Nazareth’s Goal Line Interception Against Bethlehem Catholic Ends Near Upset

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Samantha Baker | October 21, 2023

It wasn’t the cleanest of games for either side, but Nazareth (8-1) vs Bethlehem Catholic (5-4) sure was entertaining! This low scoring affair started out with a Nazareth drive down to the Becahi 27-yard line before the drive stalled and Blue Eagles turned the ball over on downs. The Nazareth defense then answered with their own stop. After another solid drive by Nazareth, the Becahi defense held strong and forced a 31-yard field goal by Nathan Baker. The Blue Eagles led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. Becahi’s offense got rolling and was inside the Nazareth 10-yard line before they were stopped and forced to attempt a 26-yard field goal that hit off the upright. The score remained 3-0 with 10 minutes left in the first half. Just a minute and a half later, the Nazareth offense flew down the field and punched in a 2-yard touchdown run by Peyton Falzone. The Blue Eagles led 10-0. Both team’s defenses held strong and the score remained unchanged heading into the half. Through the first half, both teams combined for just 34 yards on the ground. Becahi came out swinging in the second half and with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter, they got into the endzone for the first time since the third quarter of the Easton game on September 23rd (15 quarters of football). The touchdown came from a 5-yard rush by Jacob Sutton. Nazareth still led 10-7. Becahi continued a momentum filled third quarter with another touchdown, this time it was Golden Hawk quarterback, Cayden Vassa, who found his brother, Carter, for the 2-yard reception. Becahi took a 14-10 lead over the Blue Eagles with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Just when it looked like Becahi had all the momentum, the high powered Nazareth offense struck again. This time it was a wide receiver pass from Mason Kuehner to fellow wide receiver Caleb Newsome for a 52-yard score. The energy in the stadium was back as the Blue Eagles held a 17-14 lead with 8:05 remaining in regulation. After trading possessions the Golden Hawks had one last chance to tie or win the game. They had 88 yards to go with 2:49 left and only one timeout. After entering Nazareth territory, Becahi was challenged with a crucial 4th and long. Vassa dropped back and heaved a high ball into a crowd which included his brother and three Blue Eagles’ defenders. Miraculously, Carter Vassa reeled the catch in and Becahi had the ball on the Nazareth 4-yard line with just 11 seconds remaining. It looked like the Golden Hawks were about to pull one of the biggest upsets of the year before Nazareth safety, Logan Hilarczyk, made the play of the night and jumped a route securing an interception and a Blue Eagles win. What a game it was as both teams now move on to finish out their regular season’s next week.

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