One of the surprise teams to have a hot start this winter in boys' basketball have been the undefeated exploits of Freedom.

The Patriots (3-0, 2-0) registered league wins over Easton and Dieruff last week to have them nestled atop the Steel Division with city rival Liberty (3-0, 2-0).

For head coach Joe Stellato, the great start to the season is a surprise to him too.

"Based off the way we played in the summer and how we played in our first scrimmage, I am surprised to be 3-0," he said. "It's a unique group of guys we have because I never know who's going to be our leading scorer or rebounder any night. "We're playing 10 or 11 guys, which is something that I've never done. It's really a next man up mentality with us and it's been working so far."

One player that Stellato has been able to count on is senior Jeff Toronto, whose averaged 11 points a games so far. Toronto scored a team-high 13 in last Friday's 48-42 win over Dieruff, which saw the Pates trailing by three points entering the fourth quarter, but outscored Dieruff 18-9 in the final frame.

Sophomore Nick King has also been a key contributor for the Pates, as he scored 13 in the win over Dieruff and leads the team in scoring with 16.7 points a game.

"Jeff is playing the best right now for us because he's one of our most consistent players," Stellato said, "but Nick has been a pleasant surprise. I definitely didn't expect him to put up numbers like this as a sophomore."

The surprising start for Freedom makes Stellato wonder how long the run will last for the team. The Pates took on a struggling Bethlehem Catholic (0-4) side on Tuesday night before traveling to Stroudsburg on Friday night and hosting Quakertown on Saturday.

"All three games that we've played so far, we've had different guys finish," he said. "I know teams will scout us more and try different things against us, but our guys have been a scrappy group on the floor and they're playing with confidence."