Here is a roundup of Friday night’s top Lehigh Valley high school football games in Week 10.
Bethlehem Catholic 24, Northampton 21
Bethlehem Catholic jumped out to an early lead when Rodney Brodie broke free for a 45-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. The Golden Hawks struck again before the end of the quarter, as Axel Bokreta powered in from 23 yards out to make it 14-0. Aaron Geiger then connected on a 7-yard field goal late in the second quarter, extending the lead to 17-0.
Northampton responded just before halftime when Will Wadlings hauled in a 3-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left, trimming the deficit to 17-6 at the break.
In the second half, the Konkrete Kids found momentum as Zander Rickert punched in a 5-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Chase Kessler added the two-point conversion to pull Northampton within 17-14 with just over eight minutes to play. But Bethlehem Catholic answered quickly. Bokreta found the end zone again on a 6-yard run to push the lead back to 24-14. Northampton made one final push late, as Joey High hauled in a 12-yard touchdown reception to make it 24-21 with just over two minutes left. However, Becahi’s defense held firm in the closing moments to secure the hard-fought win at BASD Stadium.
Lehighton 40, Jim Thorpe 20
The Olympians struck first when quarterback Cole Lazorick connected with Spencer Gothard on a 12-yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter. Lehighton responded quickly, as Jayse Lawrence powered in from six yards out to tie the game 7-7 late in the opening period.
Early in the second quarter, Lukas Crozier broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run to give the Indians their first lead, 13-7. Lawrence later added a 9-yard rushing score to extend the advantage to 20-7, and then hit Caden Meek on a 47-yard strike just before halftime. The big play gave Lehighton a commanding 27-7 lead at the break.
Jim Thorpe opened the second half with another Lazorick-to-Gothard connection, this time from 19 yards out, cutting the deficit to 27-14. But Lehighton’s offense stayed hot. Crozier found the end zone again on a 25-yard run to make it 34-14. The Olympians answered with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Lazorick to Angel Rivera, pulling within 34-20 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.
Lehighton sealed the win when Crozier broke loose for his third touchdown of the night, a long run that stretched the lead to 40-20 with under a minute left in the third. The Indians controlled the pace the rest of the way, capturing a decisive victory over Jim Thorpe to win the Route 209 Trophy.
North Schuylkill 48, Pottsville 8
North Schuylkill struck quickly, scoring on its second play from scrimmage as Luke Miller sprinted 65 yards to the end zone. Miller added a 5-yard touchdown later in the first quarter, and after converting a two-point attempt, the Spartans led 21-0. He added another 5-yard touchdown in the second quarter, breaking the program record with his 53rd career score.
The defense took over from there. Caden Mengel returned an interception for a touchdown, and Daniel Brake scooped up a fumble on the ensuing kickoff for another score as North Schuylkill built a 42-0 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Brock Holmes connected with Jaxon Parker for a 79-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 48-0 before Pottsville added a late score. The Spartans closed out the regular season at 7-3 and will open District 11 playoff action Thursday night.
Pocono Mountain East 35, Pocono Mountain West 21
Both teams got on the board twice in the first half, trading scores in a back-and-forth battle that showcased balanced play on both sides of the ball. The offenses capitalized on big plays and sustained drives, while the defenses each came up with key stops to keep things even heading into the break. After two quarters of evenly matched football, the game was tied 14-14 at halftime, setting the stage for an exciting second half.
Coming out of the locker room, Pocono Mountain East started to find its rhythm. Quarterback Ceejay Serfass connected with Justin Williams on a well-designed 17-yard screen pass that Williams turned into a touchdown, giving East the lead for the first time since early in the game. With momentum shifting in their favor, East continued to apply pressure offensively while the defense tightened up to limit West’s opportunities.
Later in the half, East added to its advantage when Amari Green broke free for a nearly 60-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead and energizing the sideline. The long scoring play gave East a 28-14 lead with nine minutes remaining in the game. Serfass found Williams again for a 12-yard touchdown to make it 35-21, and then West QB Jerel Sims scored on the three-yard QB keeper to close the lead to 35-21 with under a minute left.
