Kenny Rossi

Defense has been a problem all year for the Green Wave, allowing 60+ points in two out of the last three weeks. That was not the case in Friday night’s contest, as the Green Wave captured a shutout against All American Conference foe Bucktail (0-8 0-2). The Green Wave “D” allowed just 169 total yards of offense as the cruise past Bucktail 34-0.

The Green Wave “D” would force 5 Bucktail turnovers including 3 interceptions. Two of which by sophomore linebacker Tristian Shellhammer.

The Nativity (4-5 4-1) offense set the tone early scoring on their first drive, the familiar connection of Dominic Piccioni to Jeff Yordy found the end zone from three yards away giving the Green Wave an early 7-0 lead.

A solid punt return would set the Nativity offense up with great field position and they would take advantage of it. The first play of the drive found pay dirt as Piccioni found Yordy again this time from 26 yards away making the score 14-0.

Nativity would find the scoreboard again before the first quarter buzzer sounded as Jeff Yordy took the handoff 89 yards and found the end zone yet again as the Green Wave had a commanding 21-0 lead after one quarter.

Midway through the second quarter the Green Wave would find the end zone again as Piccioni found Yordy again this time from 20 yards away making the score 28-0. The score would remain the same as the teams entered the locker rooms.

A 23 yard run from Piccioni would put Nativity’s last touchdown on the board making the score 34-0.

Nativity’s Jeff Yordy continues to fill up the stat sheet, Yordy would end up leading the team in rushing and receiving. The senior wide out had 8 catches for 127 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He also had 3 rushes for 127 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Nativity quarterback Dominic Piccioni let only 2 passes fall incomplete as he completed 11 out of 13 passes for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 10 times for 59 yards and scored touchdown.

Senior Jeff Yordy gave his thoughts on the game;

“We knew they were going to run some trick plays offensively. So as a defense we had to stay patient and not always bite on the run. We came out and played our game offensively and did what we had to do to get the win.”

The Green Wave rekindle an old rivalry next week as they take battle with Minersville (2-7 2-7 AFL). This is a must win situation for the Green Wave if they want to play in the postseason.

In a battle for the All American Conference, Pius X flexed their muscles and dominated the Nativity Green Wave on both sides of the ball. Pius X forced seven turnovers and capitalized on almost all of them as they toppled the Green Wave 64-22.

Pius X’s junior quarterback, Tre Jordan, was firing on all cylinders all afternoon letting just two passes fall incomplete. He finished the day throwing for a whopping 355 yards completing 18-20 passes and also adding four scores. All of this in the first half after building a 51-7 advantage.

Defensively the Green Wave really struggled giving up 567 total yards which included 212 rushing yards and 355 passing yards. Wide Receiver Aaron Weller paced the Royals receiving game as he hauled in six passes for 137 yards and one score. Wide Receiver Jon Moron also was over the 100 receiving yard mark as he hauled in three catches for 105 yards and two scores.

Senior Jeff Yordy talked about the defensive effort,“The Defense needs to be sharper. We can’t be giving up over 60 points in a game and expect to win it. If we can limit the scoring and cause more turnovers we’ll be fine.”

This is the second time this season the Green Wave “D” has given up 60+ points.

The Green Wave turned the ball over on three out of their first four possessions starting them off in the hole. The Royals would capitalize on two of these turnovers giving them a comfy 14-0 advantage. The Royals added another score late in the first quarter to propel them to a 21-0 lead after one quarter.

The second quarter was much like the first, all Pius X (6-2 1-0) as they found the end zone four times and added a field goal. They jumped out to an insurmountable 51-7 lead at half. Nativity (3-5 2-1) finally found the board in the closing minutes of the second quarter as the familiar connection of Dominic Piccioni to Jeff Yordy found pay dirt from 14 yards away.

Pius X again found the end zone in the third which extended an already massive lead to 58-7. Nativity didn’t give in however, notching two scores in the fourth. Both scores came on the backs of the team’s star Jeff Yordy. His first score was a 33 yard run and his second a 10 yard run. Pius X would add another score before the clock chimed zero making the score 64-22.

Senior Dominic Piccioni gave his thoughts on the game, “Our coaches wanted us to go out and win the second half and we did that. We worked on little things in the second half to help us to prepare for the next two weeks.”

The Green Wave still have a shot at reaching the post season but for that to happen they would have to win their last two contests against Bucktail (0-7 0-2 AAFC) and Minersville (1-7 1-7 AFL).

