Nazareth football gets 30-20 win over Wilson at West Lawn

One of the most anticipated games in Class 6A lived up to the hype.

Nazareth defeated Wilson 30-20 Friday night at West Lawn in a non-league matchup.

Auburn quarterback commit Peyton Falzone put on a show for the second season in a row against the Bulldogs.

The senior accounted for four touchdowns, with one coming on the ground from one yard out.

“I put in about 15 hours (of film) on these guys this week,” Falzone said. “I had a good feeling about what they were going to do. I read the paper and saw Coach Dahms. He said they were going to try to run the ball to keep it out of our offense’s hands and try to throw some different looks at their offense.

“Credit to them. They did a good job of causing pressure. I’m proud of everybody adapting to secure the win.”

The Bulldogs racked up 10 penalties, which killed drives to put them behind the sticks and even erased a touchdown.

“We told them we can’t make the mistakes we made,” Wilson coach Doug Dahms said. “Every time we did something, it was a holding penalty, or a busted coverage, or a blown assignment blocking. You can’t do that.”

Nazareth’s Peyton Falzone swings out a pass against Wilson in the Blue Eagles’ 30-20 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at John Gurski Stadium. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

Even in the phenomenal performance, the Bulldogs stopped the Blue Eagles’ offense on the first two series; after that, they were about to push the ball down the field without much resistance.

Wilson’s Mason Young connected with Monty Greer on a wheel route, bringing the team into the Nazareth red zone. But after a holding penalty, they were backed up to face a third-and-21.

But that wasn’t any problem for Young; the senior threw it to Correll Akings in the endzone as Akings jumped up over Marque Wimberly for a 23-yard touchdown reception.

After allowing that score, the Blue Eagles ended four consecutive drives with points.

On their first touchdown, Falzone, under pressure, launched a pass off his back foot to Luke Depietro, who got a step on his defender and hauled it in for the score.

“Just being able to understand where I’m hot from and who’s my hot answer. Utilizing mt different tools and tool belt that I know who’s blitzing,” Falzone said on his mindset when blitzed. “Like I said, when you put in that much film, I was very pleased with being able to call out their blitzes.”

On the ensuing drive, Young tried to answer with a deep shot of his own. But on a pass intended for Jaiden Carpenter, Kaiden Buscemi stepped in and wrestled it away for an interception.

Nazareth capitalized on the takeaway and kept their offensive momentum rolling.

Falzone continued to showcase his SEC-caliber arm, hitting Luke Depietro in stride on a 25-yard dig route, then finding Jayden Quach for another 12 yards.

Nazareth’s Luke DePietro catches a Peyton Falzone pass and goes 36 yards for the Blue Eagles’ first touchdown in Nazareth’s’ 30-20 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at John Gurski Stadium. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

Facing fourth-and-two with pressure bearing down, Falzone flipped a short pass to tight end Mason Marinelli, who rumbled 10 yards to the 7-yard line.

Three plays later, Falzone finished the drive himself, sprinting to the left pylon on a designed keeper to put Nazareth back on top.

The Bulldogs just didn’t have an answer defensively.

“I hope so,” Dahms said on whether this game was a wake-up call for the Bulldogs. “They have to play as a team, too much individual stuff.”

With five minutes remaining until halftime, Wilson responded with another strong drive, starting from their own 12-yard line.

Over the course of 11 plays, five different Bulldogs got involved, driving down to the Nazareth 11-yard line.

Young then hit Michael Glover in the flat with blockers ahead, and Glover took it into the end zone, but the touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty on the outside.

The penalty erased a score the Bulldogs desperately needed to stay in the game.

After a sack on third down, Wilson turned the ball over on downs.

Nazareth’s Tanner Zelachowski takes a Peyton Falzone pass 18 yards for the Blue Eagles’ third touchdown in Nazareth’s 30-20 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at John Gurski Stadium. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

With 45 seconds at their own 30-yard line, the Blue Eagles drew up a perfect six-play series to set up a 37-yard field goal for Owen Hall to lead 17-7 at halftime.

In the first half, Falzone went 13-of-21 for 188 yards and a touchdown, spreading the ball to five different receivers. Wimberly led the ground game with 77 rushing yards.

For Wilson, Young completed 7-of-12 passes for 88 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Akings contributed with 52 rushing yards, 23 receiving yards, and a touchdown.

Getting the ball to start the second half was a key opportunity for Wilson to score quickly and stay in the game, but the drive stalled after multiple penalties and miscommunication downfield, forcing them to punt.

But Nazareth picked up right where they left off.

Falzone found a wide-open Tanner Zelachowski for an 18-yard touchdown after the Bulldogs’ defensive coverage broke down.

After the score, Falzone locked eyes with the Bulldogs’ student section, who had been chanting “overrated” before the touchdown.

“It’s all in good fun, it’s exciting, and I expected it,” Falzone said. “It provides a little more energy in the game, and it’s all good fun.”

Trailing 23-7, the Bulldogs needed an answer to stay within striking distance, especially with the way Nazareth had been moving the ball.

But on the first play of the drive, Young fired over the middle and was picked off by Lance Zuecher, who broke a few tackles and was on his horse to the end zone.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Jaiden Carpenter chased him down and punched the ball loose just before the goal line. The ball bounced into the end zone for a touchback, giving Wilson a much-needed break.

It was a momentum-swinging play the Bulldogs didn’t waste.

Wilson responded with a 13-play, nearly seven-minute drive, capped by Akings’ second touchdown of the night, an 11-yard run where he powered through multiple defenders.

Wilson went for a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to one score, but the Blue Eagles were all over the screen pass to Michael Glover, shutting it down immediately.

“That was a great play, that should’ve been the difference to bring us right back into the game,” Dahms said.

The tides seemed to be turning. Wilson forced a quick three-and-out with over nine minutes to play, trailing 23-13 and clinging to hope.

But the mistakes continued, ones you simply can’t afford against a team of Nazareth’s caliber.

An incompletion, a tackle for loss, and a holding penalty quickly derailed the drive, forcing Wilson to punt after a short series.

Nazareth quarterback Peyton Falzone scores the Blue Eagle’s second touchdown on a keeper in Nazareth’s 30-20 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at John Gurski Stadium. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

Nazareth added one more score late in the game. Falzone rolled to his right on what looked like a designed quarterback sweep, but then lofted a pass over the Bulldogs’ defenders who had committed to the run. A wide-open Matt Leluga hauled it in and jogged into the end zone, extending the lead to 30-13.

In the final minute, Young connected with Carpenter on a 46-yard go route for a touchdown, a fitting way to repay him for his earlier hustle play that saved a pick-six.

The Bulldogs aim to bounce back next week at home against Reading High. Nazareth was their only regular-season loss a year ago.

Meanwhile, the Blue Eagles will look to stay hot as they head into league play.

“It’s a big win,” Falzone said. “Wilson is a staple team; they’re going to go far into states like they did last year. Coach Dahms has established a fantastic tradition over there. What he’s been able to accomplish is really impressive. So, being able to come here and compete against them was a lot of fun. I’m proud of how our guys played.”