Week Ten EPC Season Finale: Northampton Heads to BASD Stadium to Face Bethlehem Catholic

Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

Dan DiEdwardo | October 23, 2025

Fresh off a major upset against last week against the then 7-1 Nazareth Blue Eagles, the 4-5 Northampton Konkrete Kids are looking to ride that momentum as they take on the 5-4 Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks. The Hawks are coming off a 35-20 loss to their rivals, the Liberty Hurricanes. With only one game left, both teams are looking to finish .500 or better and on a high note.

Northampton’s success is powered by their senior quarterback, Gavin Taff, who has thrown for 1,094 yards on 86 attempts, and a 11-2 TD to INT ratio. He has also contributed with his legs, rushing for 184 yards on 48 attempts for 3 TDs on the season, including one last week. Another cog to the Northampton’s success has been the emergence of sophomore running back, Chase Kessler, who had 317 rushing yards on 32 carries against Nazareth and 3 TDs. On the season, he has 1,226 rushing yards on 149 carries and 12 TDs. Leading their WR core is senior Cameron Hersch, who has 25 receptions for 355 yards and 2 TDs on the season. All 3 of these players, as well as senior RB Zander Rickert and senior WR Joey High, will be crucial factors in whether or not Northampton can pull off a major road victory against the Hawks.

On the other side, Bethlehem Catholic is led by their junior QB, Axel Burkart, who has 71 completions for 1,096 yards on the season and a 8-4 TD to INT ratio. Like Taff, he has also contributed on the ground with 115 rushing yards on 37 attempts and 5 rushing TDs on the year, and 2 last week against Liberty. However, there is also another QB on the roster that can carry the offensive load. His name is Cayden Vassa, who has 38 completions for 685 yards on the season and a 4-3 TD to INT ratio. Although, his biggest impact comes on the ground as a runner, as he has 63 rushing attempts for 715 yards and 10 TDs on the season. Given Vassa’s big play ability, the Hawks can use him as a passer or runner to catch their opponent off guard. Furthermore, there is another Vassa that leads the team in receiving. Cayden’s younger brother Carter, has 47 receptions for 802 yards and 7 TDs on the season. These 3 players will be the keys to a Golden Hawks victory as they look to defend their home turf.

Both Northampton and Bethlehem Catholic had up and down seasons, but the Golden Hawks enter this game on a 3 game losing streak, and Northampton enters this game off a statement win against the Nazareth Blue Eagles. Add in the fact that Chase Kessler has been unstoppable as of late and is a nominee for the week 9 Mr. PA Football Player of the Week, I can’t pick against a team that has all the momentum right now, even if they are on the road.

I think Northampton defeats Bethlehem Catholic by a score of 34-27.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews