East Stroudsburg South's next step in its football journey goes through Freedom

EAST STROUDSBURG — East Stroudsburg South football has a golden opportunity on Friday night against Freedom.

The Cavaliers lit up the scoreboard during the first half of the season, averaging 40 points and over 400 yards of total offense through their 4-1 start. But Matt Walters' squad has its biggest test of the season, and probably over the last few seasons, against a program that's considered one of the best programs in Pennsylvania this year.

South is undoubtedly the favorite to win the District 11 5A Championship and looks poised to make a run in the state playoff. A game like this, however, could be the one to put the program on the next level.

"There's definitely gonna be a lot of eyes on what this game is going to look like," Walters said. "But something that we always believe is that we're going to focus on ourselves, we're going to focus on our game plan. We're going to focus on what we can control. When we start to worry about the uncontrollable, that's when things can get a little shaky.

"We're just looking to have a good solid week of practice. The kids are fired up for the opportunity. You could just sense a little bit of a different attitude and environment here at practice, but it's something that we thrive for and something that we live for here at East Stroudsburg."

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Walters mentioned that South played Freedom in 2023, when the Patriots won 7-0. That loss, however, gave his team the proof it needed to know it could compete with anyone, and it fueled an undefeated October that ended with a district playoff berth. A lot of those players are back this year for their senior season, namely starting linebacker Nasir Blount, who is looking forward to the matchup.

"They're considered one of the best in the valley this year, if not the best," Blount said. "I've said this before: I think we're the best team up here, and we're working to prove that. So this would be a great matchup for us, show where we're at and how much we have to improve."

Blount and the defense will indeed face a big challenge preparing for Freedom, which has scored 30 or more points in four of its five games. It will be up to Blount, Charles Capers, Xzavier Pusateri and the rest of the defense to figure it out, along with defensive coordinator Dan Burns to construct a gameplan.

"Freedom is a talented offense. They got athletes at a variety of positions, and they're really good up front," Burns said. "We put a lot of trust in our guys. We know they have athletes, but we feel that we have athletes as well. We want to put them in great positions to succeed."

Pusateri is a key player to watch on both sides of the ball. As a defensive back, he's caught three interceptions. As a wide receiver, he leads Monroe County in catches, yards and touchdowns. A good performance against a team that hasn't allowed more than 16 points would do a lot for his stock.

"I know a few of the Freedom players, so it's definitely about showing them some work," Pusateri said about his mentality for the game. "Obviously, everybody thinks the Lehigh Valley is better, but we got some guys over here who could work."

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It won't be just about the wins and losses for the Cavalier seniors. A good performance for any of them against a top program could be the catalyst for their college recruitment. They won't get a better chance building their stock than against Freedom, and Walters has already seen the signs.

"I'll tell you what, a lot of college coaches are going to be here at the Purple Pit on Friday. I had to reserve some parking spots for them," Walters said. "They want to see how our seniors compete, deal with adversity through the highs and lows of a very competitive football game.

"We're very interested in to see how our kids respond to that. I think they respond very well to this type of environment and atmosphere, and these college coaches are in for a pretty good treat."

Freedom's offense is headlined by running back Aaron Beete, who's neck and neck with Charles Capers for the EPC rushing title, and Chase Walker, who's one of the leading passers in the conference. Defensively, the Cavaliers must contend with linebacker Justin Peluso, who is committed to playing football at Lafayette. Speed will be the key: East Stroudsburg South has to handle the Patriots' speed. How well they do that determines whether the Cavaliers have a chance.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: East Stroudsburg South's next step in its football journey goes through Freedom