Tremba, Johnston lead comeback
Late 9-yard touchdown connection caps off Parkland’s clutch final drive
When Isiah Rico exited the Parkland backfield and headed left on his route, he drew the eyes of three Nazareth defenders.
That left Ty Tremba and Nick Johnston to complete their easiest connection of the night.
Tremba did his part, lofting a pass to an uncovered Johnston in the back of the end zone. Johnston snagged it for a 9-yard touchdown with 44 seconds to go that lifted Parkland to a 21-17 win over the previously undefeated Blue Eagles in an EPC South football game Friday at Parkland School District Stadium.
Johnston also snared a 39-yard pass on the game-winning drive after Tremba bought time with his feet. Their heroics, along with excellent blocking from Parkland’s offensive line, allowed the Trojans to rally for 14 points over the final 5 minutes, 11 seconds.
Tremba, a sophomore making his second varsity start, finished 10-for-17 for 159 passing yards. He also had a 13-yard run to keep Parkland’s final drive rolling.
“He ran the 2-minute [drill] perfectly,” Parkland coach Tim Moncman said. “He’s a sophomore. He’s going to make some mistakes, but he bounces back. He doesn’t seem to hang his head.
“Then the O-line did a phenomenal job tonight, and you’ve got Nicky Johnston and Isiah Rico making plays. Kudos to our defense too. To keep them to 17 points is quite an accomplishment.”
Rico finished with 20 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns. His 8-yard scoring run with 5:11 to go brought Parkland (4-2 overall, 3-2 EPC South) within 17-14.
He benefited from the Trojans having their full complement of blockers healthy for the first time this season. Nick Dawkins, Bryce Boyer, Jered Fenstermaker, Jakob Edwards and Zion Johnson helped Parkland average 5.4 yards per carry.
“It’s still Parkland,” Nazareth coach Tom Falzone said. “Those kids are huge. They dwarfed us in size, and they used
Missed chances burn Blue Eagles: Nazareth (5-1, 4-1) generated turnovers on Parkland’s first two second-half possessions. It turned those into 10 points, giving it a 17-7 lead with 10:54 to go.
Parkland responded with a 79-yard touchdown drive to pull within 17-14. Nazareth had the Trojans facing a third-and-34 at one point but allowed a 19-yard scramble by Tremba and a 19yard pass from Tremba to Johnston that kept the drive alive.
Nazareth could have clinched the game with a couple of first downs on its ensuing possession. It picked up one but missed on another when Nathan Stefanik (seven catches, 78 yards) dropped a pass from Anthony Harris (212 yards of total offense, two touchdown passes). That forced the Blue Eagles to punt, giving the Trojans 1:41 to drive for the go-ahead score.
Parkland produced that score and then clinched the win when Trent Perkins intercepted Harris with 1.4 seconds to go. The Trojans took one knee to run out the clock, starting the celebration for their season’s biggest win.
“This feels awesome,” Tremba said. “It’s one of the best feelings of my life.”
Up next: Parkland heads to Whitehall (0-5 overall, 0-4 EPC South heading into a Saturday game at Bethlehem Catholic) for a rivalry matchup Friday. Nazareth also travels Friday, visiting Liberty (2-4, 0-4).