Freedom’s boys’ swim team is making do with seven swimmers this season, so despite strong swims by the Patriots, they were defeated by Pocono Mountain East, 87-68, last Thursday at Freedom.

“If we had one more boy, we would have been able to have two relays and that would have put us over the top or even closer,” said Pates’ swim coach Alisha Roscioli.

Instead, PME won the 400 free relay, the last event of the meet, unopposed.

Earlier in the meet, Freedom’s boys, Andrew Ehret, Danny Connell, Luke McClure, and Eric Mann won the 200 medley relay comfortably with a time of 1:51.20, and the 200 free relay with a time of 1:42.11.

“It’s not even just our team. It’s a lot of teams in the area where there’s not that big of an interest from the boys,” Roscioli said. “We have some boys in middle school who are thinking about joining next year, so hopefully we’ll be able to build that team up. The boys we do have swim amazing, it’s just that our numbers are down.”

Ehret won the 200 IM in 2:09.02, Mann won the 50 free in 26.70, Connell took first in the 100 butterfly in 59.41, and McClure was first in the 100 free in 57.27.

“The 100 fly was very close. I could see in the corner of my eye,” said Connell. “That pumps you up more. That makes you want to push even harder.”

Ehret placed first in the 100 backstroke in 59.65, and Connell won the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.35.

“I’m coming in and out of my turns much faster and much more explosive than I did last year, and it seems to be having a great big impact on my times,” Connell said.

“You can definitely tell the difference [with a small boys’ team], but I try to make it not that big of a difference and get everyone pumped up like we used to for the bigger meets, but we do our best and we’re still having a good season.”