Jared Richardson’s senior season was a mixed bag of results.

As quarterback of the football team, the fall is your domain and Friday night lights are what you remember the most.

Unfortunately, Richardson’s senior season wasn’t as successful as he’d hope for, as Bethlehem Catholic finished the campaign 2-7.

The University of Pennsylvania recruit admitted it wasn’t the type of season to write home about, but the winter was a different story.

Richardson was a member of the basketball team and helped the Hawks win the District 11 4A title and reach the PIAA quarterfinals before bowing out to state powerhouse Neumann-Goretti.

As an integral member of the basketball team and the leader of the football team, Richardson is this year’s Male Athlete of the Year for the Bethlehem Press.

While Richardson acknowledged the football season was difficult to endure through the losses, the joy of taking home a championship in basketball helped smooth over those wounds from the fall.

“Yes, it helped because my senior season wasn’t defined by just a losing football season,” he said. “I have a gold medal from basketball that helps relieve the pain of the football season.”

Richardson took home first team East Penn Conference South honors in football as a punter and was named second team quarterback on the list.

He threw for 1,304 yards and nine touchdowns in an offensively challenged season by the Hawks, who averaged a shade under 17 points a game against EPC South competitors last season. He also rushed for 519 yards on the season.

The lone EPC South victory Becahi came away with last season was against city rival Liberty, a 28-21 victory in week five, where Richardson threw for 244 yards and two scores, as well as one rushing TD.

The other win the Hawks took home was a 55-7 romp over Pocono Mountain West, which pales in comparison to beating the Hurricanes.

It was a lone highlight in season filled with disappointment.

“I didn’t have many enjoyable aspects of playing football last season because we were not very successful, but I enjoyed beating Liberty,” Richardson said. “It was a very tough season. I was not used to having a season as bad as last year and I felt as though we let a lot of supporters of the program down.

Following the fall, Richardson took to his role on the basketball team as an interior presence to help the Hawks finish the season 21-7 with district championship hardware.

Becahi earned the title with a 47-42 victory over Wilson in the district championship, but their 50-45 win over Central Catholic in the semifinals was the one that really punched their ticket toward a gold medal.

Richardson was a key component during the Hawks playoff stretch, as he registered eight points and seven rebounds in the win over the Vikings and then amassed 10 points and 14 rebounds against South Philly in their PIAA opener.

He followed up with nine points and 13 rebounds in their second round win over Lewisburg, before the team ultimately bowed out to eventual state champion Neumann-Gorretti in the quarters.

“My favorite memory was beating Central to reach the championship,” Richardson said. “I enjoyed the basketball season very much because we won some hardware and the group of kids that I played with were special.”

With Becahi in the rearview and Penn on the horizon, Richardson is excited for his next step in life and will always be fond of time on Madison Ave.

“ I am beyond excited to be going to a great school, playing for a historic program,” said Richardson of heading to Penn, where he’ll be moved to wide receiver. “I take away a lot of things throughout my time at Beca, such as everlasting friendships, great coaching, and just a great support system from all the faculty. I am thankful for everyone at Beca because they played a role in my success on the football field, basketball court, and in the classroom. I want people to remember me as the kid who took care of his academics, as well as his athletics, and earned everything that I was fortunate enough to awarded.”