Nazareth Blue Eagles Get Redemption On Parkland To Become District 11 Champions

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Samantha Baker | November 18, 2023

The Nazareth Blue Eagles took home the District 11 Championship trophy after a battle with the previously undefeated Parkland Trojans. The game was highly anticipated as it featured the two most talented football teams in the Lehigh Valley. Parkland came into the district playoffs with a gold EPC championship trophy, but Nazareth had a lot to prove after their loss to the Trojans early in the season.

The game remained tied at 0 for the entirety of the first half, a rare occasion for both of these powerhouse teams. Parkland tallied its first points after a 29-yard field goal from Aidan Gallagher early in the third quarter. Nazareth was quick to answer, as they made their way down the field and set up Nathan Baker for a 33-yard field goal, which concluded the scoring for the third quarter.

On Parkland’s first drive of the fourth, Leo Dauberman caught a 36-yard pass from Luke Spang to add 6 to the Trojan’s score. A Gallagher PAT made the score 10-3. Parkland now had the momentum, but Nazareth didn’t allow this to break their spirits. Instead, they dug their heels in and got down the field into Trojan territory. From there, it was Blue Eagle running back Jed Bendekovits who punched one in from 26-yards out. Baker’s extra point tied the score at 10. With 3 and a half minutes left, Parkland running back Trey Tremba put the Trojans back in the lead with a 14-yard run into the end zone. With time running down, Nazareth strung together a series of crucial plays, capped off by a 25-yard run and leap for the goal line by sophomore quarterback Peyton Falzone. The Nazareth coaching staff now had a choice to make; tie it or win it. In this case, the Blue Eagles chose to try and win it. The risk paid off, as wide receiver Mason Kuehner lined up at QB and threw a perfect dot to fellow receiver Frankie Mroz to take the lead 18-17. Parkland marched down the field with little time left and got into scoring range, but a fumble squashed all hopes of a last minute comeback. Nazareth’s Marquez Wimberly scooped the fumble and took it to the house for a 74 yard touchdown to top off the night and seal the game.

This was the Blue Eagles 600th program win and their district finals record has improved to 6-0. Nazareth will be taking on the winner of Abraham Lincoln and St. Joseph’s Prep next week in the PIAA quarterfinals.

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