Blue Eagles storm to first LVC crown

FROM MIKE BLOUSE

Three times, Nazareth won games by one point this season. Five times, the Blue Eagles trailed in the fourth quarter of eventual wins this year.

In a championship season of close calls, the clincher was a convincing statement: Nazareth proved it is the Lehigh Valley Conference's best football team in 2011.

Coach Rob Melosky's Blue Eagles opened a 35-point halftime advantage and dominated Northampton throughout in a 49-13 victory Friday night at Andrew S. Leh Stadium. Freshman Jordan Gray rushed for 120 yards and three touchdowns to headline an impressive all-around performance.

Nazareth, picked as a middle-of-the-pack team in the preseason, finished the conference season with an 8-1 record and as the outright champion. It is the football program's first LVC title.

The Blue Eagles enter next week's districts 2-4-11 Class 4A subregional tournament as the No. 1 seed.

"A lot of people doubted us," senior quarterback Dan Harding said, "and we knew that. But we focused on winning games and winning a championship. It all worked out perfectly."

"Anytime you can get kids to respond to what you're trying to do, it's a rewarding feeling," Melosky said. "We've got a coaching staff that works hard, great support from the administration and community and a determined group of football players."

Against Cement Belt rival Northampton, Nazareth had its way.

Gray, who entered the game needing 91 yards to surpass 1,000, scored on first-quarter sprints of 15 and 38 yards. He added a 20-yard touchdown in the second period. The ninth-grader is the first Blue Eagles freshman to gain 1,000 rushing yards in a season.

"I didn't really think this was possible," said Gray, who took over for the LVC's Offensive MVP last year, Chuck Dibilio. "Hopefully some more records are coming my way. I really feed off my line and they feed off of me. We've got a good thing going."

Special teams also played an important role.

Ahead 14-0 in the second quarter, Devan Gordon blocked a Konkrete Kids punt and Alex Tonnies scooped it up in the end zone for a Nazareth TD. Special teams set up another third-quarter score.

Harding has had some huge passing performances this season, but Friday was not one of those explosive nights. Still, he was a respectable 6-of-11 for 65 yards and two touchdowns. His scoring strikes of 6 and 20 yards came to Alex Tonnies and Dan Shepherd, respectively.

"Stats really don't matter that much to me at all," Harding said. "Our focus all week was on winning the championship tonight. It feels great."

Northampton committed four costly turnovers and failed to score until the mercy rule went into effect in the third period. Zachary Holubowski hauled in a 68-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Cook for the first six points. Sheldon Reed scored the night's final touchdown on a 5-yard run.

The Konkrete Kids (2-8 overall, 2-7 LVC) now have a 19-day layoff until their annual Thanksgiving Day game against Catasauqua.

Meanwhile, Nazareth's football successes have coincided with the controversial hiring of Melosky prior to the 2008 season. The Blue Eagles were dreadful in the 21st century before Melosky's appointment, annually winning between one and three games.

But with the Northampton graduate in charge, Nazareth has progressed from 3-7 in his first season to 6-5 in 2009 to 9-3 last fall and now 9-1. After his players received the LVC's championship trophy, Melosky emotionally addressed the Blue Eagle fans before sharing lengthy hugs with superintendent Victor Lesky and athletic director Rusty Amato.

"This feels great. To go through the peaks and valleys of a coach, to go from the pinnacle to the lowest point and back to the top is special, for sure," said Melosky, who coached Parkland to a PIAA Class 4A state title in 2002 but was unceremoniously fired several years later. "But this is not about me; it's about the kids."

His "kids" have the chance to add another piece of hardware to their collection.

Nazareth will welcome the No. 8 seed to Andrew S. Leh Stadium next Friday night and will have home-field advantage throughout the subregional tournament. In a competitive Class 4A field, it's likely that the Blue Eagles will need to pull out another close victory or two to advance into December.

"We're looking forward to next week and a whole new challenge," Harding said. "We'll be prepared. We'd like that district title, too."

Michael Blouse is a freelance writer.

http://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-northampton-nazareth-football1104-20111104,0,7598744.story