WHITEHALL – Nazareth (7-2) overcame a 14-0 first quarter deficit to hold off Whitehall for a 42-35 win Friday night.
Whitehall jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. Quarterback Chris Polony hit Tyler Artim for a 64-yard strike and Eric Fiore scored on an 11-yard run.
Polony would finish the night passing for 197 yards and one touchdown.
The Blue Eagles answered Whitehall’s scoring drive with one of their own. It took two plays and 40 second off the clock as Dibilio burst through the line and went 42 yards for the score.
In the second quarter the offensive fire works would continue. Dibilio scored on runs of 1 and 10 yards. Whitehall’s Fiore added a one-yard touchdown run.
With the first half winding down and the game tied at 21, Whitehall drove to the Nazareth’s 10-yard line to set up a first and goal.
Nazareth defensive back Kris Kent (who is playing with a cast on his broken right hand), picked off a Polony pass and ran it back to midfield.
Dibilio talked about the interception, “I don’t know how he does it. It’s his first year playing football since his freshman year. He has one arm. He’s just a natural athlete.”
The Blue Eagles scored on a beautiful pass from Daniel Harding to Adam Bridgeforth with 7.2 seconds renaming in the half. Nazareth went into half time leading 28-21.
In the second half every time Whitehall scored Nazareth had an answer. Fiore scored on a one-yard run to tie the game up at 28. But Dibilio would get his fourth score of the night on a six-yard run with 4:23 remaining in the third quarter. The Blue Eagles led 35-28.
With 7:22 remaining in the game, Matt Bonshak of Whitehall scored on a four-yard run and Josh Cirocco’s extra point tied the game up at 35.
Adam Bridgeforth scored on a four-yard touchdown run to give the Blue Eagles the lead with 5:36 remaining.
On a night when the offense was the star it would be the Blue Eagle defense that came up with the big play in the end. Whitehall reached the 44 with 2 minutes remaining. But the Blue Eagles defense stopped the Zephyrs on four straight plays and took over on downs. Two big runs by Chuck Dibilio gave the Blue Eagles a first down and the win.
Dibilio finished the night rushing for 225 yards and four touchdowns. Bridgeforth added seven catches for 113 yards and one score. On defense Kris Kent had two interceptions for the second consecutive week.
Whitehall’s running back Eric Fiore led the way running for 110 yards and three scores. Tyler Artim caught nine passes for 147 yards and a score.
