Nazareth Area High School football team drops 41-33 decision to La Salle College High School

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

The kings of fourth-quarter comebacks ran out of miracles on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Tim Wade had 243 yards rushing and receiving and scored three touchdowns as La Salle College High School's football team hung on for a 41-33 victory over Nazareth in a PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.

The Blue Eagles, who finished 12-2, rallied for five dramatic victories this fall but didn't have enough to overcome the powerful Explorers.

It was the third straight year that La Salle College High School ended a District 11 team's season. The Explorers knocked out Easton in the quarterfinals in both 2010 (19-7) and 2009 (17-14). La Salle won the PIAA title in 2009.

"I'm speechless," said Nazareth senior defensive end David Wilke, who had a fumble recovery and a sack. "It just hurts so much. All our guys had a hell of a season. Each and every one of them played their (butts) off."

Nazareth coach Rob Melosky pointed out how far his team has come.

"The thing I just told the seniors is when they were freshmen they went 1-9," he said. "The coaching staff never gave up and the kids bought into everything the coaches preached. It's a credit to the kids."



Nazareth-LaSalle PIAA Class AAAA football

Nazareth coach Rob Melosky talks about the 2011 Blue Eagles following a 41-33 loss to La Salle College High School in the PIAA Class AAAA football playoffs.

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"We have the best coaching staff anywhere in the nation," Wilke said. "I love them to death."

Nazareth quarterback Dan Harding passed for 283 yards, including a touchdown to freshman running back Jordan Gray, and also ran for two scores. Wide receivers Adam and Andrew Bridgeforth each ran for a TD.

Gray rushed for 129 yards on 23 carries to push his season total to 1,658 yards, extending his Express-Times region record as a freshman.

La Salle (12-1), the Philadelphia Catholic League champion, advances to next week's quarterfinals to play District 1 champion North Penn at a site and time to be determined.

"(La Salle) is a great team," Wilke said. "They're going to take it all. Props to them."

Wade, who has 1,478 yards rushing this fall, had TD receptions of 26 and 47 yards and ran 56 yards for a score.

"Tim is one of the toughest kids I've ever coached," La Salle coach Drew Gordon said.

Wade's 47-yard reception from Matt Magarity on third-and-8 gave the Explorers' a 35-20 lead with 9:01 left in the third quarter.

The Blue Eagles closed the gap to 35-33 on touchdown runs of 4 yards by Andrew Bridgeforth and 6 yards by Adam Bridgeforth. The latter came with 6:01 left in the game.

Gordon rolled the dice on the next series with his team facing a fourth-and-1 at its 44. The move paid off when Wade found a seam up the middle, got behind the secondary and sprinted 56 yards into the end zone.

"I'm the worst coach in Pennsylvania if that doesn't work," Gordon said. "There was too much time left (to punt)."

Nazareth got a reprieve on the PAT when the center snap was mishandled and an ensuing two-point run failed, keeping it a one-possession game at 41-33 with 4:28 remaining.

The Blue Eagles started at their 29 and methodically drove to La Salle's 36. Harding kept the drive alive by completing an 8-yard pass to Andrew Bridgeforth on fourth-and-3 on the Explorers' 44.

"(Harding) is incredibly accurate," Gordon said, "and he gets rid of it in two seconds."

On the next play, Harding attempted a deep pass to Andrew Bridgeforth against double coverage and it was intercepted by freshman defensive back Jimmy Herron with 2:30 left.

"That free safety made an incredible play," Melosky said. "Those are the types of plays you see this time of year."

The Explorers picked up one first down, which was all they needed to run out the clock.

"These kids felt the hunger to win a state championship," Melosky said. "That's something we need to keep striving for."

"This program has come together," Wilke said. "I have faith in these guys (underclassmen). We're a program."

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