It was a rough week for Freedom’s wrestling program, but one that the Patriots look to learn from after dropping three straight losses.

It was the first taste of defeat for the Pates this season after coming into the week 14-0, dropping results to Bethlehem Catholic, Easton and Parkland. Taking on traditional league powers will test anyone’s mettle, but head coach Dante Terenzio knows it’s part of the process to becoming a better team.

“We knew what we were up against with Beca, and it was a humbling experience, as I’m sure it is for most teams who wrestle them,” Terenzio said of the 62-6 loss. “We wrestled them tough in a handful of bouts and I think that showed the kids that, win or lose, they can roll with anyone.

“Against Easton, we found out that half of our guys are in great shape and the other half are not. That is a direct correlation to the work that is put into the wrestling room on a daily basis. We base a lot of our success on being in better shape than our opponent, but now we know we have to take our conditioning to the next level. Our practice after that match was one of our most productive in a long time and I think we are all on the same page now.”

Freedom (14-3) takes on Pleasant Valley (6-8) on Wednesday after Press deadlines before gearing up for the War on the Shore tournament at Stephen Decatur High School in Maryland this weekend. It’ll be the last tournament the Pates compete in before the postseason, so it’ll be an important gauge for the Patriot wrestlers.

“It’s always fun to get out of the area to hit some different competition,” Terenzio said. “Our guys understand we are making a long trip and expect a lot of success along the way. I believe we can have multiple medalists and champs, along with a high finish in the team standings.”

Liberty (11-4) is coming off a 4-1 finish at the Quakertown Duals over the weekend. Their only loss of the weekend came to the hosts by a 34-28 margin, but they registered wins over Lower Merion (69-7), Great Valley (62-15), Father Judge (55-14) and Stroudsburg (39-36).

“I was very proud of this young team’s effort over the weekend and how they supported each other,” said head coach Brandon Hall. “Certainly rewarding as a coach to see new wrestlers and kids, who struggled in certain situations, now finding success. Our more experienced guys are also gaining confidence while having fun with some new stuff on the mat.”

The Hurricanes have Central Catholic (0-3) and Pocono Mountain West (3-4) on the docket for this week before heading into the final week of the regular season.