On a cool Friday night, under the bright lights of Bethlehem Area School District Stadium, the Blue Eagles fought long and hard, securing a narrow victory over the Liberty Hurricanes in a game that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
The game started with Nazareth taking an early lead thanks to a 69-yard touchdown run by junior running back Marquez Wimberly. Liberty was able to gain some yards in Nazareth territory, but was quickly stopped at the 31 yard-line by Nazareth’s defensive back, Lance Zuercher. Zuercher picked off a pass intended for a Hurricane’s wide receiver, which was only the beginning for Lance. Liberty responded in the second quarter with an unexpected, yet jaw-dropping 40-yard pass from quarterback Antonio Fontanez to wide receiver Jake Pukszyn, putting crucial points on the board for Liberty.
This didn’t stop the Blue Eagles. Quarterback, Peyton Falzone, pitched the ball to running back Marquez Wimberly, allowing Wimberly to run outside, and get an 18-yard touchdown run. This helped Nazareth to lead the game 20-14 at halftime.
The third quarter began, and the game got very tense and suspenseful. Both teams had multiple chances at a touchdown, being a couple yards from the end zone, yet both the Hurricanes’ and the Eagles’ defense held strong. Lance Zuercher got another pick off a Liberty pass intended for their wide receiver #12, running the ball about 17 yards. Unfortunately, Nazareth was unable to move the ball into the endzone, including a missed field goal attempt. By the fourth quarter, the Blue Eagles were not about to give up. Nazareth’s offensive line ran a screenplay for Marquez Wimberly, allowing him to get another 55-yard run into the endzone.
At this point, Nazareth was on fire. With about six minutes left in the game, Lance Zuercher struck again. Zuercher stripped the ball from Liberty’s running back, Gabe Green, and ran 63 yards into the endzone, gaining Nazareth another six points on the board.
Both teams put forth all they could, but Nazareth’s defense was relentless and hard to beat, forcing three turnovers that proved crucial in securing the win, 34-14. Wimberly, after the game, said, “This was a huge win for us because they were 6-0… They were a completely different team than they were last year, but so are we.”
With this victory, Nazareth improves to 5-2 on the season, boosting their playoff hopes. Liberty, now 6-1, will look to bounce back in next week’s game against the Easton Red Rovers.
