NAZARETH – Nazareth Area overcame a six-point halftime deficit and dominated the second half Friday night, scoring 28 unanswered points to defeat Bethlehem Freedom 42-27 in the District 11 Class 6A semifinals.
Will Bacolo delivered an outstanding all-around performance, accounting for four touchdowns. He rushed for 87 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries and threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Luke DePietro in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Cooper Madson added 304 passing yards and a touchdown as the Blue Eagles improved to 10-2 and advanced to next Friday night’s District 11 Class 6A championship game against Parkland, which defeated Whitehall 38-28 in the other semifinal.
Freedom finished its season at 8-4.
The Patriots gave Nazareth everything it could handle in the opening half, using a pair of late scores to take a 20-14 advantage into the locker room. However, the Blue Eagles responded with four consecutive touchdowns in the second half to take control.
Freedom struck first on its opening possession when Lashawn Johnson powered his way into the end zone on a three-yard touchdown run. Nathan Stannard converted the extra point to give the Patriots an early 7-0 advantage.
Nazareth answered with an impressive 80-yard scoring drive of its own.
Bacolo capped the possession with a five-yard touchdown run, and Owen Hall added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.
Neither team scored again in the opening quarter.
Freedom regained the lead in the second quarter when Stannard connected on a 26-yard field goal, giving the Patriots a 10-7 advantage.
Nazareth responded behind Bacolo, who scored his second touchdown of the night on a one-yard run. Hall converted the extra point, putting the Blue Eagles in front 14-10.
But the final moments of the first half belonged to Freedom.
With just 32 seconds remaining before halftime, quarterback Michael Stofanak connected with Christian Engelhardt for a nine-yard touchdown pass. Stannard’s extra point gave the Patriots a 17-14 lead.
Freedom wasn’t finished.
The Patriots forced a strip-sack and recovered the football, giving themselves another scoring opportunity before the half.
Stannard capitalized by connecting on a 32-yard field goal as time expired, extending Freedom’s lead to 20-14.
The two scores in the final 32 seconds gave the Patriots momentum heading into halftime, but Nazareth had other plans for the second half.
The Blue Eagles came out of the locker room determined to turn the game around.
Bacolo scored his third rushing touchdown of the contest on a five-yard run in the third quarter. Hall added the extra point, giving Nazareth a 21-20 advantage.
The Blue Eagles continued to build momentum when Madson connected with Mason Marinelli for a six-yard touchdown pass. Hall’s extra point extended Nazareth’s lead to 28-20.
Nazareth’s defense also began to take control, keeping Freedom off the scoreboard throughout the third quarter.
The Blue Eagles carried their eight-point advantage into the final period.
Nazareth continued to build on its second-half momentum when Jackson Medlar recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. Owen Hall converted the extra point, extending the Blue Eagles’ lead to 35-20.
The Blue Eagles then turned to a little trickery to put the game out of reach.
Bacolo, who had already scored three rushing touchdowns, showed off his passing ability when he connected with Luke DePietro for a 78-yard touchdown pass.
DePietro raced into the end zone, and Hall added the extra point to give Nazareth a commanding 42-20 advantage.
The touchdown gave Bacolo four total touchdowns — three rushing and one passing — highlighting an impressive offensive performance in the district semifinal victory
Freedom continued to battle.
Stofanak connected with Marquise Chapman for a 31-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Stannard converted the extra point, cutting Nazareth’s lead to 42-27.
However, the Patriots could not overcome Nazareth’s dominant second-half performance.
The Blue Eagles held on to secure the 15-point victory and advance to the district championship game.
Bacolo was the driving force behind Nazareth’s offensive success.
He carried 18 times for 87 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching two passes for 51 yards, according to the receiving statistics. The scoring summary also credited him with a 78-yard touchdown reception.
Madson turned in another strong performance through the air, completing 16 of 21 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception.
