All the talk this week about whether or not Emmaus could FINALLY get over the hump and beat Freedom in the District XI playoffs was answered with a resounding YES Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.
Heading into their matchup against the team that has ended their season six of the past seven years, there probably weren’t too many people outside of the players and coaches in the Hornets locker room that thought they could end the long drought that dated back to the 2016 season.
Especially considering that they had to go on the road and play a Freedom squad that just two weeks ago had come to East Penn School District Stadium and rallied for a 25-19 win, spoiling Emmaus’ senior night.
Add in that one team, Emmaus, was limping into the post-season with a two-game losing streak, while the other, Freedom, was on a five-game win streak, and it appeared that it least on paper, the Hornets were once again destined to have their season come to an end to head coach Jason Roeder’s squad.
Well this time, destiny was wrong.
And the streak? It’s over.
Jah’Khi Daves and his Emmaus teamates made sure of that.
Daves, the Hornets junior cornerback, came up with the defensive play of the game late in the fourth quarter with his first career interception, a one-handed ancrobatic catch, that ended Freedom’s hopes of a potential go-ahead touchdown as Emmaus stunned the Patriots with an inspiring 19-14 win in the District 11/4/2 subregional quarterfinals.
Emmaus, which was making its eighth straight appearance in districts, had trailed in the game 14-13 late in the third quarter, but the Hornets put together a seven-play, 71-yard drive to take the lead for good early in the fourth as the team’s two quarterbacks – senior Josiah Williams and sophomore Jerek Cooper – hooked up on a 16-yard touchdown pass with Cooper finding the end zone for his first career touchdown to preserve the victory.
The win advances head coach Harold Fairclough’s team (6-5) to the semifinal round for the third consecutive season on Friday at 7 p.m. in Orefield where they will face a familiar foe in and unbeaten and top-seeded Parkland, which rolled to a 56-0 rout of eighth-seeded Williamsport. It will mark the second time in the last three weeks that the two rivals will meet with the Trojans winning the regular-season finale 41-17 on October 27.
Two years ago, the same scenario played out as Emmaus lost at Parkland in the final game of the regular-season 25-14 before returning to Orefield to stun the Trojans 21-14 in the semifinals.
Will history repeat itself?
Time will only tell.
But for now the Hornets can celebrate one of their biggest wins of the season.
Defensively, Jake Hildebrand’s unit came up with one of its best efforts with a number of big stops and limiting Freedom to just a pair of touchdowns in the game.
Senior lineman Mario Landino and sophomore Robert Edwards, the team’s two leading tacklers on the season, once again led the Hornets with each coming up with five tackles. Both were disruptors at the line of scrimmage for Freedom junior quarterback Chase Walker who threw for just 95 yards on the night, completing 12 of 25 with one interception.
On offense, Emmaus did just enough to pull out the victory. Cooper, making just his second start of the season at quarterback was 9 of 16 for 125 yards through the air. Williams was the team’s leading rusher with 59 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave the Hornets their first lead of the night at 13-7. Sophomore wide receiver Cole Moreau had a career-best four receptions for 73 yards.
Junior Will Buck had a pair of field goals in the second quarter from 42 and 27 yards for the Hornets only points of the night in the first half as Emmaus trailed 7-6 at the break.
Freedom, which had been one of the hottest teams in the league after a 1-4 start to their season, had their five-game win streak snapped and ended the year at 6-5. The Pates were looking to get back to the district finals for the fourth consecutive season.
Next week’s game against Parkland will be aired LIVE on The Eastern Pa. Sports Network beginning with the pregame show at 6:30 p.m.
For the most complete coverage of Emmaus sports, follow @Emmaussports.com on Twitter and like Emmaus sports on facebook.
Emmaus 19, Freedom 14
Em – 0-6-7-6 – 19
Fr – 7-0-7-0 – 14
Scoring:
Fr – Justin Peluso 14 yard pass from Chase Walker (Michael Ferrey PAT)
Em – Will Buck FG 42 yards
Em – Buck FG 27 yards
Em – Josiah Williams 10 yard run (Buck PAT)
Fr – Aaron Beete 3 yard run (Ferrey PAT)
Em – Jerek Cooper 16 yard pass from Josiah Williams (pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL – Emmaus
Rushing – Reilly Bechtel 9-41, Josiah Williams 11-59, TD; Jasiyah Banks 8-33, Jerek Cooper 11-2
Passing – Jerek Cooper 9 of 16, 125 yards, Josiah Williams 1 of 2, 23 yards
Receiving – Cole Moreau 4-73, Rafael Terrero 3-26, Daniel Duggan 2-28, Jerek Cooper 1-16, TD; Jordan Mitchell 1-5
PHOTO GALLERY (Courtesy of Tom Ashelman)
Jerek Cooper (4) gets raised high into the air by teammate George Attar (67) with Cole Moreau (83) looking on.
Quarterback Josiah Williams (7) tries to elude a Freedom defender.
Senior lineman Mario Landino bearhugs Freedom RB Noah Pierre.
Will Buck (84) lines up for a field goal during last night’s game.
Cole Moreau (83) had a career-high 73 yards on 4 receptions in last night’s win.
Emmaus linebacker John Wassel tackles Freedom’s Noah Pierre behind the line of scrimmage.