Issues.

These days, it is a buzz word surrounding the Northampton football team.

Some of the primary issues have been the Konkrete Kids inconsistencies with execution - primarily on defense – as well as injuries.

Las week, the Kids couldn’t slow state-ranked Easton and quarterback Cole Ordway ran for 332 yards and scored six touchdowns as the Red Rovers dumped the Kids, 48-28.

Northampton slipped to 3-4 overall, and the Kids will travel to Bethlehem to tangle with Freedom (4-3) Friday night.

Kids’ head coach John Toman isn’t pointing the finger in any specific direction.

“It’s a combination of everything,” offered Toman. “It is us as coaches doing a better job. It’s execution at times, and it’s injuries.

“We played (against Easton) without both our week one starting corners and haven’t played all year with our top linebacker and leading tackler from last season. There are plenty of issue for sure.

“Easton was a good as we have seen. Their quarterback was different and ran their zone read better than I have seen.”

Kids’ quarterback Gavin Taff, who completed 11 of 23 passes for 127 yards with two touchdowns, believes the team can pull it all together.

“I think that we as a team just need to settle down and play our game,” stressed Taff. “We keep on losing games that are close at one point of time in the game, and we never seem to play a solid four quarters collectively as a team.

“It’s something we need to fix if we want a shot at making the playoffs.”

Toman and his quarterback are confident the team have a happy ride home Friday night.

“I think we match up well with Freedom, but we need to clean up some things defensively,” said Toman.

“We see Freedom as a must-win,” added Taff.

KIDS’ KUDOS: Northampton’s Chase Kessler ran for 148 yards with a score, and he has 839 yards with eight touchdowns for the season ... Zander Rickert has run for 450 yards with six touchdowns, and Taff has 155 yards rushing with a score ... Taff has completed 66 of 105 passes for 952 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception ... Cam Hersch has 19 receptions for 310 yards with two scores, and Joey High has 13 catches for 224 yards with three touchdowns ... Freedom is coming off a 28-0 shutout over Bethlehem Catholic, and the Patriots have won three-straight ... Freedom won the last meeting between the two clubs, 38-15, in a district playoff game ... Northampton has dropped 11 straight to Freedom with the Kids’ last win in the series coming in 2010 by a 21-14 score ... Freedom quarterback Michael Stofanik has completed 56 of 101 passes for 861 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions ... Lashawn Johnson has rushed 683 yards with seven touchdowns ... Xaiver DeJesus had caught 10 passes for 162 yards, and Davyan Moore has 109 receptions for 223 yards with two touchdowns ... The Kids have scored 71 total points in each of the second and fourth quarters this season.

PREDICTION (season record 3-4): Northampton is currently seeded sixth in the District 11 Class 6A bracket, and six teams should make it. Kids faced with a near must-win situation against Freedom, and they have Nazareth and Bethlehem Catholic left. Freedom is not as strong as it has been in the past, and Kids must take advantage of the situation. However, Freedom is playing well with three-straight victories. If Kids can shake execution woes and put injuries aside, they’ll be there. Tough call here, but this is gut-check time for the Kids. Keeping my confidence in the Kids, and assistant head coach Kevin Ronalds can pick me up a cheesesteak from Sal’s in Wind Gap ... K-KIDS, 21-19.