In the postgame huddle following the Northampton football team’s 53-8 win over East Stroudsburg North, head coach Kyle Haas’ tone seemed incongruous for addressing a team that has won three straight by an average score of 55-7.

“Sometimes when you hit a lull in your schedule, you tend to start to play down and you start to get into bad habits because you don’t have to do your responsibility to necessarily win,” he said. “But what happens is if you don’t do your job, when you play the good teams, you’re gonna get beat.”

Northampton started the game with an efficient, six-play drive that ended with a 10-yard Tyrese Brandon TD run.

ESN looked like they were going to come back and equalize, but the Kids’ defense turned the T-Wolves away on a 4th-and-1 from the Northampton 29.

Following a Kids’ punt, ESN once again looked dangerous. QB Rob Right broke loose for a 74-yard run down to the Northampton 5, but the play was called back for an illegal block in the back. The penalty proved doubly costly as two plays later, Nick Caiazzo stepped in front of the receiver and returned the pick for a TD to extend the lead to 14-0.

Haas seized on the momentum shift and ordered an onside kick, which was recovered by the Kids.

Four plays later, Brandon had his second TD of the game when he took a handoff up the middle and bounced out the left, sprinting past the ESN defense.

The next T-Wolves drive ended in an interception by Spencer Cole. Two plays later, Owen Baker cashed in with an 18-yard TD run.

Brandon left the game early in the second quarter and returned to the sideline without his jersey and an ice bag on his shoulder. Haas was reassuring, “He’s all right. It was a situation where we were up 28-0 and his shoulder was sore, and we wanted to get him checked out. He just has some muscle soreness.”

ESN scored its only points of the game on their next drive, when their QB rushed 59 yards for the score.

It took less than 30 seconds to get the touchdown back after Cole returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards and Michael Cruz scored from 12 yards out.

Northampton’s sixth touchdown and final score of the half came on a beautiful 41-yard fade from Joe Kerbacher to Jared Russell. A two-point conversion made the score 43-8, setting up mercy rule timing to start the second half.

Next up, the Kids travel to take on Pocono Mountain West. The Panthers picked up their first win of the season last week by beating Allen 35-18. They’ve been frisky against Easton and Stroudsburg, so it is not a game Northampton should take totally for granted.

After that, East Stroudsburg South visits Al Erdosy Stadium for a de facto EPC North title game. The Cavaliers are undefeated, having knocked off defending North champion Stroudsburg 21-0. While land mines remain on the schedule, this game figures to be the toughest remaining game for both teams.