One thing for sure about the championship game in the 43rd annual Slatington Rotary Basketball Tournament is that scoreboard operator Denny Rehrig better have his fingers ready for a lot of updates.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because the final between Catasauqua and Bethlehem Christian on Tuesday night at Northern Lehigh High School figures to be high scoring.<\/p>\n
In Monday night\u2019s tournament semifinals, Rough Riders senior Frankie Pujols got the seven points he needed for his 1,000-point milestone early against Pleasant Valley. He finished with 20 points despite sitting out most of the fourth quarter, and Reece Lopez scored 29 as Catty rolled to a 73-50 win over Pleasant Valley.<\/p>\n
In the second game, Bethlehem Christian bolted to a 21-10 lead in the first quarter and never trailed in an 88-68 victory over host Northern Lehigh. The Panthers, who improved to 8-1, won their fourth straight game and have scored at least 72 points in all four. Gabe Transue scored 34 points, and Myles Harris added 32 for Bethlehem Christian, while Kellen Bauer netted 31 for the improved Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
Tuesday night\u2019s schedule begins at 6 p.m., with Northern Lehigh and Pleasant Valley competing in the consolation game, followed by the title contest.<\/p>\n
Catty (5-2) can not only win the tournament championship for the first time but also get veteran coach Eric Snyder, who is in his 34th season, his 400th career win.<\/p>\n
![\"Catasauqua's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TMC-L-nolehibasketball-1229-14-1.jpg\")
Catasauqua\u2019s team celebrate Frankie Pujols one thousandth point against Pleasant Valley during an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference boys basketball game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, at Northern Lehigh High School in Slatington. (Jonathan Broady\/Special to The Morning Call)
\nFrankie\u2019s feat<\/p>\n
Pujols became the 13th boys player in Rough Riders history to reach 1,000, with a 3-pointer off a Caiden Weaver pass with 2:10 left in the first quarter. It made the score 21-7, and Catty would go on to lead 25-10 after the first quarter, 49-29 at halftime, and eventually the mercy rule was put into effect to keep the clock running.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt great to get to 1,000 knowing my community was behind me and my teammates were waiting for this moment,\u201d Pujols said. \u201cIt was good to get it early because then we could just focus on the game and go for the championship [Tuesday].\u201d<\/p>\n
Pujols was able to attain the milestone before the halfway mark of his senior season despite playing in only four games as a freshman due to injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cEver since my freshman year, this was a goal of mine,\u201d Pujols said. \u201cI just knew I had to work hard to achieve that goal. It was a surreal feeling in the moment. But it was important to get the win. This team can be great. We just need to work had and keep the team chemistry up.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Catty came into he gym, the scoreboard read 49-48, which was the score from Northern Lehigh\u2019s last game \u2014 a one-point loss to Northwestern Lehigh on Dec. 22.<\/p>\n
But Catty thought it was a reminder of last year\u2019s 48-47 loss to Pleasant Valley in the tournament final and used it as motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just wanted to beat them really badly, and Frankie getting his 1,000th point gave us a lot of early momentum,\u201d Lopez said. \u201cWe feel we can go pretty far this year. We have to pass the ball and stay together as a team. Sometimes when things go bad in a game, we try to do too much 1-on-1, but if we play together as a team and move the ball, we can be pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snyder, who led the team to an unexpected appearance in the Colonial League finals and the District 11 3A title last season, feels good about his team and was happy for Pujols.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrankie deserves everything he can get because he works hard and he\u2019s not just a scorer,\u201d Snyder said. \u201cHe does a little bit of everything for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snyder expects a tough game against Bethlehem Christian. The Roughies beat the Panthers 79-72 in last year\u2019s Slatington semifinals.<\/p>\n