Lance Zuercher led Nazareth’s receiving corps with five catches for 152 yards, including a 62-yard reception.
DePietro caught five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, while Marinelli contributed four receptions for 69 yards and a score.
Matt Leluga added one reception for six yards.
Nazareth finished with 467 yards of total offense, including 383 passing yards and 84 rushing yards.
Freedom’s offense was led by Johnson, who rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
Stofanak completed 11 of 21 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed eight times for 31 yards.
Engelhardt led the Patriots’ receiving attack with four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Chapman added three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown, while Davyan Moore caught two passes for 20 yards.
Freedom finished with 311 yards of total offense, including 176 rushing yards and 135 passing yards.
The Patriots held a 17-14 advantage in first downs and controlled the ground game, but Nazareth’s explosive passing attack and second-half scoring surge proved to be the difference.
The Blue Eagles scored 14 points in both the third and fourth quarters after managing just 14 in the opening half.
Nazareth’s defense also played a critical role, shutting out Freedom in the third quarter and helping the Blue Eagles build a 22-point advantage before the Patriots scored their final touchdown.
Hall was perfect on extra points, converting all six attempts.
For Nazareth, the victory was especially impressive considering the way the first half ended.
Freedom appeared to have seized momentum with 10 points in the final 32 seconds before halftime, but the Blue Eagles responded with a dominant performance over the final two quarters.
Bacolo’s four touchdowns, Madson’s 304 passing yards and Medlar’s blocked-punt recovery for a touchdown highlighted a complete second-half turnaround.
Now, Nazareth turns its attention to a familiar opponent.
The Blue Eagles will face Parkland next Friday night for the District 11 Class 6A championship after the Trojans defeated Whitehall 38-28 in their semifinal matchup.
With a district title on the line, Nazareth will look to carry the momentum from its 42-27 victory over Freedom into the championship showdown.
Scoring Summary
Final: Nazareth Area 42, Bethlehem Freedom 27
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Freedom | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| Nazareth Area | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
1st Quarter
F – Lashawn Johnson 3-yard run (Nathan Stannard kick) 3:50
N – Will Bacolo 5-yard run (Owen Hall kick) 0:38
2nd Quarter
F – Nathan Stannard 26-yard field goal 8:41
N – Will Bacolo 1-yard run (Owen Hall kick) 6:36
F – Christian Engelhardt 9-yard pass from Michael Stofanak (Nathan Stannard kick) 0:32
F – Nathan Stannard 32-yard field goal 0:00
3rd Quarter
N – Will Bacolo 5-yard run (Owen Hall kick) 6:00
N – Mason Marinelli 6-yard pass from Cooper Madson (Owen Hall kick) 0:23
4th Quarter
N – Jackson Medlar blocked punt recovery in end zone (Owen Hall kick) 11:10
N – Luke DePietro 78-yard pass from Will Bacolo (Owen Hall kick) 9:13
F – Marquise Chapman 31-yard pass from Michael Stofanak (Nathan Stannard kick) 4:28
Stars of the game
Rushing:
Nazareth Area
Will Bacolo – 18 carries, 87 yards, 3 TDs
Bethlehem Freedom
Lashawn Johnson – 21 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD
Passing:
Nazareth Area
Cooper Madson – 16-of-21, 304 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Will Bacolo – 1-of-1, 78 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Bethlehem Freedom
Michael Stofanak – 11-of-21, 135 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
Receiving:
Nazareth Area
Lance Zuercher – 5 receptions, 152 yards
Luke DePietro – 5 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD
Mason Marinelli – 4 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD
Bethlehem Freedom:
Christian Engelhardt – 4 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD
Marquise Chapman – 3 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD
Special Teams:
Nazareth Area
Owen Hall – 6-for-6 extra points
Jackson Medlar – Blocked punt recovery for a touchdown
Bethlehem Freedom
Nathan Stannard – 2 field goals (26, 32 yards), 3 extra points
Stats provided by both schools stat man