“We got off to a fast start,” commented head coach Jason Roeder following the Freedom Patriots’ 68-14 season opening victory over the East Stroudsburg North Timberwolves at BASD Stadium Friday night.

Showing a veteran coach’s gift for understatement, Roeder’s team started the game by holding ESN to a three-and-out following the opening kickoff. The next four plays from scrimmage were: a blocked punt recovered by Freedom at the 12, a 12-yard TD run by Sebastian Gibbs, an interception returned to the ESN 11, and an 11-yard TD pass from Jared Jenkins to Vincent Reph.

Two more Freedom touchdowns followed before the lone, first half highlight for the visitors, a 95-yard kick off return touchdown for Dejon Richardson.

This might have been one of the plays that prompted Roeder to say after the game, “We have some things to work on.”

But would be hard to overstate the Patriots’ dominant first half performance. Consider this, Freedom scored a TD on all nine possessions and the defense did not surrender a first down until 5:15 left in the first half, which ended with the Pates up 61-6.

Junior QB Jenkins tossed five TD passes on nine completions before giving way to his backup with 6:16 remaining in the second quarter.

Mayson Panik led the way with 93 rushing yards and a TD, while Rontay Dunbar chipped in with 54 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. Another beneficiary of the scoring deluge was kicker Nicholas Stannard, who tied the school record with eight PATs in the game.

Looking ahead to the showdown with Bethlehem Catholic next weekend, Roeder cagily refused the opportunity to provide any bulletin board material by.

“I’ll leave the predictions to you guys (in the media),” Roeder said.

It’s unlikely that the Golden Hawks will require any additional motivation when the teams meet on Saturday Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. after Freedom handed Becahi only one of two regular season losses last season - a 38-35 victory in October in what was perhaps the best game in the EPC for the entire season.

The Hawks come into this year’s game riding high after a 54-6 win against Dieruff in their first game this year.

Both teams have aspirations of making long postseason runs this year following their successes last season. Becahi comes off a District 11 4A Championship and an appearance in the PA state semifinals. Freedom is trying to build on last year’s PIAA 6A playoff appearance.

Area football fans are hoping for another classic.