CATASAUQUA – Roughies junior quarterback Zach Bradley was 7 for 10 passing and three touchdowns leading his team to a 52-21 rout of Northampton on Thanksgiving Day at Alumni Field in Catasauqua.
Catasauqua ends their season at 12-1, tieing the school record for wins. The Rough Riders haven’t scored this much in the series since they beat Northampton 35-0 in 1992. The last time 52 points were scored by one team in the series was in 1937 when Northampton won 85-0.
Northampton (2-9) leads the series 54-31-4 but Catasauqua has won the past two games in the series (20-6 last year).
Northampton led in the game 6-3 in the second quarter when the Rough Riders reeled off 20 straight points for a 23-6 lead, until a Nick Cook 40 yard touchdown pass to Jared Bauer cut the lead to 23-13 at halftime.
The Roughies scored on their first possession of the second half on a Zach Bradley to Alex Parker 18 yard pass, for a 30-13 lead.
After an 8:08 drive by Northampton in the third quarter that ended with a turnover on downs, it took Catasauqua four plays to score their next touchdown. Eric Matz scampered 34 yards to paydirt, 37-13 Roughies.
The Konkrete Kids had another time consuming drive (that took up 5:56) in the fourth quarter. This time, Paryss Marshall intercepted a Nick Cook pass over the middle, and returned it 80 yards to the house. An Alex Parker two point conversation extended the lead to 45-13. The game was placed into the mercy rule after the Roughies squib-kicked the opening kickoff. A K-Kid up-man touched the ball, but a Roughie recovered it. A little more than a minute later, it was 52-13.
Northampton added a late touchdown, but Catasauqua takes the 90th Annual Thanksgiving Day game 52-21.
Game MVPs: Northampton: Nick Cook; Catasauqua: Eric Matz.
Note: Catasauqua finished its season scoring 548 points, rankings 12th in District 11 history. Source: Josh Funk.
Game scoring:
1st Quarter:
C: Joseph Harakal 23 yard FG
2nd Quarter:
N: Nick Cook 18 yard pass to Kyle George; kick failed
C: Zach Bradley 44 yard pass to Paryss Marshall; Harakal kick
C: Alex Parker 10 yard run; kick failed
C: Zach Stopay 30 yard Interception return; Harakal kick
N: Nick Cook 40 yard pass to Jared Bauer; Kern kick.
3rd Quarter:
C: Zach Bradley 18 yard pass to Alex Parker; Harakal kick.
4th Quarter:
C: Eric Matz 34 yard run; Harakal kick.
C: Paryss Marshall 80 yard Interception return; Parker run.
C: Zach Bradley 57 yard pass to Zach Stopay; Harakal kick.
N: Julian Tabb 48 yard run; Cook run.