The Green Wave will have home field advantage for both contests. Next week the Green Wave face All American Conference foe Bucktail whom they beat in a week four contest by the score of 46-30.

Defensive Coordinator Josh Muldowney talked about the upcoming Bucks offense, “They are going to run the same stuff they have been running. But we need to be prepared for some different things next week.”

After last weeks 67-0 beat down against Schuylkill Haven, Nativity needed to bounce back. They did just that on a beautiful Friday night as All American Conference foe Carson Long rolled into town. Nativity jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they toppled Carson Long 42-6.

The Green Wave found the end zone on their first offensive series as quarterback Dominic Piccioni found wide out Jeff Yordy from 54 yards away giving the Green Wave a 7-0 advantage.

On Nativity’s (3-4 3-0) next offensive possession Piccioni found Yordy again this time from 6 yards away, giving the Green Wave a 14-0 advantage.

Senior tailback Gino Dinicola’s 38 yard run capped the Green Wave scoring efforts in the first quarter giving the Green Wave a 21-0 advantage.

On the Green Wave’s first possession of the second quarter Piccioni used his legs to find pay dirt from 6 yards away making the score 28-0.

The Green Wave scored on their next offensive possession again as Piccioni found Yordy for a 44 yard touchdown increasing the Wave’s lead to 35-0.

Nativity would score yet again before the teams entered the locker room this time on a 17 yard Piccioni scamper making the score 42-0 at halftime.

Giving young players experience was the theme in the second half as the Green Wave would hold onto win 42-6.

Senior Dominic Piccioni ended the day with only four incompletions, (7-11 147 yards 3 Td’s 1 Int.). He also ran the ball 6 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior Gino Dinicola was the leading rusher however as he ran the ball 4 times for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Senior Jeff Yordy had himself another great game as he hauled in 4 passes for 132 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Green Wave will now prepare for All American Conference foe Pius X (4-2). The two teams will meet next Saturday @ Pius X, as the Green Wave looks to put a winning streak together.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Nativity (2-3 2-0) played two games on week 5. On Tuesday night the Green Wave rallied past All American Conference opponent Bucktail (0-5 0-1) 46-30. On Saturday, the Green Wave took on the Perkiomen School (3-1) and got mauled 49-7.

In Tuesday’s contest, the Bucks jumped out to an early 8-0 lead on an 88 yard kickoff return by Aaron Randsdorf. On the next Green Wave possession quarterback Dominic Piccioni ran the ball 53 yards and found pay dirt to knot the score 8-8. On the ensuing Bucktail possession running back Aaron Ransdorf took the ball in from four yards out making the score 16-8. Nativity scored on its next possession as Piccioni found his favorite target Jeff Yordy who took the ball 55 yards to make the score 16-16. The next Bucks’ possession also found pay dirt. The coaching staff dug deep into its playbook as running back Anthony Intallura tossed the ball to tight end Mitch Intallura for a 22-yard touchdown. This made the score after one quarter 24-16.

The second and third quarters belonged to the Green Wave as they found the end zone three times outscoring the Bucks 24-0 in these quarters. Yordy caught a 77 yard touchdown in the second quarter. The score was followed by a Christopher Moser 14 yard touchdown grab. Piccioni added a nine-yard run to vault Nativity to a big lead. Nativity added another score early in the fourth as Piccioni found Yordy from 45 yards out making the score 46-24. The Bucks added a late score from running back Anthony Intallura as he punched the ball in from 20 yards out to make the score 46-30.

Senior Wide out Jeff Yordy finished the day with five catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Senior quarterback Dominic Piccioni was 8-13 for 248 yards and four passing touchdowns. Piccioni also lead the team in rushing as he had seven carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

Saturday’s contest started out with a bang as Dominic Piccioni found Jeff Yordy from 62 yards away on Nativity first play from scrimmage to put them on the board 7-0. After that it was all Perkiomen, the Indians dominated the Green Wave scoring 49 unanswered points. The Indians controlled both sides of the ball rushing the ball for 287 yards and holding Nativity’s rushing attack to just 58 yards.

Indians’ junior quarterback Brett Ciocari found the end zone from one yard out knotting the score at 7-7. On the next Indians’ possession running back David Juechter took the ball in from six yards out to extend their lead to 14-7. The Indians scored four times in the second quarter as the mercy rule was in effect for the whole second half.

