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Recap: Nazareth Clinches Home Playoff Game After 31-21 Win over Northampton

 
Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| October 24, 2026

Fresh off a 52-49 shootout win over Bethlehem Catholic, Nazareth returned home to face Northampton. Nazareth won the coin toss and chose to defer to the 2nd half.

Northampton’s Colby Brearman muffed the opening kickoff but recovered his own fumble. The Konkrete Kids started on their own 12 and started with a mix of runs to Chase Kessler and Zion McKinney. However, the drive stalled at the K-Kids 38, forcing a punt.

Nazareth took over at their own 4 following the punt. Cooper Madson completed a series of passes to Jayden Sanchez, Will Bacolo, and Luke DePietro, with the drive finishing with a 13 yard TD pass from Madson to Matt Leluga to give Nazareth a 7-0 lead with 3:30 left in the 1st.

 

Northampton started their next possession with a return to their own 34. After a 20 yard run by Chase Kessler, Luke Stopay found Colby Brearman for the 46 yard TD, evening the score at 7-7 with 1:57 left in the 1st.

 

Nazareth returned the kickoff to their own 39 following a rekick out of bounds. A pass to Lance Zuercher got the drive started, followed by a couple Will Bacolo runs. The drive culminated with a Madson 44 yard TD pass to Luke DePietro as time expired in the 1st quarter to put Nazareth up 14-7

 

Colby Brearman returned the kickoff to the Northampton 21. The drive was a mix of Kessler and McKinney runs to the 2 yard line of Nazareth, where Joell Small punched it in to tie the score 14-14 with 7:32 left in the 2nd.

 

Nazareth took over on the Northampton 28 following a big Lance Zuercher return. Madson hit DePietro and Bacolo had some long runs to set them up at the goal line, where Lance Zuercher’s 1 yard TD run put Nazareth up 21-14 with 5:06 left in the 2nd.

 

The Konkrete Kids took over on their own 36 following the kickoff. 3 straight Kessler runs opened the drive, leading to a 4th and 7. Northampton’s punter bobbled the snap and took off for 8 yards, picking up the 1st down in the process. Kessler and McKinney split carries, where McKinney ran it in for an 8 yard TD to tie the score at 21 with 36 seconds left in the half.

 

Nazareth took over at their own 44 but reached the K-kids 44 before Madson’s hail mary fell incomplete, ending the half 21-21.

Nazareth started the 2nd half at their own 33 following a Zuercher return. After a 12 yard pass to Leluga, the entire drive was Will Bacolo runs, culminating with his 1 yard TD run, putting Nazareth up 28-21 with 8:10 left in the 3rd.

 

Northampton took over at their own 33 following a Colby Brearman return. The drive was all runs with Kessler, McKinney, and Small, until an incomplete pass at the Nazareth 31 set up 3rd and 7. A Kessler 2 yard run, set up 4th and 5 to 4th and 10 following a false start. Stopay’s pass fell incomplete, turnover on downs.

Nazareth took over at their own 34 and a combination of runs to Cooper Wenrich and Will Bacolo, along with passes to Leluga and DePietro burned clock for the Blue Eagles. Although the drive stalled at the Northampton 6, a 23 yard Owen Hall FG put Nazareth up 31-21 with 8:27 left in the game.

 

Northampton took over at their own 13 and reached their own 48 before a turnover on downs. Nazareth ran Bacolo to the Northampton 39, where Madson completed a pass to Leluga, who fell at the 1, where Madson kneeled down into victory formation. Final score Nazareth 31, Northampton 21.

“I thought the offense was pretty efficient and we were well balanced out there” said Nazareth head coach, Tom Falzone.

The win improved Nazareth to 8-1 and they will travel to Easton next Friday at 7. Northampton fell to 5-4 as they return home to battle Bethlehem Catholic next Friday at 7.

Score by Quarters

Northampton-7 14 0 0

Nazareth- 14 7 7 3

First Quarter

Nazareth (Leluga 13 yard TD catch) 3:30 (7-0)

Northampton (Brearman 46 yard TD catch) 1:57 (7-7)

Nazareth (DePietro 44 yard TD catch) 0:00 (14-7)

Second Quarter

Northampton (Small 2 yard TD run) 7:32 (14-14)

Nazareth (Zuercher 1 yard TD run) 5:06 (21-14)

Northampton (McKinney 8 yard TD run) 0:36 (21-21)

Third Quarter

Nazareth (Bacolo 1 yard TD run) 8:10 (28-21)

Fourth Quarter

Nazareth (Hall 23 yard FG) 8:27 (31-21)

Game Leaders:

Nazareth:

Cooper Madson: 252 yards, 2 TD passes

Luke DePietro: 7 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD

Matt Leluga 9 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD

Will Bacolo 17 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD rushing

Northampton:

Luke Stopay: 47 yards, 1 TD pass

Chase Kessler: 23 carries 135 yards

Zion McKinney: 8 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD

Joell Small: 4 carries, 12 yards, 1 TD

Colby Brearman: 2 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD

Postgame Interview with Nazareth’s Will Bacolo

 

Postgame Interview with Nazareth’s Cooper Madson

 

Postgame Interview with Nazareth’s Coach Falzone

 

 

 
 
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