Nazareth Area High School linemen prep for McDonald's All-Star Football Classic

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/06/nazareth_area_high_school_line.html FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES They're the men behind the scenes. The bullies that constantly throw their bodies around with reckless abandon; the brutes that sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the team. For offensive linemen Brian Brune, David Wilke, Nick Tuerk and Joseph Walsh, it's one last chance to strap on the football helmet before college. The Nazareth Area High School athletes will play their final scholastic game Thursday when their Northampton County and Phillipsburg squad meets Lehigh/Carbon/Monroe County in the McDonald's Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic at Nazareth's Andrew Leh Stadium. Kickoff is 7:45 p.m. "This means a lot to me, my last high school game," said Brune, who'll continue his football career at Wilkes University. "I'm looking forward to it." "It's a great feeling to play the last game on our home field," said Walsh, who'll play at Ursinus. "It'll be nice to have our parents there, and a lot of the Nazareth fans will be there, too." Brune, Wilke, Tuerk and Walsh helped pave the way for record-setting quarterback Dan Harding, the Express-Times Player of the Year, and running back Jordan Gray, who set a District 11 mark for freshmen with 1,663 rushing yards. The Blue Eagles finished 12-2 and won their first Lehigh Valley Conference championship before capturing the District 11 Class AAAA title. "I'd have to say that Jordan and Dan try to get our names in there (newspaper)," said Wilke, who'll also play at Wilkes. "They give us credit. When we got those (district) medals around our neck it was all worth it." Rob Melosky of Nazareth is the head coach for the Northampton County squad and Blue Eagles assistant Bill Brong is working with the offensive line. Conor Gum of Pen Argyl and Jim McCarthy of Liberty are the quarterbacks for Northampton County. The Nazareth players agree the QBs and linemen have meshed well together. "The coaches know how to simplify it to make everything easier for everybody," said Tuerk, who'll play at Division III Norwich University in Vermont. Gum and McCarthy are more noted for their running ability but have spent practice time getting used to Melosky's pro-style offense. "They're both talented kids," Walsh said. "They're good athletes who are able to adjust to different styles." Tuerk says it's comforting to have the Nazareth coaches on the staff. "Being from Nazareth, it gives us a leg up," he said. "Coach Brong is a very good offensive line coach," Walsh said. "He takes our strengths and weaknesses and uses them to the best of our ability." "I'm going to miss Coach Brong," Brune said. Playing in Nazareth's fast-paced offense, which features the no-huddle, is reaping dividends for the linemen in the intense heat. "Even though I'm a bigger guy (6-foot, 265 pounds)," Walsh said, "it's easier for me to adjust than maybe somebody who's never played in this kind of offense." Temperatures are expected to escalate into the upper 90s by Thursday. "That's football," Wilke said. "You play in hot weather and cold weather." According to Tuerk, the all-star game is an opportunity to avenge Nazareth's state playoff loss to LaSalle College High School. "That loss was tough to swallow," Tuerk said. "I didn't plan on going out that way. This is a chance for us to go out with a win. I remember watching these kids (teammates) on TV and saying 'this kid's good, this kid's good.' Now we're all friends. It's an interesting experience."