Leading the Indians rushing attack was David Juechter as he carried the ball 13 times for 112 yards and two scores. Not far behind was senior running back David Aaron as he carried the ball 11 times for 110 yards.

The Green Wave offense was kept dormant for most of the game as Piccioni only completed 5-20 passes for 89 yards. The Wave’s leading receiver was Jeff Yordy as he hauled in three receptions for 81 yards. Yordy also led the team in rushing with three carries for 20 yards.

The Green Wave travels to Rotary Field Friday night where they will face the Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes.

As the legendary Victory Bell chimed, the folks at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium knew just what happened. Nativity (1-2, 1-0) dominated the second half to pull away from their All American Conference foe Columbia Montour Vo-Tech (0-3, 0-1) 36-28. The win snaps a streak of two straight losses for the Green Wave. Senior Jeff Yordy talked about ringing the bell for the first time, “It honestly felt amazing and knowing we got the W, was an incredible feeling.”

The Rams found the board first as halfback Chris Zanolini pushed the ball into the end zone from nine yards away. A successful two-point conversion gave the rams an 8-0 lead after one quarter.

The Rams leaned heavily on their option attack as they ran the ball 47 times for a whopping 241 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Linebacker Aaron Davidson talked about the defense after the game, “Our defense was a little shaky in the beginning, but after some halftime adjustments the other team just couldn’t convert against us. We played hard nosed football the whole second half.”

Rams’ halfback Chris Zanolini found pay dirt once again early in the second quarter this time from 37 yards away. Once again a successful two-point conversion gave the rams a 16-0 lead. The Green Wave would not give in as the next offensive possession senior quarterback Dominic Piccioni scrambled four yards to find the end zone. A successful two-point conversion made the score 16-8.

The Rams halfback Chris Zanolini found the end zone for the third time midway through the second quarter to give the Rams a promising 22-8 lead. The Green Wave used some trickery late in the second quarter as Piccioni handed the ball to wide receiver Jeff Yordy, and he took it to the house from 51 yards away. This score gave the Green Wave momentum entering halftime but the Rams still had the lead 22-16.

The Green Wave would add two scores in the third quarter. The first on a 12-yard Dominic Piccioni scamper, which gave the Green wave a 23-22 advantage, their first of the night. Later in the quarter Piccioni found Yordy from three-yards out to give the Green Wave a 30-22 lead after three quarters.

The Rams did not give in however as tailback Nicholas Kocan found the end zone from six yards away, but a failed two-point conversion left Nativity with the lead 30-28. Dominic Piccioni found the end zone late in the fourth from nine yards out to close the door on the Rams’ chances to win and captured win number one, 36-28.

Piccioni talked about the keys to the game, “The o-line holding up great giving good protection and just really making the throws and the reads the best we could.” The Green Wave have a bye week next week.

Schuylkill Haven’s offense all year used the run game almost exclusively.

So when the ‘Canes dug themselves into a deep hole, they had to abandon their normal offense. This forced quarterback Ryan Fink to throw the ball, and he completed only 3-of13 passes for 28 yards as a strong Old Forge “D” keep the ‘Canes in check all night, ending Schuylkill Haven’s season with a 35-0 loss.

Leading the rushing attack for the Blue Devils was Brandon Yescavage. He propelled the offense as his 13 carries for 193 yards and three scores paced the Old Forge offense. Blue Devil quarterback Jake Manetti threw the ball just seven times, completing three of those throws for 99 yards and a touchdown.

For Haven (10-4), Will Casella led the charge with 25 carries for 111 yards followed by Fink with 22 carries for 53 yards.

Old Forge was one of the only teams able to shut down this powerful ‘Canes ground attack.

Old Forge’s opening play was a 66-yard touchdown pass from Manetti to Joey Gutowski, giving Old Forge early momentum.

Late in the quarter, Yescavage broke off a 56-yard touchdown run, giving his team a 14-0 advantage at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, the defenses shined neither allowing a touchdown. After a Haven three-and-out, Old Forge’s Brandon Vahay received a Jason Trumbo punt at his own 45-yard line. After breaking tackles and eluding defenders, he found pay dirt for a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 21-0 halftime lead.

A Schuylkill Haven fumble set up Old Forge (13-1) to score again, and Yescavage did not disappoint as he broke off another long touchdown run – this time from 52 yards away as
Old Forge started to pull away.

After Haven failed to pick up a first down, a short Haven punt set the Blue Devils up to add to their large lead. Once again Yescavage added a 26-yard score to put the nail in the Hurricane coffin, giving the Blue Devils a 35-0 lead.

