Eric Snyder will never forget the first time he met Tom Reap.

It was Snyder's freshmen year at Catasauqua and Reap was brought down to watch practice as a potential manager for the team. Since then, the duo has endured and solidified a long working friendship and relationship that has proven to be beneficial and dependent to one another.

"It was my freshman year and Tom (Reap) was brought down to watch practice," recalled Snyder, who is a 1979 Catty graduate. "Tom was standing behind a plexy-glass window and a line drive came soaring right toward him.

"Luckily, the glass didn't break or he would have surely had a broken nose. That was the first time I met him and it was the beginning of our relationship."

From there, Snyder and Reap developed a friendship, even though they were four years apart (Reap is a 1983 Catty graduate) from each other. Reap became Snyder's manager when he was the coach of a Connie Mack team that began in 1980 and ended in 1984 as the lone Catasauqua team that won a state title.

Reap then assisted him when he began as a junior varsity coach for the boys' basketball program under former head coach Ron Hassler.

Since Snyder took over as head coach 22 seasons ago, Reap has always been along for the ride. Currently, Reap is in charge of the student managers.

"He does everything a head coach needs help with," said Snyder of his longtime and faithful manager. "He does all the stuff I don't have to worry about like working with the video, getting and putting away the ball racks, getting the white board ready, getting the JV book ready, and a hundred other things.

"The other (head) coaches around the league know him and respect him. They all know how reliable and dependable he is."

Reap stated how he reunited with Snyder when he took over the program. His fondest memory was the 1997 team that advanced to the third round of the state tournament.

Through it all, though, Reap still maintains the drive to get back to the court during the winter. However, he has seen how the game has evolved on and off the court.

"I don't know what keeps me coming back," he said. "I keep asking myself the same question. The game has been the same, but the kids seemed more respectful when I started than now. There is more pressure for teams to win today than before, especially in this school.

"Sometimes, I feel like I don't want to do this anymore. It is more of a grind today than it was. Cell phones have made everything easier. When he (Snyder) cancels practice, he can send a text to everybody. Back in the day, we would have to get out the phone chain and call everybody."

Even though he has a sharp memory and can easily recall Roughie players and seasons in the snap of his fingers, Reap didn't arrive in town until he was in fifth grade. Before he called Catasauqua home, Reap resided in Scranton.

"Being in Scranton was like taking a walk back in time," noted Reap. "Catty was like that, but it has changed. It has helped the town and the programs."

Along with being the Roughies' manager, Reap is also involved as a board member of the CYAA, along with participating with the volunteer fire police, Varsity C Club, and Lehigh County Fire Police.

Reap hasn't set a timetable for his career, but he plans to stay with Snyder for the long haul.

"I'll leave when he (Snyder) leaves," stated Reap. "He has done a great job here and has made it fun for me."

"He is always asking me when we are going to retire and go out together," added Snyder. "He is invaluable to the program and the school. He has always been involved with the community in one way or another. He is one guy who will always bleed brown and white."