When Freedom’s boys’ 200 medley relay team was out-touched by Allentown Central Catholic’s at the beginning of their swim meet last Tuesday, it was as though the Vikings had fired a warning shot.

Freedom captain, Brandon Burnette, said, “At the end when we were out-touched, I thought what are we going to do now to make up those points?”

What the Patriots did do was clobber the Vikings in the 400 free relay, the final event of the meet, to claim an overall 90-86 victory for Freedom.

At the time, all Burnette could do was watch, having just won the 100 breaststroke by .20 seconds.

“I think it would have been harder to be in the relay because the entire meet is riding on you,” he said.

It was Brian Seitz, Colin Burnette, Troy Watlington, and Tyler Higgins who pulled through in the end with a time of 3:37.77. The Vikings took second place, 10 seconds behind, but one second ahead of Andy Conzola, Spencer Smith, Jack Runco, and Cameron Bell, who came in third.

“Second and third were close the entire time, and it wasn’t until the end that Central pulled ahead,” said Brandon Burnette.

Earlier in the meet, Higgins won the 200 free and Watlington placed second. Al J Bell took second in the 200 IM, and Brandon Burnette and Conzola had a 2-3 finish in the 50 free.

The Vikings gained unanswered points in diving because there were no Freedom boys to compete in that event.

Brandon Burnette said, “It was back and forth the entire time, especially right before diving.”

Al J Bell won the 100 butterfly and Colin Burnette was second, and Seitz took second in the 100 free. The Patriots then had a 1-2-3 finish in the 500 free with Higgins, Conzola, and Cameron Bell, respectively.

In the 200 free relay, Higgins, Nick Carbonaro, Brandon Burnette, and Al J Bell placed second.

With two individual events left, Colin Burnette won the 100 backstroke, and Seitz placed second, followed by Brandon Burnette’s breaststroke victory.

“I started off ahead of [Central’s Charlie Li], and then at the last lap, I could see him coming up, and my only goal was not to let him pass me,” said Brandon Burnette. “I was relieved and did everything I could during my events, and now I had to watch [the 400 free relay]. The last relay would decide the meet.”

Two days later, the Patriot boys defeated East Stroudsburg South 113-45.

“That was a good meet against East Stroudsburg,” Brandon Burnette said.

Freedom’s girls’ swim team also defeated East Stroudsburg South 107-65 but lost to Central 100-78.

Individual event winners for the Patriot girls against the Vikettes were Rileigh Ellis in the 200 free and the 500 free, Reilly Ward in the 50 free and the 100 breaststroke, and Madison Young in diving.

Ellis, Ward, Young, and Bridget Tarnowski also won the 200 free relay for the Patriots.

“The competitive meets are a whole lot of fun to swim, and having close races usually means very good times for everybody,” said Brandon Burnette.