Old Forge shut down Haven’s backfield of Fink and Casella. They held the junior duo to 164 yards on 47 carries, and most importantly, held them out of the end zone.

Old Forge looks to be on the fast track to capture the Class A state title. In the Eastern Final the Blue Devils will battle either Steelton-Highspire or Homer Center.

The Hurricanes magical season has come to a close with 14 seniors graduating.

Schuylkill Haven used it power run game all night, as the combination of Ryan Fink and Will Casella was just too much for the Williams Valley defense to contain.

Schuylkill Haven dominated time of possession, using long drives to tire the Vikings defense. The Vikings had very few chances to touch the ball offensively. The Hurricanes played great defense in the second half, shutting the door on the Vikings’ season with a 42-16 win to give the preseason favorites their first District 11 Class A title since 2010.

People began to doubt the Hurricanes after they lost three early games to Tamaqua, North Schuylkill and Wyomissing. The ‘Canes did not let in though. After tonight’s dominating victory, the Hurricanes are on a five-game winning streak and looking for more as the enter the state tournament.

Haven’s two-headed monster in the backfield, Fink and Casella both ran for more than 100 yards. Fink ran for 199 yards and three scores, while Casella ran for 137 yards and two scores.

With Williams Valley backed up in their own territory and ready to punt, Haven’s Mike Feryo took matters into his own hands as he blocked the punt, picked it up and took it to the end zone.

The next Haven offensive possession lasted 5:39 as they pounded the ball on the ground. Fink capped the 11-play drive with a 9-yard scamper for a touchdown.

The Vikings brought the ball down inside the 10, on the ensuing drive, but could not capitalize as they went four and out as Schuylkill Haven led 14-0 after a quarter.

A Vikings’ three-and-out set up a 17-play, 8:03 drive which was capped off by another Fink touchdown run for the Hurricanes (9-3).

The Vikings scored quick on their next possession as Stephen Sedesse threw a screen to Tim Schorr that went for 70 yards as they finally got on the board. The Vikes’ defense shut down the Hurricane offense on their next possession, forcing a punt.

Schorr received the ball at his own 18-yard line, as great blocks sprung him free and he made it all the way to the end zone for an 82-yard punt return that made the score going into half 21-16.

Haven’s first possession of the second half was once again capped by a Fink touchdown run – this time from 20 yards out.

Williams Valley’s next drive ended with a three-and-out, which set up another long Hurricane drive that was capped off by a Casella 2-yard touchdown run and a commanding 35-16 for the Hurricanes entering the fourth quarter.

Haven scored early in the fourth as Casella added another touchdown run from 5 yards out.

Williams Valley (10-2) stalled on offense in the second half as they were unable to score.

Schuylkill Haven will look to use their powerful tandem in their next game, which will be against the District 1 winner, either Delco Christian or Bristol.

Nativity rolled into Alumni Filed hoping to upset the Golden Bears.

The Golden Bears made sure that didn’t happen.

The Green Wave’s stagnant offense and their inability to stop the run gave Mahanoy great opportunities all night as the Golden Bears dominated the Green Wave, winning 42-0 in the Eastern Conference Class A semifinals Friday night.

The Golden Bears advance to the Eastern Conference Championship game against Marian, which defeated Muncy 34-13 in Friday’s other semifinal.

Mahanoy Area (8-3) fans held their breath early in the second quarter as they watched star quarterback Dylan Mahmod leave the game. He would not return to action. In one quarter Mahmod carried the ball 11 times for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore backup Matt Yedsena stepped in to fill his shoes. Yedsena rushed the ball for 60 yards and threw for 45 yards.

Nativity’s offense rushed the ball 30 times for 29 yards as the Golden Bear defensive front was stingy all night. The Green Wave (4-7) also struggled to move the ball through the air only completing 7-of-21 passes for 57 yards.

The first score of the night came midway through the first quarter as Mahmod took it in from 11 yards out. Late in the first quarter, the Golden Bears added another score as wingback Mason Evitts ran 52 yards to find paydirt, making the score 14-0 after a quarter.

Midway though the second quarter, the Bears’ Jason Richmond ran it in from 35 yards out to give Mahanoy Area a 21-0 halftime edge.

Austin Forte started off the scoring in the third quarter as he took it in from 35 yards out, and Evitts added another score in the third to make it 35-0 after three quarters. Another rushing score for the Bears made the score 42-0.

