The Emmaus football team is in unfamiliar territory after last Friday night’s game against Nazareth.

The Green Hornets lost that game 41-21, their first defeat of the season, and for the first time this season, they will be tasked with bouncing back after a loss.

This week’s preparation is one that first-year head coach Harold Fairclough will use for the rest of the season to be able to see what they have accomplished through seven weeks.

“I’m anxious to see how the kids respond to their first test of adversity,” Fairclough said. “I want to see what they are made of. We preach each week about taking each week one game at a time. The work at practice this week is going to be telling of if we want to let that loss affect us, or if we are going to put it behind us and move forward and get back in the win column.”

Emmaus (6-1 overall, 4-1 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference) will look to bounce back against Liberty (5-2 overall, 3-2 EPC), whom they lost to at home a year ago. The game will be played at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium, the same site where the Green Hornets knocked off Bethlehem Caatholic in week three.

The Hurricanes are coming off a 14-7 victory over Northampton last weekend, where they played without two starters in quarterback Todd Erney and wide receiver Darian Street. Street is expected back this weekend, but Erney will miss the game. Tristan Reinert, a sophomore, will start in his place again.

“They’re a tough, physical team,” said Fairclough. “They have some athletic guys on both sides of the ball. We know even though they’re starting a young quarterback, he has some experience now. They will probably open up the play book a little bit more for him. We will still have to be focused.”

Senior running back Gunner Anglovich scored both touchdowns for Liberty. He had a 34-yard rush in the first quarter, and a 29-yarder in the fourth that was the decider, after the Kids tied the game in the second quarter.

Emmaus will try to get its offense rolling again. The Hornets scored 21 first-half points against Nazareth, but were held scoreless in the second half.

“We have to take care of the football more,” Fairclough said. “We have to take care of our business and protect the ball. We want to establish the run and spread the ball around.”

With Becahi beating Parkland last weekend, and the Hawks having played one more EPC game, they have a half game lead over the Hornets for first place in the EPC South division.