Anthonie Hunsicker could see the chemistry he envisioned last year with the Catasauqua football team. He just didn’t get a chance to possibly reach its full potential last season.

Hunsicker was injured with a broken collarbone in the Rough Riders’ seventh game of last season and didn’t return. He finished with 322 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, and also recorded 37 tackles from his nose guard position on defense.

“It was a big loss for us when Hunsicker went down,” said Roughies’ head coach Travis Brett at the time “He was a hard runner, and a major player on our defense.”

Hunsicker’s injury hit him hard physically and mentally.

“When I got hurt, I was very angry,” recalled Hunsicker. “But once I had an acceptance about it, I realized that I had to try and help the team. It was just frustrating not being out there.”

During the team’s summer workouts, Hunsicker was back healthy and ready to help his team raise the bar from their 7-5 campaign last season. But Hunsicker battled through some early season injuries again before being able to come back to full strength.

“Everyone is working really hard,” said the senior earlier this year. “There’s a kind of bond we have now with each other. We had it last year when we were winning.

“Now, we know what we can do. We can take this to the next step as we’re all on the same page.”

Since he was a freshman, Hunsicker had been an integral part of the Roughies’ scheme, Hunsicker made a number of starts his first year, and rushed for 273 yards. He had a 53-yard touchdown run in the Thanksgiving Day game.

During his sophomore season, Hunsicker ran for 317 yards and became a force on defense at linebacker with 38 stops.

Over the years, he has matured both on and off the field.

“I was fortunate to play as a freshman, and it really helped me,” he said. “The game seemed to be really fast when I was younger, and now it has slowed down.

“I also learned how to be a leader on the field. You grow with the game over the years.”

Hunsicker began playing football on the CYAA 90-pound team and began as a lineman. When he moved to the 130-pound team, the coaches decided to give him a chance to carry the ball.

Along the way, Hunsicker has had some memorable moments as well as some guidance.

“In middle school, we gave coach Travis (Brett) his first undefeated season, and we had scored on our first play in four or five games.

“One of the biggest influences over me has been Zack Bradley. In baseball, he would always know what to say to me when I was struggling with something. He has helped me out.”

Hunsicker also believes the team has gained a new sense of respect with consecutive district playoff appearances, which was again followed by one this season. Before this season, their nine wins over the past two seasons was one short of the 10 combined wins over the past six seasons.

“We were taken as an underdog understandably from our past,” said Hunsicker. “We got a big playoff win at Minersville two years ago when they didn’t really know who we were and failed to respect us.

“People have begun to give us more credit.”

Hunsicker was confident his team can have a long season and he’s hoping it can continue after this week at Palisades.

“As a senior, I want to go deep into the postseason,” said Hunsicker earlier this season. “Most of us are preparing for a good run in the playoffs.”

And Hunsicker can play a big part in it.