Here is a roundup of Friday night’s top Lehigh Valley high school football games in Week 9.
Northampton 41, Nazareth 28
Nazareth opened the scoring when quarterback Cooper Madson connected with Luke Depietro in the corner of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 after one quarter. Northampton answered as Zander Rickert powered in from a yard out to tie the game at 7-7. Gavin Taff later kept it for an 8-yard score, giving the Konkrete Kids a 14-7 halftime lead.
Northampton recovered an onside kick to start the second half, and Chase Kessler took it 51 yards on the first play from scrimmage to extend the lead to 21-7. Rickert added his second touchdown of the night from short range to make it 28-7 midway through the third.
Nazareth fought back as a trick play set up a 70-yard gain, and Lance Zuercher scored two plays later to cut the deficit to 28-21 with 3:51 left in the quarter. Marquez Wimberly had a huge defensive effort for Nazareth, forcing and recovering a fumble and adding a 60-yard run to set up another score. After three quarters, Northampton led Nazareth 28-21.
Kessler capped an eight-play drive with an 11-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 34-21, then broke free for a 20-yard score later in the quarter, surpassing 300 rushing yards on the night and pushing the lead to 41-21.
Nazareth cut into the deficit with a late touchdown by Wimberly to make it 41-28 with just over two minutes remaining. Northampton recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.
Emmaus 42, Allen 6
Emmaus jumped ahead early as Jerek Cooper broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 in the first quarter. In the second, Cooper connected with Kai Jefferson for an 11-yard touchdown, extending the Hornets’ lead to 21-0 at halftime.
Allen found the end zone in the third quarter with a 24-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 21-6, but Emmaus quickly responded. Jay Santos powered in his second rushing touchdown of the night, this one from 33 yards out, to make it 28-6.
In the fourth quarter, Anthony Attar sealed the win for the Hornets with a 75-yard touchdown run as Emmaus took a 35-6 lead. Emmaus added one more scored and cruised to a 41-6 victory.
Stroudsburg 42, East Stroudsburg South 19
East Stroudsburg South struck first when Ivan Laubach kept it on the read option and sprinted 22 yards for a touchdown to give the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Stroudsburg answered quickly in the second as Jackson Mitchell connected with Keegan Munch on a 33-yard trick-play touchdown to tie it 7-7. Mitchell then found Josh Ivers-Green for a 23-yard scoring strike to give the Mounties a 14-7 advantage. Keyen Johnson added to the lead minutes later, turning a short pass into a 50-yard touchdown to make it 21-7. He followed with a 17-yard rushing touchdown to cap a dominant second quarter as Stroudsburg went into halftime ahead 28-13, after Greyson Fuller found Lyric Parkins for a 59-yard South touchdown just before the break.
In the third quarter, Gianni Gonnella pulled the Cavaliers within nine on a 21-yard touchdown run, trimming the deficit to 28-19. But Johnson delivered again for the Mounties, breaking loose for a 77-yard touchdown run, his third of the game, as Stroudsburg extended its lead to 35-19 late in the third. Jaylin Rieara punched it in from one yard out to extend the lead to 42-19 and the Mounties took home the Little Brown Jug.
Blue Mountain 49, Pottsville 14
Blue Mountain controlled the game from start to finish, opening with a 10-play, 62-yard drive capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Cohen Kirby to Frankie Russo for a 7-0 lead. The Eagles added to it late in the first half as Brody Foose ran in a 3-yard score, then followed with a 30-yard pick-six just before halftime to make it 21-0 at the break.
Blue Mountain struck again early in the second half when Kirby connected with Kole Luckenbill for an 82-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 28-0. Pottsville responded with a 32-yard scoring pass from Andrew Allen to Shay Strencosky, but the Eagles’ offense continued to roll. Kirby hit Carter Smith for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 35-7, then Brody Foose added a 1-yard score to extend the margin to 42-7.
Sonny Amato found the end zone from 11 yards out for Blue Mountain’s final touchdown before Pottsville added a late score on a 33-yard connection from Allen to Brody Eroh.
North Schuylkill 36, Lehighton 14
The Spartans struck first with an early touchdown to take a 6-0 lead, then added another score and successful two-point conversion to make it 14-0 late in the first quarter.
Lehighton cut into the deficit just before halftime when quarterback Jayse Lawrence connected with Kyden Hauser for a touchdown, bringing the score to 14-7.
In the third quarter, Luke Miller took over for the Spartans, scoring twice, first on a quick burst to the end zone to make it 20-7, and again minutes later to extend the lead to 29-7 with under four minutes remaining in the quarter.
Hauser added another late touchdown for the Indians in the closing minute, but it wasn’t enough as North Schuylkill rolled to a 36-14 victory over Lehighton.