For the Bears their season continues as they will face off against fellow Anthracite Football League opponent Marian. In Week 3, the Bears belted the Colts 40-6.

Nativity’s season comes to an end, and the future looks bright as freshman standout Dan Lozada was impressive all season, using his legs and arm to move the ball. Twelve seniors will hang up the Green and Gold this year.

Friday was a long night for Nativity.

The Green Wave’s inability to stop the run was prevalent all night as Hancock (Md.) rushed the ball 20 times for 379 yards to help the Panthers pummel the Green Wave 51-15.

Despite the tough night and their playoff hopes seemingly dashed, the Green Wave (4-6) received some positive news Saturday night. Bucktail declined its Eastern Conference Class A playoff bid, giving Nativity the berth. Nativity will face Mahanoy Area at 7 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.

Friday night, it was all Hancock though as Panthers junior quarterback Jesse Wolford rushed the ball eight times for 182 yards. He had touchdown runs of 49,16,64 and 59 yards. Senior tailback Logan Manning added 115 yards rushing on only four carries, scoring twice. The Panthers only threw the ball three times, completing one of their passes.

Green Wave freshman quarterback Dan Lozada threw for 129 yards completing 7-of-23 attempts, with a touchdown pass. His main target was senior wide out Kyle Kaledas, who caught four passes for 78 yards and a score.

Lozada also led the Wave in rushing, carrying the ball 11 times for 23 yards.

The Panthers (9-1) scored on their third offensive play of the game when Wolford took it 50 yards down the sideline for his first score of the night. The Green Wave’s next possession resulted in a fumble that was taken to the house, giving the Panthers a 12-0 lead just two minutes into the game. The Panthers added two more scores before the end of the first, making the score after 25-0 after 1.

The Green Wave added a score early in the second quarter on a 4-yard Lozada run, but that was all they could manage in the first half. The Panthers again added two more scores, making the score at half 37-8 in favor of the hosts. The Panthers rushed for a whopping 295 yards just in the first half.

The second half was much of the same with big runs by Manning and Wolford. They opened up the flood gates, adding two more scores.

The Wave did notched a score on a 32 yard pass from Lozada to Kaledas late in the fourth.

But missed tackles killed Nativity as The Wave fell for the third straight game. The Green Wave ended the regular season with a sub-.500 record for back to back years.

With several talented underclassmen on the roster, an extra week of practice could help Nativity continue to improve. It also gives the Green Wave seniors another chance to wear the Green and Gold on Friday night.

On a rather chilly Friday night, the Pius X Royals came into Veteran’s Memorial Stadium and rushed the ball effectively.

The Royals offense was explosive all night, dancing around Green Wave defenders. The speed of the Royals was too much to handle,as they ended the Wave’s three-game winning streak with a 55-21 All-American Conference victory.

The Royals rushed the ball 22 times for 260 yards as senior tailback Dashon Russel carried seven times for a 152 yards and three scores, one of which  came through the air.

Nativity rushed for 88 yards as freshman quarterback Dan Lozada carried the ball 13 times for 28 yards.

The Green Wave (4-4, 2-1 AAFC) started off sluggish as the Royals scored on four of their first five drives. The Royals opened up a commanding 28-0 lead after one quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Nativity got on the board with a 4-yard Marcus Renninger run. Pius X added another score late in the second quarter, giving the Royals a 35-7 lead at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Pius X junior wide receiver Eric Marbury caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Tre Jordan., giving the Royals a 42-7 lead. On the Wave’s ensuing possession, a 54-yard interception return by Eric Marbury gave the Royals an insurmountable 49-7 lead.

Midway through the fourth, Nativity senior Jeremy Hoban ran eight yards for a touchdown, and later in the quarter, senior wide receiver Kyle Kaledas caught a 32-yard strike from Lozada.

Pius X (4-4 2-0) notched a late score to make the final 55-21

Playoff hopes are not lost on Lawtons Hill, but a berth may be a difficult chorse. Eastern Conference hopes are still alive if the Green Wave can end the season on a high note.

Nativity ends the season with two away games. Next week they travel to Renovo to face fellow AAFC member Bucktail (2-6 1-1). Then the Green Wave travel out of state to play Hancock (Md.) for their final game of the regular season. A win in either contest could clinch that EC berth.

Nativity took to the road for the first time this year as they battled All-American Football Conference foe Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech in its league opener on an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon.

A few big pass receptions by Brady Morgan led the Green Wave to a 19-6 victory, their second straight and third win in four outings.

