Nasir McLean has seen Thanksgiving Day battles between his Rough Riders and the Konkrete Kids, but he now will be in the center of one.

The freshman quarterback will be under center for the 98th annual backyard battle for a 10 a.m. kickoff at Alumni Field. Despite making his first career start in the game, McLean has a positive feeling.

“I feel confident in myself and my team,” said McLean. “I feel like we have a good game plan for them, and I feel our coaches have a good strategy. It’s gonna be fun for my first ever Turkey Day game and for it to be at home makes it even better.”

For the first time since 2013, Catasauqua (2-6) entered the game with a better record than Northampton (1-4). However, the Kids have won the last six contests, placing a 63-0 thumping on the Roughies’ last year at Al Erdosy Stadium.

Northampton leads the rivalry with a 60-34-3 overall margin.

The Roughies’ last outing was a 36-0 defeat to Palisades in a District Class 2A semifinal Nov. 14, while the Kids last game was a 36-35 loss to Whitehall Nov. 6.

“They’re big, especially up front,” said Roughies’ head coach Travis Brett, who caught the winning pass in the 1992 game. “Their quarterback likes to run, but we have seen teams that run what they do. They will run the football right at us.

“To me, they (Catasauqua) are searching for an identity on offense,” said Northampton head coach Kyle Haas about his opponent. “Their freshmen don’t look like freshmen. They have two good running backs who run hard.

“Their quarterback is making the adjustment from middle school to high school. But he is their future, and they will live and die with him.”

Catasauqua rushed for an average of 138.6 yards and passed for an average of 76.5 yards per contest .Northampton has rushed for an average of 213 yards per game and passed for an average of 120.

The Roughies have scored an average of 15.8 points per game and Northampton has posted 24.8 points per contest.

McLean had connected on 46 of 99 attempts this season for 612 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has rushed for 117 yards with a touchdown.

Hunter Reitz leads the Roughies in rushing with 403 yards with a pair of touchdowns followed by Anthonie Hunsicker (315 two touchdowns), and Elijah Soler (201, 2 touchdowns). Reitz is questionable for the game with a shoulder injury.

Austin Brett, who will miss the game with an elbow injury, is the Roughies’ leading receiver with 19 catches for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Brandon Jenny has eight catches for 156 yards with a score.

Joe Kerbacher will call signals for the Kids. He has completed 58 of 114 attempts for 601 yards with five touchdowns and interceptions apiece. Michael Cruz leads the team in rushing with 390 yards followed by Owen Baker (290) and Jon Manino( 151).

Mike Coleman is the Kids’ leading receiver with 10 catches for 185 yards with Cruz second (11-170, two touchdowns) and Baker third (9-72, 2).

Defensively, Catty has allowed an average of 153 rushing and 144 passing per contest, while Northampton has issued an average of 213 on the ground and 223 through the air.

Catty began the week with a laundry list of injuries, having only 14 players in practice at the end of the previous week. Northampton entered the game healthy.

Brett, who has been going to the game since his early youth, believes the game has lost some of its luster, Haas sees the game as a pivotal part of both programs.

“It’s not what it used to be,” said Brett. “A lot of these kids haven’t grown up with it. Families have moved out and some of the tradition has been lost. But the kids are still excited to play in it.

“My older son Andrew played with a brace in the game because of a torn ACL, and he was determined not to miss his final game.”

“The game is still a big part of the community,” added Haas. “Cody Shucker’s brother was a big part of it for three years as the quarterback, and his family will be here to support him. There are families like that and other ones who still look forward to it.

“I hope we can go to the 101st game to see these freshmen as seniors. That should be a really good game.

Chances are, the 98th overall version could be a good one, too.

PREDICTION: If you throw out the stats, this has the makings of a good one. The Roughies have been more disciplined and organized than the past few seasons, and their young playmakers are discovering their edge. Catty’s defense has been playing better as they put the clamps on one of the state’s better young quarterbacks in their impressive quarterfinal district win over Minersville. But they then couldn’t stop ground-and-pound Palisades with a quarterback who just mixed in the pass enough. Enter a carbon copy of the Kids. If Northampton can run the ball effectively, the game quickly will fall in their favor. They also will need to pressure McLean, who is still figuring it out. With the irregular season and Northampton’s nearly three weeks off, this still can be close. Unlike the last few years, Turkey is on the table at 3.. NORTHAMPTON, 30-16.