Liberty and Bethlehem Catholic might have more in common after week one of East Penn Conference football action, but those similarities will be put to the test Friday night when both teams square off at BASD Stadium in the first installment of a city rivalry this season.

The Hurricanes and Hawks struggled to score over the weekend, as both teams suffered disappointing losses, as Becahi suffered its first shutout since 2012 in a 21-0 defeat at Nazareth, while Liberty took a scoreless affair against Easton to the half, only to be outscored 30-7 in the second half to fall.

With both squads featuring plenty of new faces, early season struggles might have been expected, but this week’s test will show who can improve quicker.

Becahi head coach Joe Henrich knows there were plenty of mistakes on the field Friday night in Nazareth, but isn’t worried about his teams chances of bouncing back.

“Our guys are going through a big learning process and every rep will help us,” Henrich said. “We have four sophomores starting on defense, which is something we’ve never really had. We have a bunch of juniors and a small senior class, so we just need to learn through the mistakes we’re making. These guys are cutting their teeth and learning on the run.”

Becahi (1-1) will look to jump start its offense this week, as Jared Richardson was only able to complete four passes for 18 yards on the night. Nazareth held the Hawks to 125 yards in total.

“We played hard and the kids cared, but it all came down to miscues and fortunately a lot of them are very coachable,” Henrich said. “We just need to focus on the little things and take this day-by-day.”

Liberty (0-1) saw its battle against Easton fall apart quickly in a scoreless second half, as Kyle Evancho scored on a 42-yard, pick-six to start the half, followed by a 41-yard Marcus Williams punt return for a score to quickly deflate any momentum that Liberty had built.

“We learned a lot about the team,” said head coach John Truby. “Defensively, I was very impressed with the team effort. What disappointed me the most was the effort on special teams by a few individuals in big moments. We need to fix that.”

Liberty was limited to 144 yards of total offense, as they struggled to get things going through the air and on the ground. Senior quarterback Byron Haydt went 11-of-18 for 116 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception in his debut.

With both teams dropping their league opener, city bragging rights are on the line, but with the District 11 tournament a month away, each game carries added weight.

“Taking away five games and still having the playoffs makes every game very important,” said Truby. “What is crazy is that this is week two, and we are already thinking about the playoffs. I just want to see my kids get better this week. If we do that everything will figure itself out.”