Bethlehem Catholic and Freedom will have plenty of big games throughout the football season, but both kick off week two in grand fashion under the BASD lights Saturday night in a 7 p.m. city rivalry tilt.

After torching their week one opponents, the Hawks and Patriots are now set to square off in a difficult EPC South battle that will certainly be a driving factor in the conference race, as well as the city championship.

Becahi opened the season with a 54-6 win over Dieruff last week, while Freedom handled East Stroudsburg North 68-14.

Both teams used the game more as an extension of the preseason against inferior opponents, but will certainly be ready to rumble when Saturday comes around.

“This is certainly a game that you circle when the schedule comes out,” said Freedom head coach Jason Roeder. “No matter when we play Beca, it’s always a big game for everyone involved. For this one to be on Labor Day weekend on Saturday when there’s no other games going on, really makes it pretty special.”

If the Pates are poised to pull an upset this week, quarterback Jared Jenkins will certainly play a major role in that. Jenkins had a promising start to the year, going 9-of-12 for 125 yards and five touchdowns in week one. He’ll need a quick trigger against Becahi, as the Hawks are strong up front on both sides of the ball, but may have the best defensive line in the league this year.

“We’ll try to take what the defense gives us,” said Roeder. “It’s just a matter of putting the kids in position to succeed.”

The Hawks had little trouble against Dieruff with Tavion Banks rushing for three scores and Zaheer Seabrooks adding 119 yards on the ground and a TD. Quarterback Zamar Brake had his Becahi debut under center, going 6-of-8 for 103 yards and a score too.

For Becahi head coach Joe Henrich, Saturday’s game will be an opportunity to end a two-year drought against the Pates, as Freedom has won the last two contests, including last year’s 38-35 thriller.

“I think it’s good to play them early in the season and both of us are in the same boat heading into this one,” Henrich said. “I’m not sure how much you can take away from our week one games, but both programs are familiar with each other and what we like to do. It’s exciting to play in a big game this early, but all the games in the EPC South are big.”

Henrich and Roeder both know that pulling out a win on Saturday will come down to who makes more plays and less mistakes.

“I think the team that makes the most of their opportunities will win,” Henrich said. “We know this is an emotional game and we have to control that. You got to minimize the critical errors.”