Freedom’s football team has certainly gone through the roller coaster ride of ups and downs this season.

After rallying to beat Phillipsburg in a week three classic, the Patriots were shut out 31-0 by Nazareth on Friday night, in a game that was anything but fun for a Freedom squad that dropped to 2-2 on the year.

Freedom’s offense showed promise on its opening possession, driving 93 yards on 23 plays and picking up seven first downs. But the drive ended when Lashawn Johnson was stopped on fourth-and-one at the Nazareth five-yard line.

That missed opportunity proved costly as the Blue Eagles gradually took control.

Nazareth broke through in the second quarter when Owen Hall connected on a 30-yard field goal with 6:23 remaining. Nazareth then extended its lead with 3:10 left in the half when quarterback Cooper Madson found Will Bacolo for a 13-yard touchdown pass. Hall’s extra point gave Nazareth a 10-0 lead at halftime to give them a 10-0 lead going into halftime.

Nazareth (3-1) blew things open in the second half with 21 unanswered points. Madson connected with Luke DiPietro for a 28-yard touchdown with 10:25 in the third quarter to go ahead 17-0.

Bacolo then delivered one of the game’s biggest plays early in the fourth quarter, breaking free for a 35-yard touchdown run with 11:07 remaining for a 24-0 advantage.

Nazareth capped the scoring with 6:49 remaining when Madson found Mason Marinelli for a 10-yard touchdown.

Madson was efficient throughout the night, completing 20 of 23 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. DiPietro was his leading receiver with five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Bacolo finished with seven receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Bacolo also powered Nazareth’s rushing attack, carrying 16 times for 153 yards and a touchdown.

Freedom’s offense continued to move the ball on the ground behind Johnson, who carried 28 times for 152 yards.

But the Patriots struggled to generate production through the air. Michael Stofanak completed 9 of 23 passes for 78 yards and threw three interceptions. Davyan Moore led Freedom’s receivers with five catches for 48 yards.

Freedom head coach Jason Roeder said the performance was difficult to explain, particularly after the team’s emotional win over P’Burg just over a week ago.

“You can’t pinpoint one thing,” Roeder said. “We lost 31-0. You can’t pinpoint one thing.”

Roeder said he did not see signs during the week that the Patriots were headed for such a performance.

“I think usually you see that in practice, and we didn’t,” he said. “I didn’t see it in practice. I didn’t see it in our preparation. I thought, if anything, we used the momentum from last week. But I don’t know.”

The Patriots have now experienced dramatically different performances in their wins and losses this season, making consistency the immediate focus.

“Two weeks, and two very, very different outcomes,” Roeder said. “We do have to find some consistency, without a doubt. We’re seeing a pattern here, obviously.”

The good thing is that the Pates have an opportunity for a feel good game against a 1-3 Dieruff team at home Friday night, as they look to get back in the win column.