NORTHAMPTON – It’s the holiday season, and it’s become the season for giving. It’s also Thanksgiving which usually means gatherings with family and friends. But, for several teams in the Lehigh Valley, it means a little more – a Thanksgiving Day football game before they sit down and have turkey and filling with all the trimmings.
Catasauqua and Northampton met for the 87th time (83rd meeting on Thanksgiving Day) today at Al Erdosy Stadium in Northampton. Northampton had won the past six meetings between the two rivals. The Rough Riders haven’t won since 2002, a 21-6 winner, when Ed Csencsits was the head coach.
Catasauqua was coming off a hard fought loss to Northern Lehigh this past Saturday in the District 11 Class 2A Semifinals. Northampton hadn’t played since the last week of the regular season, which was a loss to Nazareth.
Northampton won the coin toss and deferred to the 2nd half. Catasauqua elected to receive the opening kickoff. Each team traded a possession in the first quarter until Catasauqua’s Brandon Lesko threw a pass, intercepted by Northampton’s Anthony DiClemente with less than a minute to go in the first quarter. The quarter ended with both teams tied at 0-0.
The Konkrete Kids continued the drive, which began on their own six-yard line. It ended on a four-yard touchdown run by Brock Baker. The K-Kids went up 6-0 (missed extra point).
On the Roughies’ second possession of the second quarter, Brandon Lesko hit John Lynn on a 25 -yard touchdown pass with 1:01 remaining in the half. Lesko ended the day – 8/17 with 70 yards passing and 3 INTs. Catasauqua ended the half by intercepting Northampton’s Zach Szoke on their own five-yard line. Catty ended the game with four turnovers.
The Rough Riders took a 7-6 lead into halftime.
Both teams came out fired up from halftime, but it was Northampton who took charge. On the Roughies first possession of the second half, Nathan Falko fumbled the ball on the K-Kids 27 yard line. It was recovered by Northampton’s Dan Riley. The K-Kids turned the turnover into points with Josh Fehnel’s 14 -yard touchdown run with 4:41 left in the third quarter. A two-point conversion of Szoke to John Lambert made the score 14-7 Northampton.
After a Catty four and out at the end of the third quarter, Northampton drove for another touchdown with a Szoke five yard touchdown run with 10:24 in the game.
With the game in hand, with 1:45 left, Tyler Marx took the ball into the end zone on a one yard TD run. Northampton won 28-7, and has won the last seven games in this rivalry.
Northampton ended the season, 4-7. Catasauqua 8-5.
Josh Fehnel was Northampton’s game MVP, who toted the ball for 154 yards. Brandon Lesko was Catasauqua’s MVP.
