DISTRICT 11 CLASS 6 A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Who: No. 3 Freedom (5-1) vs. No. 1 Nazareth (7-0).

When/where: 7:05 p.m. at Whitehall’s Zephyr Stadium.

Last meeting: Nazareth 21-7 on Oct. 16 at Bethlehem Area School District

Stadium.

Series: Nazareth 11-10.

How to watch: RCN4, Service Electric.

Players towatch: The Freedom offense is led by sophomore quarterback Ethan Neidig, who is making his fifth start. His first came in the first game with Nazareth after previous starter Brian Taylor was declared ineligible over a residency issue. Neidig has completed 34 of 52 passes for 433 yards and three TDs. Owen Johnson-Mc Cormick and AJ Fletcher are the top two targets with a combined 25 receptions for 427 yards and John Quin Hoke has 11 catches for 122 yards. Matt Russin, whois expected to play after missing last week’s game against Easton, has 477 yards rushing on 84 carries and Deante Crawford has 455 yards on 66 carries and is coming offa200-yard performance vs. Easton.

The Nazareth offense is paced by senior quarterback Matt Bugbee, a firstyear starter at the position whohas thrown for 1,338 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has been intercepted just once in 153 attempts. His favorite targets are Jaiden Cabrera, who leads the EPC in catches with 39 for 579 yards, and Andrew Wells, who has 18 grabs for 245 yards. Tyler Rohn leads the team in rushing with 516 yards on 105 carries and has scored three TDs. Bugbee has 198 yards and eight scores and Alex Kwiatek has 184 yards and four scores.

Theskinny: This is a matchup of the two programs that have combined for the last two 6A titles. The first game featured a dominant defensive showing by Nazareth, but Neidig was making his first start after only two days of practice. Bug beethrew for 266 yards and two scores and also ran for one. Cabrera had seven catches for 117 yards. Expect Neidig and the Freedom offense, which had a slow start in October, to play better. Nazareth coach TomFalzone and offensive coordinator Rob Petrosky had to use a trick play dubbed the“Nazareth Special ”to pull out last year’s 6A title win in overtime. No tricks maybe needed this time, but expect this one to be just as tight and competitive.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Nazareth 24, Freedom 21.