In recent years, Catasauqua’s biggest gut-check, late-season game has been their traditional Thanksgiving Day tilt with Northampton. Unquestionably, there are plenty of reasons to justify the cause.

This season, that trek will take a different path.

The Roughies will look to further cement a District 11 Class 2A playoff berth with a win over Palmerton Friday night at Alumni Field. Beginning the week, Catty (2-5) was in the fourth and final spot for a playoff berth in the bracket.

Unfortunately for the Rough Riders, Palmerton will make the trip south in an identical situation. The Blue Bombers are in the second spot with an identical 2-5 record. Mahanoy Area sits between them with an overall 3-4 record.

A Roughies win would boost them to the third spot and possibly second overall depending on Mahanoy’s game at Minersville, who also has a 2-5 record and is fifth in the bracket. Catty will end its season with a trip to Southern Lehigh before hosting Class 4A Northwestern in the final league game. A win over the Tigers (4-3) would certainly punch the Roughies’ ticket.

However, Catty doesn’t want to get too far ahead of itself. It is now a matter of finding a way to stop Palmerton, which is coming off a 42-28 defeat to Palisades in which the Pirates rallied for 28 fourth-quarter points.

Palmerton quarterback Garrett Perschy threw for three touchdown passes and over 270 yards. Running back Mike Stasko, who was a 1,000-yard plus rusher last season, was held in check by Palisades, but he was effective in catching passes out of the backfield. Perschy, who has been nursing a bad ankle in recent weeks, can be a major threat on the ground if he is healthy.

A major deficit for the Roughies has been their ability to stop a potent ground game. In last year’s game between the two teams, Palmerton rolled to a 54-21 win in which Stasko rushed for a game-high 157 yards and scored six touchdowns.

“They are a good team and this is a huge game for us,” said Roughies quarterback Andrew Brett. “We realize the significance of the game and our goal right now is to get a district berth. We need to come out with a big effort against them. They have a good quarterback and running back.

“We have had our share of opportunities, but we haven’t cashed in on enough of them.”

Brett completed 28 of 32 passes for 169 yards with one interception in a 42-20 loss to Notre Dame last week. For the season, Brett has completed 123 of 182 attempts for 1,325 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The junior quarterback once again will look to his trio of targets of Corey Raysley (36 catches, 256 yards, 1 touchdown), Miguel Hernandez (35-528, 5 TDs) and Ryan Greene (32-384, 3 TDs).

KJ Reiss has been the Roughies’ leading ball carrier with 459 yards and six touchdowns. A major deficit for the Roughies has been their ability to stop a potent ground game. In last year’s game between the two teams, Palmerton rolled to a 54-21 win in which Stasko rushed for a game-high 157 yards and scored six touchdowns.

“They are a good team and this is a huge game for us,” said Roughies quarterback Andrew Brett. “We realize the significance of the game and our goal right now is to get a district berth. We need to come out with a big effort against them. They have a good quarterback and running back.

“We have had our share of opportunities, but we haven’t cashed in on enough of them.”

Brett completed 28 of 32 passes for 169 yards with one interception in a 42-20 loss to Notre Dame last week. For the season, Brett has completed 123 of 182 attempts for 1,325 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The junior quarterback once again will look to his trio of targets of Corey Raysley (36 catches, 256 yards, 1 touchdown), Miguel Hernandez (35-528, 5 TDs) and Ryan Greene (32-384, 3 TDs).

KJ Reiss has been the Roughies’ leading ball carrier with 459 yards and six touchdowns.