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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Season ends for Roughs

When he received a text Sunday from head boys basketball coach Eric Snyder regarding Tuesday's upcoming practice, Paryss Marshall finally realized it.

The senior wide receiver/defensive back, who had stellar seasons on both sides of the ball all season for the Roughies, was stunned and shocked about the fact that his football season was over.

A banner year that included an all-time Colonial League record 608 seasonal points scored in their equally historic 13-1 season ended abruptly to District 12 champion Imhotep Charter, who rattled the Roughies, 49-0, in a PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal playoff game at Germantown High School Nov. 30.

"It hurts, and it will for a while," said Marshall, who finished the season with 76 receptions for more than 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns. "It just doesn't seem like there isn't any more football.

"They are a great team that can play at a high level. I worked out with a few of them during the summer and I knew they were a very quick, smart, and strong team. We hadn't seen a team like this all year long."

Imhotep Charter, which averaged 53 points per contest and allowed 15 per game heading into the contest, jumped on the Roughies early as they took advantage of two Catasauqua turnovers. DeAndre Scott returned a fumble 57 yards for a score and he later intercepted a pass and took it back 75 yards for a score.

He helped his team to a 14-0 lead after one quarter and a seemingly commanding 21-0 lead at halftime.

"I thought our defense played well in the first half," said head coach Tom Falzone. "Our offense had a couple of key turnovers that helped them take the early lead. It was very uncharacteristic of us offensively.

"They are a solid team all the way through. We knew it would be difficult for us because we're a home grown team and they're hand-picked. But our kids fought the whole way and they had a lot to be proud of."

Imhotep Charter, which has produced several Division I players through the years, began to flex its muscles in the second half as their offense got into gear and produced 21 more points in the third stanza and sealed the game with a 35-0 lead after three quarters.

Consequently, Roughies quarterback Zack Bradley couldn't get on track as he was consistently hurried and fell victim to eight quarterback sacks. As a result, the Roughies managed just 134 yards of total offense, an accumulation of 200 yards or less that hasn't surfaced in three or more years.

The Roughies eventually began to feel the wear and tear of playing three game in eight days, a first in the history of the program. They also had nine players playing both sides of the ball throughout the year. Imhotep Charter entered the game with a week off, and they have freely subbed in waves of units throughout the year.

"I began to feel it toward the end of the first half," said Marshall about the impending fatigue. "We all had to begin to push ourselves because we felt drained. They had a number of players coming in and out.

"Everyone was feeling the toll of playing three games in eight days," added fellow senior Jacob Stopay. "We have guys playing 100 percent of the time and we don't have that luxury."

Stopay stated how the defeat marked the end of a special group of seniors playing together on the field that has a unique bond among them.

"It will be really tough because we have a group that has been together for 10 years," added Stopay. "We know we won't be on the field again. We have had a real sense of family and everybody knew where everyone was on the field.

"We have to move on, but we'll have plenty of memories."

Falzone realized the stretch would likely affect his team.

"No Catty team has ever done this before," said Falzone of the three-game span. "We have been banged and dinged up over the past weeks, but we never quit. The seniors were in there until the very end and everyone kept fighting.

"They are a powerhouse team and have the numbers in their program. We're really a smaller school and it is very difficult to compete."

Falzone also noted the contribution of the Roughies' fan base that kept its support until the game's final gun.

"Our fans were unbelievable," stressed Falzone. "They were very classy and did everything the right way. No one left the game early. I'm just so happy and proud of our kids and our town.

"Even though we didn't pull the game out, we all accomplished so much this season."