NAZARETH — It seems like it would be a good sign if you hold a team to only four offensive plays in the first quarter.

Unfortunately for Pleasant Valley on Friday night, that wasn’t the case.

Nazareth scored on three of those plays — all of them over 40 yards — while the Blue Eagles also registered touchdowns on defense and special teams in the opening frame to build a sizable lead.

That early onslaught paved the way for an eventual 60-7 victory over the Bears.

“They’re good; they’re extremely good,” said Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Saeger. “They have three of the best players in the eastern part of the state … They’re fantastic ballplayers, and they’re surrounded by tough, hard-nosed kids who do their job.

“They’re just very good, and they’re better than us. It is what it is. But I like the way my kids fought. … We moved the ball at times. But when they have the three best kids on the field at one time, it’s difficult to tackle them.”

The trio Saeger was referring to were quarterback Peyton Falzone, tailback Marquez Wimberly and receiver Caleb Newsome.

With the Blue Eagles already up 6-0 after Luke Depietro returned a punt 54 yards for a score, Wimberly took a toss from Falzone on the team’s first play from scrimmage and raced 45 yards to the end zone to extend the lead.

Nazareth made it 20-0 after a sack and fumble return by Brady Henry before Falzone threw deep to Newsome for a 42-yard scoring strike.

“It was a complete win for us, in all facets of the game,” said Eagle mentor Tom Falzone, whose team is 4-2. “The guys stepped up. We needed one because we were on a slide the last two weeks (losing to Freedom and Parkland). We got it taken to us a bit so the guys were extra hungry tonight.

“Coach Saeger does a good job. He’s working those kids hard and I know he has a lot of young guys out there right now. … It’s hard (to prepare against their offense). To prep for that kind of stuff with only a week going into it is difficult. You can’t simulate that in practice. We try our best but it looks like garbage. So, you come out and you see it. They ripped us a few times on it and had some nice gains.”

One of those nice gains came on the first play after Falzone’s hook-up to Newsome. Chris Ward broke through the line and then outraced the defense for a 70-yard touchdown run. A week ago, he had an 88-yader against East Stroudsburg South.

“At times, without a doubt, (our offense) looked good,” said Saeger. “But their defensive team speed definitely affected us. Chris Ward, again, showed why he’s going to be one of the best players in the league. And as a sophomore, he might be there already.”

Nazareth’s top players continued to make their mark after the PV score.

Wimberly got that tally right back when he reversed field, and raced down the left sideline for a 71-yard score to up the margin to 34-7 with 35 seconds still left in the opening quarter.

Nazareth tacked on two more scores in the second quarter, one on another 42-yard pass from Falzone to Newsome and the other on Wimberly’s third tally — a 30-yard run that made it 48-7.

The Bears, who have a difficult schedule to start the season, will try to get into the win column Thursday when they play East Stroudsburg North.

“We must have the hardest schedule in America the first six weeks … but it’s over and we’re through it,” said Saeger. “We’re relatively healthy. I think we’ll be healthy next week. And we have nothing but EPC North opponents (the rest of the way).

“We have a big one next week, especially since I teach up there, so it’s very personal for me and it’s a game I really want and one the kids obviously want, too.”

EAGLE OFFENSE … Nazareth ran just 15 offensive plays in the first half and had 297 yards, an average of 19.8 yards per play. Wimberly only touched the ball three times, rushing for 146 yards and the three scores.

PV HIGHLIGHTS … Besides the long Ward TD run, Aiden Lollis broke free for a 47-yard run in the first half and also had a 9-yard pickup.

LOOK AHEAD … Bears end the season with ES North, PM East, PM West and Stroudsburg. Those teams have a combined 6-18 record, compared to the 26-10 mark of the six teams PV has already played.

Nazareth 60, Pleasant Vy. 7

Pleasant Vy. 7 0 0 0 - 7

Nazareth 34 14 6 6 - 60

N - Depietro 54 punt return (kick failed)

N - Wimberly 45 run (Hall kick)

N - Henry 7 fumble return (Hall kick)

N - Newsome 42 pass from Falzone (Hall kick)

PV - Ward 70 run (R. Berger kick)

N - Wimberly 71 run (Hall kick)

N - Newsome 42 pass from Falzone (Hall kick)

N - Wimberly 30 run (Hall kick)

N - D. Simpson 12 pass from Madson (kick failed)

N - Angione 23 run (kick failed)