Since they began workouts in late spring, Catasauqua head football coach Mike McClarin admittedly has seen improvement in his team.

Now, the Roughies have to translate that effort into wins.

With their 48-0 defeat to Northern Lehigh Aug. 29, the Roughies fell to 0-2 on the season and they have been outscored, 90-12.

“We’re playing hard,” said McClarin. “We were so close to two scores in the first half (against Northern Lehigh) that could have made it 14-14.

“We just have to learn how to finish. We have a lot of kids who are still learning how to play varsity football. We have a number of freshmen and sophomores throughout our lineup.”

McClarin has been pleased with the play of senior quarterback Andrew Martinez, who is running the triple-option for the first time. Through two games, Martinez has rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries and had completed three of 13 attempts for 85 yards with a touchdown and interception.

“Andrew (Martinez) has been phenomenal,” he said. “He has taken off on some passing plays and headed 15 or 20 yards down field. He is making right decisions and has been a leader out there.”

The first-year head coach also has liked what he has seen from his line play, as the overall crew has been a baptism under fire. Sophomore Doug Scott has been impressive with his play on both sides of the ball.

“They’re all young,” McClarin said. “They are the hardest working group we have. They just need to keep working.

“Doug Scott is a guy who works nonstop. He really has improved his play.”

The Roughies will welcome Pen Argyl (1-1) into Alumni Field Friday night in what should be a highly competitive game. The Green Knights defeated Salisbury, 17-16, in their opener, and then they dropped a 41-3 decision to Saucon Valley in which they had only 71 total yards.

“I think they will be similar to the first two teams we have seen,” said McClarin. “They like to run the football. They have a very good defensive coordinator (longtime coach Doug Powell) who will give them a lot of different looks. It will be a challenge for us.”

The Roughies also will look to clean up their six turnovers through the first two games. Five of the turnovers have been lost fumbles.

“We know that is an area we need to work on,” said McClarin. “We have been talking about and working on ball security. Turnovers have hurt us so far.”

From here, the Roughies need to play a solid four quarters.

“We played two good quarters against Northern Lehigh,” said McClarin. “We see everything coming together soon. We just need to clean up some things.”

PREDICTION: The Roughies allowed a possible close game slip away from them against Northern Lehigh in the third quarter. They are in a similar situation as Pen Argyl, who is in a transition/rebuilding stage with a new coach and a new offense in place.

This is a prime opportunity for the Roughies, who will need their defense to step up and slow down an average at-best Pen Argyl running attack. They also can’t waste opportunities to put points on the board.

Good vibes for Catty this week. Look for McClarin and his crew to register their first W in an entertaining game. Catty 24-14.