Freedom to visit Nazareth in Heavyweight Matchup
Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
john fox dan di edwardo | September 16, 2026
Coming off a 42-14 win over Allentown Central Catholic, Nazareth stays home to battle Freedom, who escaped a nail biter 32-31 over Phillipsburg on their home field. Both teams enter the matchup at 2-1 and are looking to make a statement in the District 11 6A conference. Both teams feature star power at QB and are in for a potential shootout.
Nazareth QB Cooper Madson was thrust into starting QB duties last season after a season ending injury to Peyton Falzone. Having that experience under his belt from last year has served him well. He currently has 685 passing yards on the season, with 9 TDs. Madson has no shortage of weapons to throw to, with TE Mason Marinelli, who has 12 receptions for 164 yards and 2 TDs on the year and WR Luke DePietro, who has 17 receptions for 293 yards and 4 TDs as his primary targets. It was this explosive offense that got them to the District 11 6A semifinals before losing to Parkland 35-14.
Freedom also has a star QB in Michael Stofanak who has 551 passing yards and 5 TDs on the season so far. However, Freedom returns their most dynamic offensive weapon in RB Lashawn Johnson, who suffered through an injury plagued season in 2025. In 2026, Johnson 444 rushing yards and 6 TDs on 67 attempts. WR Davyan Moore leads the team with 340 receiving yards and 4 TDs, providing an offense that can keep pace with Nazareth. Coming off a District 11 6A Quarterfinal loss to Liberty, Freedom wants to prove that they are a contender for a District title with a healthy roster.
This game has all the makings of a high scoring affair, with 2 of the most explosive offenses in District 11, but I think it comes down to home field advantage in this one. Nazareth is tough to beat anywhere, especially at home. I think DePietro takes over the game for the Nazareth offense, while Freedom’s Lashawn Johnson and Davyan Moore do their part in keeping it close. However, a late Nazareth TD seals a 42-35 victory for the home team.