![\"Catasauqua's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TMC-L-nolehibasketball-1229-13-1.jpg\")
Catasauqua\u2019s coach Eric Snyder, congratulates Frankie Pujols after he scored his 1,000th career point. Catty beat Pleasant Valley in he semifinals of the Slatington Rotary Tournament at Northern Lehigh Monday night. (Jonathan Broady\/Special to The Morning Call)
\nBC needs some D<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Christian reached 80 points in a game for the third straight time, led by Transue and Harris.<\/p>\n
But it was the defense that coach Matt DeJesus wanted to talk about after his team beat Northern Lehigh.<\/p>\n
\u201cGabe [Transue] always responds when we need him, and Myles helped out a lot as well, but we need some of the guys to step up on defense and not allow so many second-chance points,\u201d DeJesus said. \u201cWe need to play better collectively on defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeJesus said his team was in the Slatington tournament for the third straight year and had never been in the title game before.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to the challenge,\u201d DeJesus said. \u201cWe lost to Catty in this tournament last year, and we know they have a really solid squad. They have some talented players like Frankie Pujols, and Coach Snyder does a great job with his team. We want to play teams like Northern Lehigh and Catty because it helps us get ready for districts and states. We just have to come together and play better defense collectively if we\u2019re going to win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Christian opened up a lead in the first half, but Northern Lehigh got back to within four just before halftime.<\/p>\n
Transue, who added 17 rebounds to go with his 34 points, said, \u201cFortunately, we came out hot in the second half and put things together. But that was poor defense by us tonight. Catty is a district champion, so we know we have to play better defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
The championship would be significant for a program that is still in its infancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our first time in the championship game, so winning it would mean a lot,\u201d Transue said. \u201cAs a senior, it would be great to win our first Christmas tournament championship. We get excited to play Colonial League and EPC teams because people doubt us because we\u2019re 1A, and they don\u2019t think we\u2019re that good. They think we only score a lot because of the teams we play, but we score a lot against Colonial League and EPC teams, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris, who had five of his team\u2019s 11 3-pointers, agreed, saying, \u201cA good, hard win always helps the team in the long run. I look forward to playing Catsauqua. We\u2019ve played Dieruff, and Nazareth, and we have Allentown Central Catholic coming up, and these games are great challenges for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northern Lehigh is 4-7 at the halfway mark of the season, but has already matched its win total of all of last year and is much improved from the 2-20 squad of two years ago.<\/p>\n
Bauer, a junior, is one of the area\u2019s leading scorers. He came into the game with a 19.4 ppg average and boosted it to 20.5.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t rebound or execute defensively well enough tonight,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cWe wanted to stop Transue and Harris, but they got theirs, and once they got rolling, they were tough to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Bethlehem](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TMC-L-nolehibasketball-1229-34-1.jpg\")
Bethlehem Christian’s Myles Harris gets off a shot against Northern Lehigh during the Slatington Rotary tournament semifinals Monday night at Northern Lehigh High School. Harris scored 32 in Bethlehem Christian’s 88-68 win. (Jonathan Broady\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n
