It was one of the greatest turnarounds and one of the greatest team runs in Catasauqua’s athletic history.

The Rough Rider boys’ basketball team sputtered at the beginning of the season with a 2-6 record, and it appeared they were headed for a sub-500 year or one around the .500 mark.

But, as he said all season long, head coach Eric Snyder believed his team would be a legitimate contender. Once his players did, the Roughies went on to win their first district Class 3A title since 2006, and their run ended in a buzzer-beater defeat to Lancaster Mennonite in a second-round state game.

After their slow start, the Roughies went on to capture 17 of their next 22 games to finish 19-11 overall. It was their most wins since 2013-14 when they went 15-9, and the Roughies went 26-4 in the 2005-06 season.

In the process, they toppled defending district champion Mahanoy Area in the semifinals.

Leading scorer, junior Frankie Pujols, saw an early season win at Palmerton as one of the season’s game changers. A seven-game winning streak soon followed.

“We started slow at 0-4, but we knew we were capable of winning each one of those games,” reflected Pujols. “Once we got the win at Palmerton, I think that’s when we knew what we could do.

“We went on a seven-game winning streak, and we couldn’t be stopped. We had all the motivation, momentum, and pride in the world, and we had everyone supporting us. We knew what we were capable of. We wanted to get into leagues and districts and actually compete, not just be first-round exits.

“We won our first district championship in 19 years, and I think it planned out perfectly for us.”

Even though their state loss may have some lingering effects, fellow junior Reece Lopez, who led the team in three-pointers and was among the leading scorers, watched his team jell together at the right time.

“The loss was tough to think about knowing our season is officially over and no one wanted to end,” emphasized Lopez. “Our team realized that we have the skill to make a run in playoffs and be in leagues and districts. We weren’t playing as a team in the beginning, but over Christmas break is where we learned to share the ball with each other and play as a team. We gained our confidence back once we beat Leighton by 30 points and noticed that we are just as good as anyone else.”

For Lopez and his teammates, it was a memorable ride.

“The journey I would say was unbelievable, starting off the year bad and then making a run and leagues and winning the District 11 championship was awesome,” gushed Lopez. “We all always wanted to play in states and we finally got our chance first game playing at home right after winning the championship was fantastic, the atmosphere was amazing and beating Philadelphia Charter Academy by around 30 points was even better in the first round of states.

“Overall, the journey was amazing and grateful for how successful our season was.”

Snyder, who completed 33rd season at the helm, saw the big picture and always had faith in his troops. His team won nine games last season and gained just four wins the previous season.

In the beginning facing a challenging schedule, the Roughies lost five games by a total of 11 points.

“Everyone was deeply concerned as they should have been,” recalled Snyder. “It was not the start we wanted, but we played almost all the playoff teams before Christmas. We did not know how to finish a game, and we couldn’t hold a lead at that point.

“Our confidence was waning, but the kids never started pointing or throwing in the towel. We kept reminding them to never give up and keep fighting until the bitter end.”

Snyder noted the team will have three starters back next season, but they will lose frontcourt players Matt Fotta and Jeremiah Cofie.

“They were two big bodies who rebounded extremely well for us,” said Snyder. “They played good, solid defense in the lanes and provided an inside scoring punch. They will be sorely missed.”

Along with Pujols and Lopez, Hamaad Jenkins will be back at the other guard spot.

Rounding out the bench for the Roughies next season will be juniors Manny Bolmer, Dylan Lorah, and Caiden Weaver along with freshman Aalani Nix.

Others expected to blend into the mix next season are sophomore Alex Bolmer, freshmen Evan DeLong, Richie Chaparro, and Joey Conway, junior Jomar Rosado, and sophomores Asael Gonzalez and Chase Jarrah.

“They are an excellent group to work with,” said Snyder about his rising rotation. “They had a good year on JVs.”

Despite a solid core returning, Snyder is keeping a tempered outlook.

“Strength will be a concern for next year, but we feel we have a good cast back,” offered Snyder. “The guys coming back saw what they could do this year, and they will be ready to go next season.”