In a season in which patience can be a true virtue, Cristian Burker understood how and why to maintain his endurance and fortitude.

The junior quarterback, who eventually took over the reins after he split time with senior Brandon Keks, believes he has improved his game both physically and mentally.

"I have learned to be more patient in the pocket and how to read defenses better," said Burker. "We really all kind of grew in our own ways. I really gained a lot of confidence as the season went on. I have been seeing the field better than I used to see it. I felt I got into a good groove at the end of the season.

"It was a good year for me even though we all didn't have the year that we expected."

Burker will lead the Roughies into their annual Thanksgiving Day morning showdown with Northampton. Catty (3-7) will look to gain its fourth win of the season and snap a four-game losing streak, while Northampton (2-9) recently snapped a nine-game losing streak.

Burker and his teammates will look to salvage a final winning note on the season.

"We're all looking forward to playing on Thanksgiving," stressed Burker. "It does mean a lot to us to beat Northampton. This has been the kind of year where it would be nice to finish on a high note."

Closing in on the 1,000-yard mark in passing, Burker will enter the final game with 873 yards passing on 55 completions from 106 attempts with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

"Cristian (Burker) has really come on," said head coach Phil Dorn. "He became more confident and looked more fluid out there. He was able to make the adjustments he needed and is on a good pace to finish the season."

Burker also believes his team has adjusted well to the new coaching staff this fall.

"There really wasn't too much of a change," noted Burker. "We were with them for a while before we began practice. Everybody seemed to respond well. We just had too many injuries."

After the season, Burker plans to take some time off from football as well as continuing playing the piano, a hobby he has had since middle school. In the spring, Burker plans to be back on the track team where he'll run the 800 meters and be a member of relay teams.

In the meantime, Burker has his sights set on having a memorable Thanksgiving Day.