One of the challenges of trying to beat Nazareth in football is that their offense is generally so ruthlessly efficient that you have to be almost perfect on offense yourself. Last year, in perhaps the program’s signature win since the EPC went to a three-division alignment, the K-Kids used a rushing attack that piled up over 400 yards and a pair of recovered onside kicks to upend the Blue Eagles.

Last Friday night in Nazareth, Northampton was able to match the home team score for score during the first half, but a couple of crucial penalties derailed the Kids’ second half drives and they fell to the Eagles 31-21.

After Nazareth scored a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half, the Kids responded by driving deep into Blue Eagles’ territory before stalling out at the 29-yard line. On 4th and 5, they tried to get Nazareth to jump, but a false start set the K-Kids back 5 yards and a pass on 4th and 10 was broken up.

The Eagles kicked a field goal on the ensuing possession to go up 10.

Northampton once again got past midfield, but a holding penalty erased a 3rd down completion and backed them up. Passes on third and fourth down with 17 yards to go fell incomplete.

Nazareth drove down to the Kids’ 1 yard line and knelt out the clock to end the game.

The first half provided the offensive highlights for Northampton the two teams traded touchdowns for six straight possessions.

The Kids’ first score came via a beautifully thrown go route by Luke Stopay to Colby Brearman for 41 yards. Brearman caught the ball in stride and fought through the Nazareth defender for the final 5 yards to cap off the score.

Zion McKinney reemerged as an offensive weapon. A 30-yard gallop through the Blue Eagles’ defense eventually led to a 2-yard Joell Small plunge for Northampton’s second TD of the night.

The K-Kids final touchdown drive perfectly illustrated the pressure to match Nazareth’s offensive output. Trailing 21-14 and facing 4th and 7 at their own 39, Northampton dialed up a fake punt and Trevor Messer responded by going around right end for 8 yards. Later in the drive Chase Kessler ripped off the longest run of his 161-yard night, going 31 yards down to the Nazareth 15. McKinney capitalized by scoring from 8 yards out.

“We were trying to go slow and limit their possessions,” explained head coach John Toman. “If you don’t score and they do, you’re going to be behind. It was 21-21 at the half. They scored twice and we didn’t. We were a little outmanned defensively with injuries we had. (Leading tackler, Robert) Wambold went down and we lost DJ McDonald late in the week in practice. There’s our outside backer and cover guy and it’s tough to recover from that.”

The loss dropped the K-Kids record to 5-4. They have a tough test against 7-2 Bethlehem Catholic on Friday, but it appears that the result will have no bearing on their seed in the district tournament next week. It looks like a 4 vs. 5 matchup at Freedom is inevitable. District XI will release the official schedule this weekend.

Nazareth 31,

Northampton 21

Eagles 14 7 7 3 — 31

K-Kids 7 14 0 0 — 21

Northampton Leaders

Passing: Stopay 3-7, 54 yds, TD; McKinney 0-1

Rushing: Kessler 27-161, 31 long; McKinney 9-84, TD, 30 long; Small 4-12, TD; Messer 1-8

Receiving: Brearman 1-41, TD; Kleppinger 1-11; Silfies 1-2

Defense: Kleppinger 7 tackles; Rusnock 6 tackles; Brearman 5 tackles; Ibarra 3 tackles; Czarnecki 3 tackles; Evangelista 3 tackles; Williams 3 tackles.