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Freedom High football team puts lengthy losing streak behind it

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Published  September 10, 2024 6:25pm EDT
High School Sports
FOX 13 News

Lengthy losing streak in the past for Freedom High

As both the head football coach and climate and culture resource teacher at Freedom High School, Ron Perisee makes sure the vibes both on the field and in the hallways are good.

TAMPA, Fla. - As both the head football coach and climate and culture resource teacher at Freedom High School, Ron Perisee makes sure the vibes both on the field and in the hallways are good.

"As one of my former players said, I’m like the vibe-coach here," Perisee said.

For the past couple of years, however, the vibes on Friday nights at Freedom have been anything but good.

"The vibes were definitely off," admits Perisee.

After all, when Perisee took over as head coach in January, the Patriots were riding a 28-game losing streak stretching back to the 2021 season.

"There’s always been talent here and the numbers have been here," said Perisee. "My initial thought was there is no way the streak could be this long. But it is."

With back-to-back losses to begin the 2024 season, suddenly the Patriots were owners of a 30-game losing streak.

Despite the similar results, the vibes felt different to players on the sidelines.

"It’s been a complete culture change," said senior offensive lineman Doug Ruggiero. "I feel like we expected it and it’s time to turn around."

That turnaround would finally come when Freedom defeated King High School 16-6 in their week three game.

At long last, the Patriots brought their infamous streak to a celebratory end.

"Some of our kids had never won a football game before," Perisee said. "For them to get to taste that sweet, sweet taste of victory, that meant the world to me."

And while a single win might not mean much to some, to the Patriots it is the spark they have been searching for to reignite the passion that has been dormant in their program.

"We wanted to push for that win to not only prove (everyone) wrong but to give us hope to actually win more," said senior cornerback Cameron Hodges.

Watching the final seconds tick off the clock on Friday, the Patriots were overcome by a feeling few on the roster had experienced before.

"It’s a feeling you get addicted to, so you’ve got to keep on striving for," Ruggiero said.

That feeling of victory now has a program that was once an afterthought feeling like they're ready to turn their losing streak into a winning streak. 

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