after years as an
assistant at Hopewell.
• Freedom has been fantastic
at home. They have not lost
at Bulldogs Stadium since
2017 and are a perfect 12-0 at
home the last two years.
• The perfect record at home
has also included the program’s
first two home playoffs
wins with victories over Avonworth
in 2018 and Charleroi in
2019.
COLE BECK
FREEDOM HAS TOOLS TO
CONTEND IN MIDWESTERN
In the first eight years of this
past decade, the Freedom football
team struggled mightily, going a
combined 18-62.
However, the decade finished
with a flourish for Freedom. The
Bulldogs found their bite by going
a combined 19-6.
The bar has been raised for the
program to the extent that a 7-0
start and a trip to the Class 2A
quarterfinals was a bit of a disappointment
to first-year coach
Greg Toney.
“When I think of last season,
finishing second in the conference
and winning a home playoff game,
I think we did OK,” he said. “I
would have taken it going into the
season, with so many new and untested
starters on both sides of the
ball. However, when you consider
that somehow we were able to navigate
our way to a 7-0 start, I would
say it was a bit disappointing.
“We did not have much depth
and had to battle through some
injuries. I think our kids left a
lot on field in that New Brighton
game, and we limped through the
last three games of the regular
season going 0-3.”
After finishing tied for second
in the Class 2A Midwestern Athletic
Conference, Freedom won a
home playoff game for a second
straight year with a 21-14 victory
over Charleroi before losing to
Washington in the second round.
“I feel like our kids played their
hearts out against a very talented
Washington team and acquitted
themselves well, especially on
defense,” Toney said. “We just
weren’t able to find the end zone
that night.”
The Bulldogs are now ready to
turn the page on a new season
with the hope that the program’s
recent success will continue into
a new decade.
Hope could turn to reality as
Freedom returns nine starters on
offense and eight on defense.
“We have a large returning senior
class, especially in our skill
positions,” Toney said.
“We have a couple of key players
we have to find replacements for.
We also have to get better up front
on offense.”
The Bulldogs return the team’s
leading passer, rusher and receiver
from a year ago.
Senior quarterback Cole Beck
threw for 1,167 yards and 15 touchdowns.
His top target is senior
Reiker Welling, who averaged
nearly 21 yards per reception. Senior
Brett Boyd led the team in
rushing and was tied for first in
scoring.
“I think our offense is going to
be very good this year,” Beck said.
“We lost some key seniors last
year, but we have a lot of starters
coming back.”
Other key returning players
are junior Josh Pail and senior
Brandon Pratte, adding depth to
the Bulldogs running game.
Seniors David Martsolf, James
Happ, Ashton Spiegel and Jake
Simmons provide size and experience
up front for Freedom.
Beck knows it won’t be easy, but
believes he and his teammates
know what it takes to succeed.
“The key to our season will be
staying focused,” Beck said. “We
have a tough schedule, and we need
to just take it one game at a time.”
Six of the eight teams in the
new look MAC were playoff teams
last fall.
“Would have to say Beaver Falls
dropping down is the frontrunner,”
Toney said. “Neshannock, Riverside,
New Brighton and newcomer
Laurel should all be in the hunt. I
would look for an improved Mohawk
team and Ellwood City to
also be on the rise.
“If we can stay healthy, our expectations
are to compete for top
end of the conference.”
by DON REBEL