Freedom spent the offseason looking for a way to turn last year’s disappointment against Liberty into motivation.

On Saturday afternoon, the Patriots finally got the kind of result they wanted against their city rival.

Freedom scored on eight occasions, Michael Stofanak threw four touchdown passes and the defense came away with seven interceptions in a 56-20 mercy-rule victory over Liberty at BASD Stadium.

The win was especially satisfying for the Patriots, who lost to Liberty twice last season, including a defeat in the District 11 playoffs. Freedom head coach Jason Roeder said those losses remained a motivating factor throughout the offseason.

“The way last year ended, losing twice to these guys, that’s tough to take,” Roeder said. “That aided us our entire offseason. We did use it as motivation, and we challenged this group to rebuild things. They’ve done that.”

The Patriots have certainly rebuilt their season. After opening the year 2-2, Freedom has won three straight games and enters the District 11 Class 6A playoffs with a 7-3 record.

Freedom secured the fourth seed and will host fifth seeded Easton in Friday’s quarterfinals. The Patriots already have a victory over the Red Rovers this season, having edged them 38-35 on Oct. 23.

Liberty, meanwhile, finished its season at 2-8.

The Hurricanes couldn’t have scripted a better start Saturday though. On the first play from scrimmage, Alsaiah Gross connected with Zyaire Davis for a 68-yard touchdown. Christian Hackett’s extra point gave Liberty a 7-0 lead just 19 seconds into the contest.

Freedom answered with five consecutive touchdown drives, building a commanding lead while its defense repeatedly disrupted Liberty’s passing game.

Jahaire Hughes scored on runs of two and one yards in the first half before adding a 20-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The junior running back finished with 77 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns.

Stofanak provided the other major piece of the Patriots’ offensive attack. The senior quarterback completed 13 of 19 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns.

Davyan Moore was his favorite target, hauling in seven passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Moore caught scoring passes of 56 and 36 yards. Marquise Chapman added a 39-yard touchdown reception, while Terrell Gray scored on a 26-yard catch.

The Patriots finished with 408 total yards.

Roeder was pleased with the balance and execution, particularly after the team had worked to improve its passing attack.

“I feel good that we got all those turnovers on defense. I feel good that we got so much mileage out of our passing game today,” Roeder said. “It’s about celebrating this. This one’s important, really important.”

Liberty briefly interrupted Freedom’s scoring run when Treyce Whitlow broke loose for a 48-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter. Whitlow finished with 61 yards on five carries.

Davis also gave the Hurricanes a pair of explosive plays, finishing with five catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns. His second score came on a 77-yard pass from Dominic Fontanez in the third quarter.

But Liberty struggled to sustain drives against a Freedom defense that produced seven interceptions. Tyeir Chatman and Jackson Christman each had two picks, while Hughes, Chapman and Josias Solivan added one apiece.

Solivan provided the final touchdown of the afternoon, returning an interception 21 yards for a score with 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.

For Liberty coach Shawn Daignault, the defensive plan was built around slowing Freedom’s running game. While the Hurricanes had some success against the ground attack, they were unable to contain Stofanak and the Patriots’ receivers.

“Stopping their run game was the whole point today,” Daignault said. “They torched us in the passing game pretty heavily, and certainly that wasn’t what I had on my bingo card.”

Daignault also pointed to the challenges of developing an inexperienced group throughout the season. He said the result was especially disappointing for the seniors who stayed committed through a difficult year.

“It’s really disappointing, mainly for the seniors who stuck through some adversity,” he said.

Despite the loss, Daignault sees potential in the younger players returning next season. He pointed to the junior and freshman classes as reasons for optimism and said the offseason will provide an opportunity to evaluate the program and make adjustments.

Freedom, meanwhile, can turn its attention to another meeting with Easton. The Red Rovers are the defending District 11 Class 6A champions and enter the playoffs after a significant victory over Nazareth.

Roeder said the Patriots will enjoy Saturday’s performance before shifting their focus to the postseason.

“You don’t want to limp to the playoffs,” Roeder said. “I think a win like this builds enthusiasm. Monday’s going to be back to work and getting ready for that. But, as I said, we’re going to enjoy this one a little bit.”