For Bethlehem Catholic, it was a 41-3 loss to Emmaus that wasn’t expected.

Yet, in some ways, the Golden Hawks continue to feel like they are grounded.

“We had mental breakdowns in the secondary,” said Becahi head coach Kyle Haas. “We blew coverages and had guys wide open. We gave up too many big plays.

“It has been a year when everything has gone wrong for us.”

Emmaus (5-1) jumped out to a 21-3 lead at halftime, and the Green Hornets never looked back. Becahi (2-4) never could get into a rhythm on either side of the ball. The Golden Hawks were coming off a 28-2 victory over rival Liberty the previous week.

“It looked like we would go in at halftime down 14-3, but then we gave up a long pass play,” said Haas. “I felt it deflated us a little bit. Football is an emotional game, and you also realize how important it is to execute.”

Haas cited a lack of trust with his team.

“Right now, we’re battling with our confidence,” he stated. “This is more mental than physical. It is about confidence within ourselves, and confidence with one another. There are some guys who are not trusting the person next to them.

“We have a lot of youth on the field right now. It takes guys doing their jobs. If we do, it can be a big difference between not giving up 41 points and scoring just three. We took a step backward.”

With their 2-4 mark in the District 11 Class 4A bracket, the Golden Hawks find themselves a current longshot to make the playoffs.

Yet, that’s not their focus.

“We can’t think about district playoffs right now,” stressed Haas. “We have to worry about getting better for the next game. We thought we saw some improvement after the Liberty game, but we didn’t take the next step.”

Senior quarterback Jared Richardson continues to be the lone bright spot for Becahi. He threw for 130 yards and rushed for 60 yards.

“He feels the pressure to be the playmaker,” said Haas. “He threw for 130 yards, and he easily could have thrown for 230 if we would have caught the ball. We had too many dropped passes.

The Golden Hawks will host Easton Saturday. The Red Rovers (3-2) are coming off a 44-8 win over Allen and a 30-7 victory over Allentown Central Catholic.

“Easton had good running backs, and they will be aggressive and fast on defense,” said Haas. “I think if we play well, we can play with any team in the league. It all comes down to execution.

“But this really comes down to what we are doing, not what they are doing.”

PREDICTION: This is a hard Becahi team to read. Their letdown to Emmaus truly wasn’t expected. That loss really damaged their district hopes. They will meet an Easton team that is gaining momentum. The Red Rovers had 266 yards rushing against winless Allen having seven backs with double figures.

Haas believes the extra day of practice will help, and he’ll have a barometer on his club early in the week. If Becahi falters here, it may be very difficult for them to regroup the rest of the way.

I still believe the Golden Hawks have something left in the tank. They will have to get physical, and Richardson’s role as a game changer could be the difference. This should be a tight game. Haas will owe me a cheesesteak from Eli’s, Carl’s, or Whiz Kids, maybe two. GOLDEN HAWKS, 28-24.