It wasn’t a typical night of high school football. Instead, it was a night of camaraderie and memories for all those who participated and watched.

The 48th annual McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Classic football game at Nazareth High School’s Andrew S. Leh Stadium wasn’t your average September game as it was dotted with errors from the players and referees alike who all struggled to get in sync.

It was, however, a night where players from rivaled teams joined forces and enjoyed their final times on a high school football field in the Lehigh Valley. Despite some timing errors, both squads still managed to look rather crisp with approximately 10 days of practice.

The Gold team, which featured players from Northampton County, Palisades and Phillipsburg, met the Red squad, which had a contingent from Lehigh, Carbon and Monroe Counties.

After a slow start, the Gold squad took control on both sides of the ball and marched out to a 28-0 halftime lead that eventually led to a convincing 35-7 victory.

Miguel Hernandez, the lone Catasauqua representative on the Red squad, helped his team avoid the shutout when he caught a pass on a crossing pattern, swerved toward the sideline, and outraced the Gold defensive unit close to 50 of his 66 total yards to the end zone late in the game.

Hernandez, who earlier caught a pass for seven yards and was targeted two other times, truly enjoyed the moment.

“It was a great experience playing in an all-star game and catching a touchdown pass,” said Hernandez, who plans to attend Northampton Community College for one semester before walking on at Temple University.

“That is what I wanted to do and it was such a great feeling. It also was great being able to play with some of the best players in the area.”

Another member of the Red squad was Whitehall’s Julio Diaz, who played on the defensive line.

Northampton’s Zach Liggitt started at tight end for the Gold squad. Like Hernandez, Liggitt also had a good time.

“It was a great experience playing in the game,” said Liggitt. “I had a lot of fun. Both teams did well, but I am happy that the Gold squad came out on top.”