So much for rolling out the welcome mat.

Joe Tomtishen’s first four games as North Schuylkill’s head football coach came against state-ranked opponents – Jersey Shore, Notre Dame-Green-Pond, Williams Valley and Mount Carmel. Later in the season, the rebuilding Spartans faced highly regarded Blue Mountain and resurgent Tamaqua and Pottsville in arguably the most challenging schedule any local team faced in 2026.

The results were predictable: a 3-7 record with the Spartans’ only three wins coming against Salisbury, Pine Grove and Panther Valley, none with more than three victories themselves.

Still, Tomtishen’s team racked up enough big numbers to win those three games and put the disappointing start to their season in the rearview mirror. Coupled with their strength of schedule, the Spartans managed to squeeze into the No. 7 spot in the District 11 Class 4A standings and earn the chance to face second-seeded Bethlehem Catholic in a district quarterfinal on Saturday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.

“I would say that (our) morale is still high, even though we did not have the season that we all hoped for,” Tomtishen said earlier this week. “Despite our struggles, our commitment and work ethic stayed strong.”

Tomtishen noted that the Spartans held a lead in four of their seven losses.

“(It) is disappointing, but I believe that you learn a lot from failure. We have a lot of pride in our program, and we know that the record is below the standard, but we continued to focus on improving every day.

“We don’t have many seniors, but I’m glad that we ended the regular season with a win (47-12 over Panther Valley) on senior night and did enough to earn a playoff berth. I’m looking forward to the challenge this week and we are excited for this opportunity to play Bethlehem Catholic.”

The Golden Hawks will present the next challenge for the young Spartans. Winners in eight of its 10 games, Becahi’s only losses have come against Easton (20-14) and Nazareth, the top-seeded team in the District 11 Class 6A tournament, (52-49).

“You can say that we are ‘battle tested, but the challenge for us this week, against another very good opponent, will be to focus on one play at a time and be willing to do whatever it takes to overcome any adversity that we face,” Tomtishen said.

Dual-threat quarterback Axel Burkart leads the Golden Hawks’ diversified attack, one that has produced nearly 40 points per game. He has passed for more than 2,500 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 300-plus yards and five scores during this season alone.

Justin Martinez heads a balanced running game with more than 600 yards and 10 TDs; while Carter Vassa anchors a deep receiving corps with 52 catches for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“There is a high sense of excitement when you face someone new,” Tomtishen said. “Bethlehem Catholic is a big-time program, and they have had a lot of success this season in a tough conference. (East Penn). They have some special players, and it will definitely be a huge challenge for us. But again, our guys are excited for the opportunity to play them. We haven’t played in that stadium either, so (we’re) looking forward to that atmosphere.”

North Schuylkill will counter with its own dual-threat quarterback in sophomore Brock Holmes, who leads his team with 638 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. He also has thrown for 491 yards and four scores.

Running backs Bryce Kile, Angel Ortiz and Daniel Brake have taken turns lining up behind Holmes. The trio has combined for more than 1,200 yards and 11 TDs. Brake is the Spartans’ top pass catcher with 22 receptions for 241 yards and four scores.

North Schuylkill’s defense will need to step up to give the Spartans a chance at pulling off an upset on Saturday night. In five of their seven losses, they gave up at least 32 points; three opponents scored 49 or more.

“For us to be successful this week, we need to play complementary football,” said Tomtishen, who once played at North Schuylkill. “Offensively, we need to control the football and be more consistent. They (the Golden Hawks) are very explosive and have a wealth of athletes, so limiting their big plays and tackling well will be very important on defense.

“On special teams, we need to do our best to give ourselves a field position advantage. However, the biggest key for me is seeing our team play to our standard for all four quarters. Our standard and expectation is to play tough, fast and physical, and to focus on doing your job with great effort and energy one snap at a time.”

While injuries will sideline several North Schuylkill starters, Tomtishen said that fullback/linebacker Seth Hubler has a chance to see limited action after missing time late in the regular season.

“On the bright side, because of the injuries, we were able to get some guys valuable playing experience,” the rookie head coach added.

Heading into the district playoffs, the Spartans really have nothing to lose.

“Our postseason approach will be ‘Win or go home,’” Tomtishen said. “We didn’t have the regular season that we wanted, but Saturday is a great opportunity. We tell our guys, ‘Don’t be afraid to be great.’”

Spartans vs. Golden Hawks

Who: North Schuylkill (3-7) at Bethlehem Catholic (8-2)

What: District 11 Class 4A quarterfinal

Where: Bethlehem Area School District Stadium

When: Satruday, 7:05 p.m.

Last week: North Schuylkill 47, Panther Valley 12;

Points per game: North Schuylkill 23.4; Bethlehem Catholic 38.5

Opponents points per game: North Schuylkill 29.3; Bethlehem Catholic 20.6

Passing leaders: North Schuylkill — Brock Holmes 49-111-2-491, 4 TD, Francis Kowalonek 3-6-0-38, TD. Bethlehem Catholic – Axel Burkart 126-201-5-2,560, 24 TD.

Rushing leaders: North Schuylkill — Holmes 143-638, 14 TD, Bryce Kile 108-594, 5 TD, Angel Ortiz 57-360, 2 TD, Daniel Brake 41-266, 4 TD, Kameron Roberts 4-53, 0 TD, Otilio Lopez-Montz 3-21, 0 TD, Seth Hubler 6-16, TD. Bethlehem Catholic — Justin Martinez 107-601, 10 TD, Burkart 53-312, 5 TD, Antonio Salomoni 38-285, TD, Carter Vassa 22-190, 5 TD, Zakai Brake 13-112, 2 TD, Ethan Jean 11-49, 0 TD.

Receiving leaders: North Schuylkill — Brake 22-241, 4 TD, Xavier McNally 8-137, 0 TD, Seth Hubler 6-44, 0 TD, Casey Rader 3-15, 0 TD, Brody Souchak 3-13, 0 TD, Kile 2-12, 0 TD, Mason Sosnoski 1-24, 0 TD, True Perkins 1-17, TD, Michael Rader 1-6, 0 TD, Ortiz 1-2, 0 TD. Bethlehem Catholic — Vassa 52-1,154, 12 TD, Tyre Lewis 28-547, 5 TD, Armando Thom 20-378, 6 TD, Anderson Gomez 8-102, 0 TD, Martinez 6-67, TD, Aiden Rivera 4-53, 0 TD, Ronnie Brodie 3-71, 0 TD, Jaxon Geiger 2-69, 0 TD, Salomoni 2-59, 0 TD, Logan Peacock 2-26, 0 TD, Brake 1-14, 0 TD.

Next week: Winner will meet Saucon Valley-Allentown Central Catholic winner in district semifinal on Friday, Nov. 13; loser’s season is complete.