Even though Freedom has struggled to pick up wins in the Cedar Beach summer league, the Patriots can always look at the Stellar 'Catch a Rising Star' Tournament as a weekend of true examination for their hopes this winter.

With the Pates dealing with inconsistent lineups throughout the summer league, head coach Joe Stellato anticipates having the bulk of his roster available for play when things get under way Thursday evening in the nationally prestigious summer event.

"I want to see where we're at with a full lineup," Stellato said. "We haven't been winning games in the summer league and we haven't had all of our guys at games. Even if we don't get to Sunday [of Stellar], I just want to have our guys there to see them play together."

Getting to Sunday's final day of action has always been a goal for coaches and Stellato is no different from Liberty's Chad Landis or Bethlehem Catholic's new head coach, Ray Barbosa.

Landis understands that play in the Stellar tournament brings another level of competition he always looks forward to.

"We look at it as the culmination of the summer," Landis said of playing in the Stellar tournament and in SportsFest the following weekend. "It's the most serious we'll take a summer environment. You want to see how guys have developed."

Freedom opens the tournament on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Notre Dame to kick things off for the local teams.

Bethlehem Catholic plays later that night against Palmyra at 8 p.m., while Liberty gets things going on Friday at 5 p.m. against Hazleton.