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GOLDEN HAWKS FLY OVER FALCONS TO ADVANCE TO STATE SEMIFINALS. @becahifootball @PGFalconsFB

Tagged under: District 1, District 11

| November 24, 2018

KINTNERSVILLE- It wasn’t as pretty as what was flashing up on the scoreboard Friday night at Pirates Stadium on the campus of Palisades High School. Bethlehem Catholic did manage to score more points than their familiar post-season oppenent the Pottsgrove Falcons to the tune of a 58-20 score and advance to the semifinal round in the PIAA State 4A Playoffs. This was third conxecutive year the Golden Hawks ended the Falcons season.

However, Bethlehem Catholic will need to clean up some very concerning issues as they move forward on the road to Hershey. The biggest being penalties, as they managed to pickup 19 total infractions in this contest including six of the 15 yard variety. They totaled 108 in penalties overall. The other is on special teams as the Falcons managed to return a kickoff 99 yards for a score and gave themselves great field position on returns.

Despite all that, behind the one-two punch of running backs Tavion Banks, who gashed the Pottsgrove defense for 168 yards and 5 touchdowns and Zaheer Seabrooks who added 76 yards and a two scores. QB Zamar Brake also contributed with 240 yards passing, 220 of which came in the first half alone.

Banks kicked of the scoring barrage in the first half on 20 yard run, capping a five play 80 yard opening drive for a 7-0 lead. Pottsgrove then had a bad snap that sailed over the punter’s head and proceeded to kick the ball through the back of the end zone for safety and a 9-0 lead. Seabrooks scored on the ensuing possession after the free kick for a 16-0 lead with 4:33 still remaining in the first quarter.

Pottsgrove then took advantage of a couple personal foul calls and a offside penalty on the Hawks to set up shop at the Becahi 7. QB Jay Sisko connected with his tight end Ryan Brodulus in the flat for a score making it 16-7.

Banks managed to plow his way in from five yards out late in the quarter to make it 23-7. But on the ensuing kickoff Falcon Speedster Jimai Springfield took the ball from his own one wound his way through several Hawks missed tackles and broke into the clear near midfield and sailed into the end zone to make the score 23-14.HOME

Both teams seemed to settle down in the second quarter as penalties and chippy play subsided. The only scoring came on a one yard run by Banks and a 31 yard field goal for Pottsgrove’s Michael Sereny to make the score 30-17 at intermission. The Hawks had nine penalties for 95 yards in the half and three of those were of 15 yard variety.

The Falcons cut the lead to 30-20 on their opening possession of the second half on a Sereny 35 yard field goal. That would be as close as they would get on the scoreboard as the Hawks scored the last 28 points including two three yard runs by Banks and a 7 yard score by Seabrooks.

Bethelehem Catholic now awaits the winner of Saturday afternoon’s game between Imhotep Charter and Valley View that game is scheduled for Northern Lehigh High School at 1pm.

“We had too many mistakes in that first half, that we cannot make going forward.” Bethlehem Catholic coach Joe Henrich stated. “We played better in the second half. We turned up the defensive pressure, forced some turnovers and put some seperation between us.” He concluded.

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