By JEFF OLIVER
MVI Sports
Which Freedom football team will be waiting for the Charleroi Cougars to arrive Friday for their WPIAL 2A first round playoff contest?
Will it be the Bulldogs squad that roared through the first seven games unbeaten in the Midwestern Conference?
Or will it be the one that has lost its last three games and comes into the postseason on a rare losing skid?
The Cougars (7-2) will find out after the 7 p.m. kickoff against the Bulldogs (7-3), who finished tied for second in the Midwestern despite the late season swoon.
Freedom’s last win came Oct. 4 over New Brighton, 24-21. That was followed by successive losses against Neshannock (49-21), Apollo-Ridge (27-19) and Western Beaver (13-3).
Charleroi coach Lance Getsy knows which team he is expecting.
“I don’t think you can take into account those three losses because you don’t know if they were dealing with some things or had some players missing,” Getsy said. “They have a solid team from a good conference with a good tradition. They know how to win football games, especially this time of year. It all comes down to who they have on the field and how everyone plays.”
Freedom features a balanced offensive attack that has several talented weapons.
Quarterback Cole Beck has completed 57 of 116 passes for 1,021 yards. He has thrown for 12 touchdowns and only one interception.
“Their quarterback makes them go,” Getsy said. “Everything revolves around him.”
Beck’s top targets are Reiker Welling (21 receptions for 478 yards, six TDs) and Brandon Pratte (8-169, four TDs). The fact that Welling averages 23 yards per catch and Pratte averages 21 underscores their big-play capability.
“We have to keep an eye on (Welling),” said Getsy. “He’s a talented kid and they like to get the ball to him.”
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