Berks Catholic can’t contain Becca QB Cayden Vassa, falls 28-10
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details.)
By George Ruth — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
BETHLEHEM — Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Cayden Vassa punished Berks Catholic with his running Thursday, scoring three touchdowns as the Golden Hawks defeated the Saints 28-10 in a non-league game at BASD Stadium.
A 52-yard run on a second-and-40 encapsulated his ability to make up for his team’s mistakes and the Saints’ inability to contain the junior quarterback.
“Cayden’s a special player,” Berks Catholic coach Dave Stahler said. “We got beat by a quarterback run by Twin Valley a couple weeks ago and I said (then) that Evan Myers beat us with his mind because he is really smart.
“Cayden’s smart (and) we didn’t have anyone to match up with him. He’s a really good player, and other than tonight, he’s fun to watch.”
Vassa, who finished with 97 rushing yards, capped a 12-play, 92-yard game-opening drive with a 9-yard score to put the Golden Hawks (2-1) on top 7-0.
An interception by Saints quarterback Zach Suski inside his own 20 led to Vassa’s second score, from 3 yards away, midway through the second quarter.
Berks Catholic (1-2) running back Nathaniel Rose broke free for a 39-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-10 but another Vassa 3-yard run put the game away with just over 10 minutes to play.
Rose was the most productive player on the ground for the Saints with 18 carries for 94 yards. Xavier Gerald (11 carries, 44 yards) and Julian Rios (six carries, 30 yards) were bright spots late in the contest for the Saints.
Their success provides Stahler with some confidence as the Saints head to their Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 opener next week against Pequea Valley.
“We’ll take positives out of the way we competed in the second half,” Stahler said. “We were able to move the ball on the ground better than we have the last couple of weeks. I’m proud of my football team. I love those guys and they work hard for us.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Berks Catholic | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Bethlehem Catholic | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Bethlehem Catholic | Cay. Vassa, 9 run (Wiles kick) | 5:48 |
| 2 | Bethlehem Catholic | Cay. Vassa, 3 run (Wiles kick) | 6:55 |
| 2 | Berks Catholic | Tyler Osorio, 31 FG | 0:12 |
| 3 | Bethlehem Catholic | Gregory, 8 run (Wiles kick) | 3:18 |
| 3 | Berks Catholic | Rose, 39 run (Osorio kick) | 2:17 |
| 4 | Bethlehem Catholic | Cay. Vassa, 3 run (Hawach kick) | 10:06 |
Team statistics
| BERKS CATHOLIC | BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC | |
| First downs | 10 | 15 |
| Rushes-yards | 46-178 | 26-200 |
| Passing yards | 15 | 100 |
| Total yards | 193 | 300 |
| Passes | 4-8-1 | 10-14-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-1 | 2-2 |
| Punts-average | 2-36 | 1-29 |
| Penalties-yards | 6-59 | 10-100 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Berks Catholic: Rose 18-94, Gerald 11-44, Rios 6-30, Schalk 4-18, Curley 5-2, Suski 1-(-10).
Bethlehem Catholic: Vassa 11-97, Gregory 9-65, Martinez 6-38.
PASSING
Berks Catholic: Suski 4-8-1–15.
Bethlehem Catholic: Vassa 10-14-1–100.
RECEIVING
Berks Catholic: Kozik 1-14, Curley 1-4, Welker 1-1, Rose 1-(-4).
Bethlehem Catholic: Vassa 5-52, Medina 4-52, Gregory 1-(-4).
INTERCEPTIONS
Berks Catholic: Duffy.Bethlehem Catholic: Lebron.
