In the third game of the year last season, Catasauqua was deadlocked in a battle with winless Palisades at halftime as the Roughies had a slim 14-8 lead.

Then the collapse came.

Catasauqua scored 27 unanswered points from costly and sloppy turnovers in the third quarter and they went on to a 42-21 win. Palisades would later record its lone victory and finish with a reeling 1-9 record.

When they arrive at Alumni Field Friday night, Catasauqua will be in a similar situation. The Roughies have steamrolled their first two opponents, outscoring them by an 86-14 margin.

However, Palisades has taken a different route this season. The Pirates surprised and out played Northwestern in its opener as they soundly defeated them with a 41-0 whitewash. Last week, Palisades nearly upset Colonial League favorite Pen Argyl as they put forth a valiant effort in a 21-7 defeat.

With his team quickly gaining recognition as a league favorite as well, Catty head coach Tom Falzone will be playing his game close to the vest.

"This is not the same type of Palisades team we have seen lately," Falzone said. "They went through some growing pains last year and turnovers cost them. Yet, they still kept battling us to the end.

"We have watched them on film and they have speed and size. They have a deceiving kind of team speed that can catch us if we are not careful. They have some running backs who can hit the whole quickly."

Palisades quarterback Kyle Jesiolowski is calling the signals for the first time in his career after spending the previous three years as a wide receiver. Junior Jesse Snyder, last year's starting quarterback who established himself as a scrambler, has been relegated to a halfback spot along with sophomore Christian Gretzinger, who quickly developed his freshman year. Senior Alex Odle, who saw spot duty last season, has already emerged as a big-play threat on the outside with a sleek 6-foot-2 frame and sprinter speed.

"They (Palisades) do have weapons on offense," Falzone said. "Their line also has done a nice job in creating holes up front. (Jesiolowski) hasn't thrown too much, but he has been extremely effective when he has with good play-action."

Falzone also has been impressed with Palisades' defensive efforts that harassed Northwestern through that game and they then kept high-powered Pen Argyl with reach for their offense.

"They have gotten good penetration up front and they are quick," he said. "We have seen some huge lines, and theirs is big and quick. They will present a challenge for us."

Palisades head coach Kevin Ronalds, who has had some previous coaching stops in the Lehigh Valley, knows his team is battle-tested for a high-powered Catasauqua offense.

"They are a very good team," he said. "(Catasauqua) is well coached and they have a number of weapons. This is a real test for us during this stretch. We will be challenged to play our game against them."