Seniors Emile Ayache and Cayden Vassa have seen it all in their four years as members of the Bethlehem Catholic football team — some good, some bad, some ugly. They have lost district title games and won one. They have played for four different head coaches. Through it all, they have tried to represent the program, their school, their community, and themselves well.
This Thursday, they will face rival Allentown Central Catholic for the seventh time at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium in the District 11 4A semifinals. Their leadership will be crucial to keep the Golden Hawks steady and determined to advance during what promises to be another emotional and hard-fought edition of the Lehigh Valley’s “Holy War.”
While this is not a championship game — and state-ranked Southern Lehigh likely awaits the winner — it will feel like a make-or-break contest. Both teams have lived in the shadows of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference unbeaten teams Easton and Parkland, as well as others with better records all season. All that matters now is competing for 48 minutes and seeing which team is left standing.
First-year Becahi coach Joe Bernard is glad to have Vassa and Ayache on his side.
“We name game captains every week and Emile has been one for every game, and I think that speaks for itself,” Bernard said. “Cayden is also a tremendous leader and has been named captain several times. These two guys are the ones who have really gotten this program back to where we want to be. Their work ethic and everything else they bring to the table has fed into the other guys on the team.”
Ayache, whose father Sam is a 1991 Becahi graduate and member of the 1990 state champion Golden Hawks, has grown up with Becahi football in his DNA. His older brother, Sammy, was part of the 2023 District 11 championship squad and is now a sophomore at nationally ranked Lehigh University. His younger brother Jon Jon is a junior and one of his teammates.
“I have been here since I was 5 years old, walking the same hallways,” Ayache said. “I have been part of the Little Hawks program from 5 years old on up. So, you know, right now I am just trying to take it all in and keep the season rolling.”
Ayache, who was selected as a second-team all-conference offensive tackle and defensive tackle, admits the team has faced its share of adversity, not only this season but in previous years.
“A lot of stuff happened above us,” he said. “But that was all stuff that you can’t do anything about. A lot of people would choose to leave and transfer out and find a new school. But we fought through it together as a team and I think it built up our character. It taught us to lead on each other, especially in these high-pressure games. When adversity hits we can handle it because we’ve all been through so much already over the last four years and it feels good to rely on the same guys that have been here for four years.”
One of those guys Ayache has relied on has been Vassa.
“Cayden was one of the first kids I talked to when I was a freshman, and we quickly became friends and have grown so close together over the last four years through offseason workouts and everything,” Ayache said. “We have spent so much time together and I think it helps us on the field because you’d rather protect someone you care about instead of someone who’s just another player. Emery Oberholzer and Alex Dominguez have also been around here for a long time. I know them since we were Little Hawks.”
Vassa, who has his brother Carter to throw to in the Becahi offense, said the close-knit nature of the players has allowed them to thrive.
“This definitely was a journey here over the last four years, and I’ve dealt with an injury this senior year that set me back,” he said. “But I have a lot of faith and trust in God’s plan and just see what’s in front of me. Me and my brother and the Ayache brothers, we’ve just stuck to the plan. I think I have grown as a person, especially with the environment we have here at Becahi. I just try to stay true to what I believe in and what I see for us in the future as a football team.”
He would love to beat ACCHS and get another shot against Southern Lehigh, after the Spartans defeated the Golden Hawks 28-7 in the district final last year.
“We were missing some players and we had a lot of mishaps on offense,” Vassa said. “We could have brought a lot more to the table, but we just weren’t that team that night. We want to make it back to the finals, but you have to take it one week at a time. Hopefully, we’ll get there and play whoever is there, and this time we want to bring our ‘A’ game.”
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### Game Preview: No. 3 seed Allentown Central Catholic (6-5, 4-3) vs. No. 2 Bethlehem Catholic (7-4, 3-4)
**When / Where:** 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium
**At stake:** A berth in next week’s District 11 4A title game against either No. 1 Southern Lehigh (11-0) or No. 4 Blue Mountain (7-4)
**The storylines:**
This is a renewal of one of the Lehigh Valley’s great football rivalries and a meeting of two of the area’s most successful programs. The Golden Hawks and Vikings are tied for the most district titles among area programs, with 14 each.
Since the PIAA expanded to six classifications in 2016, Becahi or ACCHS has won the District 11 4A title in seven of the nine years. They have met in the postseason five times, with Central winning three of those matchups.
While Becahi leads the all-time series 34-30, the teams have split the last 24 meetings evenly at 12-12, including the Golden Hawks’ 28-24 win on September 20.
The Vikings rolled into the semifinals with a 52-21 win over Jim Thorpe. The Golden Hawks were tied 14-14 with Pottsville early in the fourth quarter before Antonio Thom’s 78-yard catch and run down the sideline provided the go-ahead points. Becahi added a late score to seal the win.
**Players to watch:**
– Central’s junior quarterback Patrick Cahill threw for 474 yards last week vs. Jim Thorpe, pushing him to fourth in the league with 1,979 yards passing and 20 touchdowns.
– Sophomore Tahir Edmondson has been Cahill’s top target with 34 catches for 568 yards and seven touchdowns.
– Deon Johnson leads the Vikings’ ground game with 360 yards and five scores.
The Becahi offense is led by senior Cayden Vassa, who has run for 876 yards and 13 touchdowns and passed for 793 yards and five touchdowns. Axel Burkart has also played quarterback, throwing for 1,277 yards and nine touchdowns. Carter Vassa has caught 47 passes for 802 yards and eight scores.
**Keith Groller’s pick:** Becahi 33, Allentown Central Catholic 21
*Note: Keith Groller was 8-0 in picks last week and is now 88-23 on the season.*
https://www.mcall.com/2025/11/05/district-11-football-4a-semifinals-another-holy-war-for-becahi-acchs/
