Nazareth Area High School football holds on for victory over Parkland High School

By BRUCE BURATTI
The Express-Times
NAZARETH | Rob Melosky only wears his PIAA championship ring on special occasions and Friday night was not one of those times.

Melosky coached Parkland High School to its first and only state football championship in 2002 then was unceremoniously let go two seasons later.

But Melosky is at Nazareth now and his Blue Eagles held on for a 35-28 win over the Trojans in a Lehigh Valley Conference game played before 4,000 at Andy Leh Stadium.

It was Nazareth's first win over Parkland since 1994.

"It's been so long now since I was over there (at Parkland)," said Melosky, whose Blue Eagles, ranked No. 7 in The Express-Times region, improved to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the LVC. "Their line coach, John Mercante, always wears his championship ring and he was giving me grief for not wearing mine. I do wear it but only for football banquets."

Friday's game didn't look like much of one for three quarters on Senior Night for Nazareth. The Blue Eagles held a 35-7 lead and were knocking on the doorstep early in the fourth quarter for another score that would have put the game under the mercy rule.

But Trojan safety Jarred Curry jumped a rout out in the flat, intercepted Dan Harding for the second time, and returned the ball 93 yards for a Parkland TD that cut it to 35-14.

This touched off a three-touchdown salvo for Parkland, buoyed by an onside kick recovery by reserve fullback Zach Gurinowich and two touchdown passes to Tobi Salako, the first covering 4 yards from sophomore quarterback Tim Baranek and the other 41 yards from Kyle Stinner.

Parkland coach Jim Morgans rotated the two quarterbacks on each series.

But Sean Sauerzopf stopped the Nazareth bleeding when he recovered a second straight Parkland onside kick with 47 seconds remaining.

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