A battle between a pair of 5-1 teams in the heart of the EPC schedule typically doesn’t need any more storylines to be one of the top games of the week.
However, Liberty’s 10-game losing streak against Nazareth fired up the Hurricanes for what turned out to be one of the most exciting football games of the season.
That’s what made losing an early 14-0 lead and a three-point lead with possession of the ball and just under five minutes left all the more heartbreaking as Marquez Wimberly and the Blue Eagle defense stepped up to deliver an exhilarating 52-42 win on Friday night at Nazareth High School’s Andrew S. Leh Stadium.
Zyaire Davis hauled in touchdowns of 37 and 57 yards on consecutive plays from scrimmage for the Hurricanes before forcing a fumble and racing 97 yards for a touchdown to turn what would’ve been a three-possession deficit into just a three-point margin.
It still wasn’t enough.
Wimberly took the first play of the second half for a 76-yard touchdown to give Nazareth a 31-21 lead and followed it up with three more touchdowns in the second half to lift his team past a talented Liberty squad that was itching for its first win against the Blue Eagles in over a decade.
It was Nazareth’s Tanner Zelachowski who set up Wimberly’s go-ahead eight-yard touchdown with 4:14 remaining when he dropped into coverage on a 3rd-and-7, picked off Liberty quarterback Antonio Fontanez and returned it to the Liberty 8. Later on, it was senior defensive lineman Eddie Smith who knocked down a fourth-down pass to turn the Hurricanes over on downs with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
Wimberly ran through the Liberty defense one final time on the ensuing play to cross the 300-yard mark on the night and all but seal the incredible win.
Up next
Nazareth (6-1) returns to action next Friday night against Bethlehem Catholic (5-2) at 7 p.m. at Andrew S. Leh Stadium.
Liberty (5-2) will try to bounce back at Cottingham Stadium when it takes on the undefeated Easton Red Rovers (7-0) at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Derek Bast is a freelance writer who can be found on Twitter/X at @derek_bast. He can be reached by email at derekbast11@gmail.com.
LIBERTY 42, NAZARETH 52
Liberty: 14; 7; 14; 7 — 42
Nazareth: 14; 10; 14; 14 — 52
ORDER OF SCORING
First quarter
L: Zyaire Davis 37 pass from Antonio Fontanez (Christian Hackett kick); 9:08
L: Davis 57 pass from Fontanez (Hackett kick); 6:42
N: Luke DePietro 14 pass from Cooper Madson (Owen Hall kick); 4:47
N: Lance Zuercher 2 run (Hall kick); 0:03
Second quarter
L: Jake Pukszyn 14 pass from Fontanez (Hackett kick); 8:20
N: Hall 33 kick; 4:20
N: Matthew Leluga 35 pass from Madson (Hall kick); 1:34
Third quarter
N: Marquez Wimberly 76 run (Hall kick); 11:44
L: Gabe Green 1 run (Hackett kick blocked); 5:59
N: Wimberly 35 run (Hall kick); 5:05
L: Davis 97 fumble return (Pukszyn pass from Fontanez); 1:43
Fourth quarter
L: Gabe Green 51 run (Hackett kick); 8:27
N: Wimberly 8 run (Hall kick); 4:14
N: Wimberly 39 run (Hall kick); 2:15
https://www.mcall.com/2025/10/03/nazareth-football-wins-wild-shootout-against-liberty/
