In what has proven to be a special season for the Bethlehem Catholic football team, it has been the offense that has earned most of the acclaim.

Entering Saturday’s District 11 4A semifinal against Allentown Central Catholic at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium, Golden Hawks quarterback Axel Burkart was the leading passer in District 11 with 3.049 yards and receiver Carter Vassa led the district in receiving yards with 1,484.

The two didn’t disappoint in their final home game.

Burkart threw for 238 yards and a TD pass to Vassa and also ran for a score.

In addition to his touchdown reception, Vassa ran for three TDs.

But perhaps the biggest story in a 33-0 win that sends Becahi to the 4A finals for the fifth consecutive season was the defense.

The Golden Hawks registered their second shutout of the year and had a much easier time with ACCHS in the rematch with the Vikings after having to claw from behind in a 35-24 victory on Sept. 5.

Bethlehem Catholic (10-2) will play either Blue Mountain or Lehighton Friday night at a site to be announced in a bid for their first district championship since 2023 and their 15th overall. The Golden Hawks lost to Southern Lehigh in the title game each of the last two years.

To breakthrough, Becahi will need the same type of defensive tenacity it possessed in the bitter cold of BASD Stadium Saturday in ending the Central season at 7-5.

“I was really proud of our defense,” said second-year Golden Hawks coach Joe Bernard. “They stepped up and did a great job with the scheme we had in on these guys. We corralled No. 8 [Trey Johnson-Torres] early and we really contained them in the pass game. I couldn’t be more prouder of my coaches for getting these guys ready to go.”

With starting linebacker Great Chifirst out with an injury, Becahi turned to an unlikely source for pressure from the edge.

Chifirst leads the team and is among the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference’s leaders in sacks with 10, but in his place Daniel Nugteren, an exchange student from Spain, did an outstanding job by getting into the Central backfield.

“Danny did a great job,” Bernard said. “He’s a senior and international student from Spain. He has been working with us all year and he got in last week’s game [the district quarterfinal against North Schuylkill] and we said let’s go and you know what, he played a really good football.”

Asked what Nugteren knew about football at the start of the year, Bernard quipped, “He knew it was filled with air.”

“He actually played some American football over there, but the first thing he said to me when he got here was ‘Wow, it’s a lot more physical over here,’ and I said yeah it is,” Bernard said.

More story and stats to come

Scoring summary

Allentown CCHS 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 0

Becahi 14 – 13 – 6 – 0 — 33

FIRST QUARTER

B: Axel Burkart 2 run (Evan Schultz kick), 4:43

B: Carter Vassa 2 run (Schultz kick), 3:40

SECOND QUARTER

B: Vassa 4 run (Schultz kick), 11:56

B: Vassa 21 pass from Burkart (Schultz kick), 2:34

THIRD QUARTER

B: Vassa 7 run (kick blocked), 1:49