After his team’s scrimmage Saturday against Pleasant Valley, Catasauqua head football coach Joe Henrich is confident he will have a better view of his team and its lineup before they open the regular season at Mahanoy Area the following week.

“Many kids have stepped up, and we actually have a good competition at many positions,” stressed Henrich. “All jobs are up for grabs. We won’t really name starters until after the scrimmage.

“It is honestly hard to name a few players. I really believe we are stepping up across the board.”

One player who likely will be starting in their opener Aug. 22 is junior quarterback Aiden Reilly. Last season, Reilly did miss some time due to injuries, but he completed 88 of 158 passes for 1,306 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Reilly has seen plenty of positives for him and his teammates.

“The summer for me has been great,” beamed Reilly. “The team has been working very hard in the weight room and on the field. There have been tremendous gains from every single player.”

He sees the team jelling at the right time.

“The first week of fall camp was great,” added Reilly. “Everything is starting to all come together now.

“It just a matter of going into our scrimmage and executing in it.”

The Rough Riders are coming off a 3-7 regular season last year after they began the season with a 3-0 record. They ended the year with a 58-14 loss to Northampton in their annual Thanksgiving Day tilt.

Henrich, who will begin his second season at the helm, will take a long look at starting spots in the scrimmage Saturday. However, he is confident of his club’s abilities and potential heading into the season opener.

“We like where we are at right now, said Henrich. “We continue to progress each day. We are very pleased with the attitude and work ethic.”