Parkland Takes Down Nazareth in an EPC Instant Classic

Tagged under: District 11, Game Photos, Gameday Hub, News

Samantha Baker | September 16, 2023

It was a highly anticipated matchup between two unbeaten, state ranked teams and it certainly lived up to the hype. Parkland and Nazareth were expected to be two of the top teams in the EPC this season and they had the chance to square off just four weeks into the season. The buzz around the game was real and it will end up going down as an instant classic. Army football commit Trey Tremba started things off early for the Trojans by taking the opening kickoff 40 yards and setting them up with great field position. Just a few plays later Tremba opened up the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown run to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead with 9:56 remaining in the first quarter. Parkland was able to get a stop on the ensuing possession and then added to their lead with a 28-yard field goal by Aidan Gallagher to make it 10-0 with 6:46 left in the first quarter. Nazareth got on the board with a 22-yard field goal of their own by Nathan Baker. At the conclusion of the first quarter the score was 10-3 with Parkland leading.

Tremba then found the endzone for the second time of the night with a 4-yard run. The PAT failed and the score was 16-3 early in the second quarter. Just 31 seconds later Nazareth answered with a 30-yard touchdown run from Jed Bendekovits which was set up after a 50-yard rush from Marquez Wimberly. The score was now 16-10. Tremba then struck again from 33 yards out and the Trojans converted on a 2-point attempt making the score 24-10 with 7:55 remaining in the half. After this score Tremba had already accumulated 179 yards on the ground. The Blue Eagles went into the half down 14, but came out swinging. They were able to drive down into the red zone before they were stopped on a 4th-and-goal. Nazareth wasn’t done there…with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter, Sophomore quarterback Peyton Falzone connected with Caleb Newsome who made a great move to evade the defender and got in the endzone for six.

It was now just a one possession game with the score Parkland 24 Nazareth 17. Falzone and Newsome connected once more on a short route which was then taken 59 yards to the house. Tie game 24-24 with 11:19 remaining. The crowd was roaring and the energy was high. Possession then switched over twice more before Parkland had a nice drive going that had them heading in from the Blue Eagles’ 30-yard line. With 3:27 remaining in the game, Trey Tremba took the handoff up the middle before the ball was jarred loose and Jed Bendekovits of Nazareth recovered. It seemed as if the Blue Eagles had all the momentum as they looked to put together a game-winning drive, but the Trojans had other plans. Parkland put together a great defensive stand and took over at their own 44-yard line with 1:56 left to play. 34 seconds later Nazareth’s second half shutout came to an end when Parkland quarterback, Luke Spang, was able to avoid a big surge upfront from the Blue Eagles and hit Trey Tremba on the run for the 39-yard touchdown. The Trojans took a 31-24 lead with 1:22 remaining. Nazareth came out for a last ditch effort needing to go 89 yards to tie the game. After a few big plays that had Nazareth at their own 40-yard line, they found themselves in a 4th-and-23 situation after some costly penalties. The game was on the line and Falzone fired downfield to star wide receiver Mason Kuehner who made the catch but was marked a yard shy of the first down. The Trojans would then take over and kneel out the remaining clock with a final score of 31-24.

Parkland moves to 4-0 and will face the only other undefeated team left in Allentown Central Catholic next week. The Blue Eagles fall to 3-1 and face Liberty next. It was an action packed game between two very talented squads who will most likely be seeing each other again down the road in the playoffs. Until next time…

Notable Performances:

Parkland
Trey Tremba – 28 carries, 267 yards, and 4 touchdowns
Luke Spang – 10-15, 137 yards, and 1 touchdown

Nazareth
Caleb Newsome – 5 receptions, 113 yards, and 2 touchdowns
Jed Bendekovits – 15 carries, 104 yards, and 1 touchdown