For Catasauqua’s football team this fall, it isn’t just about the wins and losses.

It continues to be about the process and moral step along the way.

The Roughies watched game in which they missed a handful of scoring opportunities in the opening half to a fairly evenly matched Pen Argyl team, and they eventually fell to the Green Knights, 28-7 at Alumni Field to drop to 0-3 on the season.

Pen Argyl took a 14-7 advantage into the final quarter and let their running game continue to control the game with a pair of fourth- quarter scores. The Green Knights grinded out 297 yards on the ground, as the Roughies continue to allow an average of 315 yards per contest.

Still, the Roughies remain optimistic moving forward.

“We’re right there,” said effervescent first-year head coach Mike McClarin. “If you look where we began and where we are now, we are a totally different team.

“At first, we were only playing a quarter of football and now we are playing a solid 3 ¼ quarters.”

Pen Argyl marched down the field and scored on its opening possession, capping a 59-yard drive.

Catty tied the game at 7-7 when quarterback Andrew Martinez bullied his way in from six yards out with 7:37 left in the first half. Martinez, who tried to find his rhythm on offense, had a solid game on defense.

“Andrew (Martinez) seemed to be all over the place,” said McClarin. “He is doing nothing but good things for us. He continues to learn and get better each week.”

But Pen Argyl took the lead for good when Tadd Barr returned a punt 50 yards for a score.

The Roughies had a tie to potentially tie the game as they drove inside the Pen Argyl 10 in the closing seconds, but they couldn’t convert.

“We can’t allow big plays to happen,” said McClarin. “We’re still not experienced enough. But that’s on me. We have to prepare better.

“If we could have punched it in before halftime, it could have been a different ballgame.”

McClarin also credited the play of Riley Reinhard and Adam Reinhart on both sides of the ball as well as Doug Scott, who played up front offensively and at linebacker defensively.

He also stated that Jaylen Whitaker is likely lost for the remainder of the season with a ACL, but he expects Mason Hess and Jaekwan Moody back in the lineup.

The Roughies have nine starters, who are first-year varsity starters, in their lineup.

“We’re banged up,” said McClarin. “We are getting some guys back, but we are still missing some.”

Within it all, there are plenty of moral victories for the Roughies.

“We’re getting better every day,” said McClarin. “I told them that that was their best game (Pen Argyl) so far and that’s where we win. That’s where we can have some moral victories. We just have to keep pushing each other every day and our victories will come.”

Life doesn’t get any easier this week for the Roughies when they travel to Palisades Friday night. The defending Colonial League and District 11 champion Pirates are 3-0 and coming off a comeback 35-34 overtime victory at Northwestern last week.

Running back Trey Gretzinger has rushed for 593 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

“They are a power team that runs right at you,” added McClarin. “It will be similar to the first three teams we have seen. It will be a challenge, but we will play our game.

“We’re still learning how to play. We have a lot of young players who will benefit from this, and we will grow.”