The 102nd annual Northampton-Catasauqua Thanksgiving Football Game is set to take place this Thursday at 10 AM. The tradition started in 1925 with Catty winning 22-6, and has been played every year since with the exception of 2020 for the COVID pandemic. The teams even played twice a year early on, with Northampton leading the all time series, 66-33-4 in 103 games. From 1931-1968, the games were played at the neutral site of Muhlenberg College Field, with crowds so large, the Lehigh Valley Traction company arranged for Trolley to take fans d...
The 102nd annual Northampton-Catasauqua Thanksgiving Football Game is set to take place this Thursday at 10 AM. The tradition started in 1925 with Catty winning 22-6, and has been played every year since with the exception of 2020 for the COVID pandemic. The teams even played twice a year early on, with Northampton leading the all time series, 66-33-4 in 103 games. From 1931-1968, the games were played at the neutral site of Muhlenberg College Field, with crowds so large, the Lehigh Valley Traction company arranged for Trolley to take fans directly there from Northampton or Catty. However, despite the historical significance of the rivalry in the Lehigh Valley, the rivalry and its future have been subject of debate to possible removal because of the recent lopsided wins by Northampton over the past decade and lower fan attendance than years past.
Northampton is led by its Sr. QB, Gavin Taff, who has 108 completions on the season for 1,404 yards, and a 13-5 TD-INT ratio. He also has been a threat with his legs with 59 carries for 250 yards and 4 TDs. Another threat the K-Kids have on the ground is their sophomore RB, Chase Kessler, who has 179 carries for 1,418 yards and 15 TDs. His emergence and historic season has earned him recognition as Blue Ridge’s Male Athlete of the Week after the team’s upset win over Nazareth on October 17th and looks to be a staple in the K-Kids offense for the next couple years. Leading the WR core for the K-Kids is Sr. Cameron Hersch who has 31 receptions for 428 yards and 2 TDs on the season. They also have received contributions from Sr. WR Joey High, who has 15 receptions for 236 yards and 4 TDs, and their Sr. TE, Sincere Wadlington, who has 14 receptions for 250 yards and 3 TDs. They also have their first team all-conference players, including punter, Noah Kline and guard, Gerald Bretzik. On defense, their leading tackler is Sr. Rocco Amato, who has 45 solo tackles, 9 assisted, 7 for loss, and 1 sack. Luke Becker leads the team in sacks with 2.5. Northampton’s explosive offense has been the catalyst of their success this season and look to continue that against Catty this Thursday.
Catasauqua is led by their Jr. QB, Aiden Reilly, who has 111 completions for 600 yards on the season with a 3-8 TD-INT ratio. Their rushing attack is led by Sr. RB Tray Dunn, who has 129 carries for 805 yards and 8 TDs. They also received contributions from Sr. WR Cadeo Estronza in the rushing game, as he has 48 carries for 355 yards and 5 TDS on the season. The Catasauqua WR core is led by Jr. Omar Pacheco Jr, who has 21 receptions for 328 yards and 3 TDs on the season. Their other top WR is Sr. Manny Bolmer, who has 29 receptions for 325 yards and 2 TDs on the season. On defense, the Rough Riders have some playmakers, the first if which is sophomore, Joziah Martinez, who leads the team in sacks with 3, tackles for losses with 7, and tied for first in assisted tackles with 29. They also have Sr. Chris Wellington, who leads the team with 64 overall tackles, 35 solo tackles, is tied for the most assisted tackles with 29, and is second in team sacks with 2. Catty hopes they can rely on these playmakers to pull an upset win over a Northampton team they have struggled against in recent years.
With the uncertainty regarding the future of this rivalry, both teams will be looking to make a statement, as this may be the last time this century old Thanksgiving tradition is ever played. However, with Northampton’s recent dominance in the rivalry, Catty will be looking to prove that this is still a rivalry and not a one-sided affair. Will it be enough for Catty to change the narrative of the rivalry? We’ll find out this Thursday!