Both teams struggled to move the ball in the first quarter as penalties hurt both squads leading to no score after the first quarter.

The second quarter was much of the same until the last minute when freshman quarterback Dan Lozada connected with senior wideout Brady Morgan for a 79-yard touchdown, giving the Green Wave (3-3, 1-0 AAFC) a 6-0 lead entering intermission.

The second half started with a bang as Nativity dug deep into its playbook. A 53-yard double reverse flea flicker touchdown pass from senior tight end Jeremy Hoban to Morgan made the score 13-0 in favor of the Green Wave.

That score held up throughout the third quarter as Nativity’s defense stood tall for much of the afternoon.
“Bend don’t break,” Nativity head coach Tony Klazas said.

Although that D allowed junior tailback Chris Zanolini to carry the ball 24 times for 104 yards and a score, the stats tell only part of the story. The Green Wave’s defense only allowed six points on the afternoon.

The Rams put their first points on the board early in the fourth quarter with a 3-yard Zanolini touchdown run to pull the Rams (0-6, 0-2) within 13-6.

Nativity added its final score late in the fourth. On a third-and-14, Lozada connected with his favorite target, Morgan, yet again for a 39-yard touchdown and an insurmountable 19-6 lead.

Morgan finished his day with four receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Lozada 6-of-13 passes, throwing for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

“The balls were thrown great,” Morgan said.

The aerial assault carried the Green Wave past the Rams, but the running game struggled. Klazas spoke about that after the game saying, “We’ve got to be able to run the ball and offensively we need to be better.”

The Green Wave return to Saint Clair next week as they battle with fellow AAFC member Carson Long (1-5) on Friday evening on Homecoming night.

By Kenny Rossi

People say football is a game of inches. It couldn’t be more true for Nativity on Saturday afternoon as they took on Our Lady of Mount Caramel (Md).

With a about minute left the Cougars were less than a foot away from scoring a touchdown to take a late lead over the Green Wave.

After being stuffed on the first three plays, it was 4^th and goal from the 2 yard line with only 4 seconds on the clock. The Cougars pitched the ball to starting tailback Eric Stewart, and he was wrapped up at the 5 yard line as time ran out by starting defensive end Jeremy Hoban.

Hoban said after the game, “We knew they were going outside. I grabbed his jersey, then I knew it was over.”

On the first Our Lady of Mt. Caramel possession quarterback Tyquan Bryant connected with wide receiver William Jenkins for a 67 yard touchdown. The extra point try was missed, which would come back to haunt the Cougars later in the game.

Early in the second quarter the Wave struck back with a touchdown of their own as freshman quarterback Dan Lozada connected with wide receiver Kyle Kaledas for a 14 yard touchdown. The extra point was converted giving the Wave a 7-6 lead..

At the end of the first half the Cougars blocked a punt and picked it up, starting a drive on Nativity’s 18 yard line. Two plays later, Bryant found his No. 1 target Jenkins again for a 17 yard touchdown. They were unable to convert the two-point conversion as the Cougars led 12-7 at half.

In the third quarter, Nativity put together a drive that lasted almost 6 minutes. The 69 yard drive was capped by a 5 yard Lozada touchdown pass to wide receiver Brady Morgan. The Wave went for two and Lozada converted giving them a 15-12 advantage.

The Cougars stormed down the field on their first possession of the 4^th quarter, but a costly fumble by wide Receiver Phillip Reid at the 1 yard line gave Nativity the ball back.

After two Nativity carries for no gain, an errant snap over Lozada’s head resulted in a safety – the score now 15-14 in favor of Nativity.

After the free kick was nearly returned for a touchdown, the Cougars were in position to win the game with a first and goal at the 1 yard line. Two straight runs up the middle were stuffed before Kaledas broke through to drop Stewart for a 1 yard loss.

Facing fourth-and-goal from the 2, Hoban split a double team and dropped Stewart for another loss as time expired.

The heroic goal line stand of the Nativity defense gave the Wave their first win of the 2013 season. After the big win the Wave players ran over and rang the dust off the Victory Bell.

Head coach Tony Klazas Jr. said after the game that the “kids played with heart”. Jeremy Hoban and Kyle Kaledas both said that it felt “amazing” to ring the bell again. The Wave are now 1-2

Next week the Wave are home again as they battle with Pope John Paul the Great (Del.). They will be looking to go .500 on the season and to ring the victory bell again.