The changes in this year’s high school cross country season have caused somewhat of a philosophy shift for Freedom head coach Bob Thear.

The Patriots, as well as all cross country teams in the East Penn Conference, will run five dual meets with teams in their county. In this case, Freedom, Liberty, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, Easton, and Nazareth make up the Northampton County Division.

But with EPC championships not happening, District XI championships up in the air, and the PIAA State meet an unknown, Coach Thear is focusing his Pates on the five dual meets, something he hasn’t really done before; instead, shooting for the bigger meets.

“I tell them that these five races, in every individual dual meet we have, they have to do their absolute best on those days,” Thear said. “You want them to be able to compete against the best kid at the highest level, but there’s still something to run for. And the kids are just happy to have a season, in general.”

Key returners for the Patriots will be Lauren Charboneau, Eliza Fihlman, Julia Heidemann, Alex Heidemann, Alex Hume, Eric Mann, Dan Bauer, and Joe Bauer.

“I’m seeing a lot of progress on both sides,” said Coach Thear. “We’re talented. We don’t have big numbers, but we have returners, and we’re pretty good.

“A lot of them had a really good summer compared to years past. Maybe because of the pandemic we had good attendance, and they were excited to come to practice more frequently.”

Moravian College and Pocono Mountain East grad Devon Harris is Thear’s new assistant coach.

Freedom’s first dual meet is scheduled for Tuesday, past Press deadlines, against Northampton at Freedom.