A few weeks ago, Catasauqua head boys basketball coach Eric Snyder had a pretty good feeling about his team's potential despite losing some starters from last year's squad that fell to Notre Dame in the District 11 Class 2A final.

Brandon Purrone, Ra'Von Burton, Paryss Marshall, and Derrick Bond were back from a team that had responded from spinning its wheels after Christmas to reeling off a 10-game winning streak that helped catapult them into the district final.

But Snyder also knew the majority of his players were on the football team that was experiencing a ride that appeared destined to trek deep into the state playoffs. And, their aspirations, as well as Snyder's, were suddenly derailed from their anticipated path when Purrone and Burton went down with apparent damaging knee injuries.

Purrone, who tore an ACL, miraculously finished the football season that included two state playoff appearances, and he also played in the basketball team's first two scrimmages. Burton, however, will be lost for the season, as he underwent surgery Dec. 7.

With Purrone's availability for the remainder of the season questionable at best and Bond and other returnees back in the fold, Snyder still envisions his team can be in the thick of things in the Colonial League this winter.

"We'll have a young team that will be inexperienced," said Snyder, who will enter his 22nd season seven wins shy of the 300-win mark (293-242). "We have a bunch of guys who played well during the summer and worked very hard. They're good kids, but many of them haven't played much varsity.

"We were counting on Purrone, Burton, Marshall and Bond to have big years for us this year. Purrone is one if not the best point guard in the league. (Purrone) won't be the same, but he plans on playing as much as he can. He (Purrone) sent me a text after the last football game saying he would be at our scrimmage. We also saw a role for (Burton) this winter.

"We do have Bond and Marshall back, and they will move down low this winter."

Bond and Marshall will be joined by sophomores Kevin Bond, Shaquon Mason, as well as juniors Sean Klobosits, Andrew Gehringer, Brandon Keks, and Rickey Houser.

"Derrick (Bond) and Paryss (Marshall) have worked very hard to improve their game," said Snyder. "Klobosits had a great summer as well as Mason. Gehringer, Keks, and Houser can all help us, too."

In the backcourt, juniors Dave Wetherhold expect to run the point if Purrone can't and Dakotah Schiffer loom as the early favorites to log some minutes. Junior Jake Kober and sophomore Cory Hicks should also see playing time.

The Roughies did get some extra time to work on their situation when their opener against Nazareth was rescheduled. They opened the season at Palmerton Tuesday night and then hosted Moravian Academy the following evening.

With the promise of some untested players developing at the right time and maturing of returning players, Snyder remains optimistic his club can jell together after the holidays.

"Last year, we were 5-5 after 10 games," said Snyder. "We have started slow and then we came together. We have bodies right now, but we don't know about our depth. We just have to adjust better than we thought we would have to.

"It is a long season and we'll need to stay as healthy as we can. We don't know what to expect and we just have to keep working."