COVID-19 SHAKES UP SEASON
Senior QB does it all in season-opening win
A masked Dominic Felician of Nazareth follows the action on the field in the first half Friday during a game against Allentown Central Catholic at home in Nazareth. The reports of COVID-19 have shaken Lehigh Valley football this week, as Parkland varsity and junior varsity programs are suspended until Oct. 2, and Whitehall canceled its varsity game with Bethlehem Catholic. Becahi quickly found a new opponent in Bangor, and the game will be played Saturday in Bangor.
While Anthony Harris, Nathan Stefanik and Jake Wilson were the headliners of Nazareth’s 12-win, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division and District 11 6A title team in 2019, Matt Bugbee was a 100-point scorer.
He kicked eight field goals, 62 extra points and scored two touchdowns.
Bugbee was primarily a one-footed weapon a year ago, but used both feet and his arm as a weapon in the Blue Eagles’ 33-20 season-opening win over Allentown Central Catholic at Andy Leh Stadium Friday night.
Nazareth coach Tom Falzone, undecided whowould start as Harris’ successor at quarterback earlier in the week, went with Bugbee, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound senior.
Bugbee, who emerged from a threeman audition for the job, validated Falzone’s decision. He ran for 50 yards, passed for 111 yards and scored touchdowns in the air and on the ground.
But that wasn’t the full extent of his impact as the Blue Eagles delighted the several dozen fans whowere finally able to enjoy a football game in the bleachers after the start of the season was held up for nearly a month by the coronavirus pandemic.
Bugbee added three PATs, two field goals, including a 41-yarder, and had six kickoffs go into the end zone for touchbacks.
“Doing with myarmand leg is always nice,” he said. “Wewere getting the bugs out tonight and definitely had a rocky start, but we picked it up in the middle of the game and finished at the end.”
Nazareth was playing with special motivation.
Hewanted to win for the Rev. Joseph Falzone, the father of the Blue Eagles coach, who died last week. He was an ardent supporter of his son and Nazareth football.
“I’m proud of the whole team that we could go out and get this one for coach’s dad,” Bugbee said. “It means a whole lot for coach, his whole family and the team as a whole.”
It was a team effort as the team picked up where it left in 2019.
In addition to an offensive output that produced 332 yards, Nazareth’s defense was able to shut down the Vikings offense, particularly standout rusher Jayden Williams who was limited to nine yards on 11 carries after he rushed for 207 yards in a 34-13 season-opening win over Whitehall.
The Vikings were limited to 69 yards rushing, 234 yards overall.
“This was awesome for the kids,” Falzone said. “It’s all about them. There has been so much indecision. Are we going to play, aren’t we going to play? It’s week to week. You never know what’s going to happen. But these kids worked hard and I greatly appreciated it after a rough week. I know my dad is looking down on us tonight and is smiling. It’s emotional.”
Central Catholic struck for several big plays in its win at Whitehall and it used another big one to take the lead.
After two three-and-out series, the Vikings went struck out for an 82 yards on 11 plays to score first. Rauscher completed four of six passes for 30 yards and ran three times for 55 yards, going 45 on the last one through a wide-open Nazareth secondary to give CCHS the lead.
However, the rest of the first half belonged to the Blue Eagles.
After three unproductive possessions, Nazareth got something late in the first half.
But just when the Blue Eagles were ready to score, Nazareth sophomore Nolan Lobb made a nice cutback on a reception but fumbled at the CCHS 1.
The ball went through the end zone for a touchback.
Undaunted, the Blue Eagles scored 21 points over a span of seven minutes and 22 seconds.
Jaiden Cabrera got it started with 27-yard TD reception from Bugbee. Then Alex Kwiatek scored on a short TD run after a fumbled punt snap handed Nazareth the ball at the CCHS 1.
Bugbee then closed the 21-0 second quarter run with an 11-yard TDrun with 32 seconds remaining before halftime.
In the third quarter, Bugbee used his right foot to stretch the Blue Eagles lead to 27-7 with field goals from 19 and 41 yards.
CCHS got back in it on Rauscher’s second TD run of the night, a 2-yarder with 1:32 left in the third before Nazareth answered with a quick TD drive ending with Tyler Rohn’s 3-yard TD9:32 remaining.
The Vikings kept competing and got back within two scores on Rauscher’s 4-yard TD pass to Mason Maxsim with 7:37 left.
But Nazareth controlled the clock the rest of the way, churning its way to 221 yards on the ground.
“It was a disappointing night,” Vikings coach Tim McGorry said. “We dropped a bunch of balls and couldn’t get a push up front. If wehave to call our drop-back protection 30 times, we’re not going to win. We had some opportunities to make some plays and had key turnovers on top of poor field position. We just didn’t compete very well overall and we have a lot to clean up. We’re buying too much into what people think of us instead of who we actually are.”
Up next
Nazareth hosts Bethlehem Catholic Oct. 2 in its Eastern Pennsylvania Conference opener. CCHS was supposed to play Parkland that night, but the game is likely to be rescheduled since the Trojans program is shut down until Oct. 2 because of a COVID-19 case. Monday, Oct. 5, has been mentioned as a new date for the CCHS-Parkland game, although not finalized.
Father Joe
A viewing for the Rev. Joseph S. “Father Joe” Falzone, the father of coach Tom Falzone who died Sept. 18, will be held Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. St. Paul’s
Anglican Church, 2510 W. Livingston St., Allentown. Due to current health concerns, his Office of Christian Burial, Requiem Eucharist and Burial services will be private. Memorial contributions honoring Father Joe may be presented to
St. Paul’s Anglican Church at the above address.
Keith Groller can be reached at 610-820-6740 or at kgroller@mcall.com.