By BEN HENDERSON | Special correspondent Published: January 23, 2013 Updated: January 23, 2013 - 12:00 AM

It has been quite the season for the Freedom girls basketball team. After going 18-11 last season, the Patriots are 19-3 with two games left in the regular season before the district tournament next week.

Head coach Laurie Pacholke, in her fourth season as head coach, has a senior laden squad, with six seniors led by Georgetown University commit Faith Woodard. Pacholke says she has girls on her JV who could probably play varsity for other teams not that she is complaining.

"This is the most talent we have ever had," she said. "We have a super competitive practice. We go 5-on-5 and it gets pretty cutthroat."

Freedom had outscored their up opponents this year by an average of 28 points. It can be difficult to keep focus when winning by a wide margin, but Pacholke knows her team can not become complacent if they are to reach the final four in Lakeland.

"Our goal is to be better today than we were yesterday," she said. "We need to do a better job defensively, making sure we are precise."

One thing that has helped Freedom is the rigorous conditioning program that took part in over the off-season.

"We had 15 to 20 kids out for conditioning," Pacholke said. "The commitment level is top notch. We have 13 kids who play basketball year round."

Senior guard Neena Pacholke, coach Pacholke's daughter, says the workouts they did are part of what help the Patriots beat other teams in transition.

"We did the insanity workout and then ran on the track," she said.

Read this article:

Talented Freedom High girls chase hoops title