A few days before Bethlehem Catholic’s District 11 4A football quarterfinal against Pottsville on Thursday, Golden Hawks coach Joe Bernard looked at the weather forecast and worried.
Since Becahi depends a lot on its passing game, Bernard thought the heavy rain in the forecast might hinder his offense.
As it turned out, the weather did affect the Golden Hawks, but not in the way you might think.
A thunderstorm passed through Bethlehem about a half-hour before the scheduled 7 p.m. kickoff. It caused a 15-minute delay for the game’s start and left Bethlehem Area School District Stadium relatively empty.
“With the downpour during warmups, it felt a little off,” Becahi quarterback Cayden Vassa said. “We had to sit in the locker room, and wait. And then there was no crowd out here.”
The atmosphere and an upset-minded Pottsville team that played a lot better than its 3-7 record made things a lot tougher for the Golden Hawks than expected.
Bethlehem Catholic’s Axel Burkart catches a pass Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, against Pottsville during a District 11 4A quarterfinal football game at BASD Stadium. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
It was 14-14 entering the fourth quarter before Vassa connected with sophomore Armando Thom on a 78-yard touchdown pass to take the lead with nine minutes left. Then, after a defensive stop, Vassa’s third rushing touchdown of the night clinched a 28-14 victory and punched second-seeded Becahi’s ticket into the 4A semifinals, where it will meet longtime rival Allentown Central Catholic.
In Allentown, the third-seeded Vikings rolled to a 52-21 win over Jim Thorpe behind a spectacular 474-yard, 5-touchdown passing effort by junior quarterback Patrick Cahill.
The season’s second Holy War – the name many use to describe the Becahi-Central rivalry – will be played Thursday night at BASD Stadium.
Vassa, who has missed several games in the second half of the season due to injury, ran for TDs covering 68 and 20 yards and another from about a foot out.
Bethlehem Catholic’s Antonio Salamoni runs down field Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, against Pottsville during a District 11 4A quarterfinal football game at BASD Stadium. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
He ran for 162 yards, and he and Axel Burkart combined for 149 yards passing with Vassa getting 124 of them.
“I felt good; it’s good to be back,” Vassa said after the Golden Hawks improved to 7-4. “I came ready and started off the game pretty hot. But we needed to pick it up in the second half. Everyone in the playoffs is good. They’re playing for their season. We’re just grateful to be able to move on and get to practice again.”
Pottsville made Becahi’s fourth consecutive trip to the district semis a challenge.
The Tide ran the ball well and used a lot of time doing it by running down the play clock before each snap. Max Clews ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns, and Andrew Allen passed for 136 yards. Shay Strencosky caught five passes for 78 yards.
The game tied, Pottsville had a first down at the Becahi 14 as the fourth quarter began, but Burkart came up with a sack for a 6-yard loss on third down, moving the Tide back to the 13. A 30-yard field goal attempt missed. Two plays later, Vassa hit sophomore Armando Thom on a down-and-out, and he took it up the field along the sideline for a 78-yard, go-ahead score.
Bethlehem Catholic’s quarterback Cayden Vassa runs the ball down the field for a touchdown Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, against Pottsville during a District 11 4A quarterfinal football game at BASD Stadium. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
“The sack was a big momentum-shifter, and it sparked the offense,” said Burkart, who had two completions for 25 yards and two catches for 46. “We went right down and scored. I just made a play. I think the delay affected us in the beginning, but in the second half, we came out with a lot more momentum.”
After a three-and-out, Becahi put the game away with a 41-yard drive capped by Vassa’s short TD run, and Thom’s second interception of the night and his 37-yard return led to victory formation for Becahi.
“It felt great to put the game away,” Thom said. “I love football and I love defense even more, honestly. Obviously, in the playoffs, everyone comes to play. They don’t want their season to end. We had to step it up in the second half and faced some adversity, but we came out with the win.”
Pottsville might have left wondering what might have been had Clews not gone down with an injury in the third quarter that put him on crutches or a punt return for a touchdown that was negated by a block in the back.
Becahi knows it will have to play better in the next two weeks if it’s going to add to the program’s 14 district titles. First up is Central. The Golden Hawks beat the Vikings 28-24 on Sept. 20 in Allentown.
“We won the last game but I feel like we can put a better product out on the field, and it will be nice to have this one at home,” Vassa said.
Allentown Central Catholic’s Patrick Cahill, seen playing against Bethlehem Catholic in September, threw for 474 yards and five TDs n a 52-21 win over Jim Thorpe in the District 11 4A quarterfinals on Thursday night. Cahill and the Vikings will get a rematch with Becahi in the district semis next week. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call).
ACCHS 52, Jim Thorpe 21
The Vikings bounced back from a 49-14 loss to Whitehall in the regular-season finale and are back in the district semis after losing to Pottsville, 14-7, in last year’s quarterfinals.
Cahill completed 13 of 16 passes and connected with Luis Martinez for two touchdowns – one for 78 yards and the other 69 – and found Greg Tillman, Tahir Edmondson, and Harry Restino for one score each.
Di’Quawn Leak also blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.
“Patrick did a tremendous job of leading our offense with his quick decision-making, getting the ball out to our playmakers and avoiding unnecessary hits,” said ACCHS coach Jake Reichard. “He is a student of the game. He is tough, composed, and the leader of our offense.”
Cahill’s performance was the second-best in Central history, behind only Brendan Nosovitch’s 489 yards and eight TD passes in a 61-54 state playoff win over Valley View in 2011.
Cahill connected with Edmondson for a 77-yard score and Restino for a 40-yard TD. But it was hardly a one-man show.
“Our offensive line and running backs did an outstanding job in pass protection, which allowed us to take advantage of our matchups with our talented group of receivers,” Reichard said. “Defensively, we made huge plays early. Deon Johnson made an incredible play in he first half tipping a pass to himself at defensive end for an interception. We also came up with a key fourth-down stop in our own territory. It was a complete team effort. We played consistent and complementary football. I’m happy for the kids and the staff. They earned the opportunity to compete for another week.”