Bauer said his team kept battling after falling into a big hole early.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe lost two games by one point and I\u2019m still very confident about our team,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to come down to what we can do defensively and stopping the other team\u2019s best players. We\u2019ve just got to come out and play well against Pleasant Valley, a 6A school, and get out the bad taste in our mouths.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catasauqua 73, Pleasant Valley 50<\/p>\n
Catasauqua 25 \u2013 24 \u2013 21 \u2013 3 \u2014 73<\/p>\n
Pleas. Valley 10 \u2013 19 \u2013 9 \u2013 11 \u2014 50<\/p>\n
CATASAUQUA (73)<\/p>\n
Pujols 9 0-1 20, Lopez 6 10-11 29, Bolmer 1 0-0 3, Weaver 3 1-1 7, Lorah 2 0-0 5, Nix 4 0-0 9. Totals 27 11-13 73.<\/p>\n
PLEASANT VALLEY (50)<\/p>\n
Loch 2 4-5 8, Haines 3 0-2 9, Perry 1 0-0 2, Dorshimer 1 1-2 4, Solt 1 2-2 4, Wheeler 3 0-0 6, Sacci 8 0-2 17. Totals 19 7-13 50.<\/p>\n
3-pointers: Catty (8) Lopez 3, Pujols 2, Bolmer, Lorah, Nix. Pleasant Valley (5) Haines 3, Dorshimer, Sacci.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Christian 88, Northern Lehigh 68<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Christian 21 \u2013 17 \u2013 23 \u2013 27 \u2014 88<\/p>\n
Northern Lehigh 10 \u2013 21 \u2013 14 \u2013 23 \u2014 68<\/p>\n
BETHLEHEM CHRISTIAN (88)<\/p>\n
Kasper 2 0-0 4, Harris 10 7-10 32, Transue 14 2-2 34, Brown 1 1-2 3, Swift 5 3-4 15. Totals 32 13-18 88.<\/p>\n
NORTHERN LEHIGH (68)<\/p>\n
LoPinto 5 3-5 14, Kellen Bauer 14 2-6 31, Karetsky 1 0-0 3, Salih 1 0-0 3, Schaffer 2 0-0 6, Michael Bauer 2 7-12 11. Totals 25 12-23 68.<\/p>\n
3-pointers: Bethlehem Christian (11) Harris 5, Transue 4, Swift 2. Northern Lehigh (6) Schaffer 2, LoPinto, K. Bauer, Karetsky, Salih.<\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s results<\/p>\n
Allen 63, Thomas Edison 40: The Canaries remained the area\u2019s only unbeaten team with a win in its own holiday tournament. Xayvon Wimberly scored 22 points and Tiheed Wise Jr. added 20 as Allen improved to 8-0 and will play Woodson from Fairfax, Virginia, in the finals after Woodson beat Wilkes-Barre Area 64-47 in the other semifinal.<\/p>\n
ACCHS 75, Frankford 63: The Vikings won their sixth straight game and improved to 8-2 by winning their semifinal in their own Christmas tournament. Jared Ford scored 22 points, while Cameron Hines added 21. Central made eight 3-pointers, including six by Ford. Central will face Pope John Paul II in the finals.<\/p>\n
Pope John Paul II 82, Notre Dame-Green Pond 43: The Crusaders had a six-game win streak snapped in their first game in the Central Catholic tournament. Cody Driscoll and Justin Manning led Notre Dame (7-2) with 12 and 10 points, respectively.<\/p>\n
Nazareth 64, Northwestern Lehigh 49: Logan Hahn scored 15 points and Gavin Kershner and Blake Nagurney added 10 apiece as the Blue Eagles (9-1) advanced to the finals of the Whitehall tournament. The Tigers fell to 7-2 despite 14 points by Malachi Coleman.<\/p>\n
Whitehall 64, Delco Christian 52: Jack Lloyd scored 20 points, and Tanner Dogmanits added 15 as the Zephyrs improved to 4-7 and advanced to the finals of their tournament against Nazareth.<\/p>\n
Executive 53, Pennridge 50: The Raptors improved to 7-1 and advanced to the finals of the Easton Rotary tournament, getting eight of a team-high 13 points from freshman Camren Michel in the fourth quarter. Eshaan Tung added 10 for Executive, which will play Phillipsburg in the tournament championship game.<\/p>\n
Phillipsburg 49, Easton 45: Christian Martin scored 17 points and Dominic Bracco and Shamari Lewis added 13 and 12, respectively, as the Stateliners got their first win of the season and advanced to the Easton Rotary finals. Cian Sook led the Red Rovers (2-7) with 10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One thing for sure about the championship game in the 43rd annual Slatington Rotary Basketball Tournament is that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74514,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154,304,305,726,432],"class_list":{"0":"post-74513","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bethlehem","8":"tag-bethlehem","9":"tag-bethlehem-headlines","10":"tag-bethlehem-news","11":"tag-high-school-football","12":"tag-high-school-sports","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-top-stories-tmc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74513\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}