With a district playoff berth hanging in the balance, Catasauqua’s football team responded with one of their better performances of the season.

In their final game and home game of the season, Catty (4-6) routed Palmerton, 36-7, last week to earn the eighth and final spot in the District 11 Class 2A bracket. The Roughies will meet Schuylkill Haven, the top ranked team in the state as well as in the Class 2A bracket.

And second-year head coach Joe Henrich couldn’t be prouder.

“The kids did a nice job of executing at a higher level,” said Henrich. “They played with relentless mindsets. We didn’t turn the ball over, minimized their big plays and capitalized on a couple of their miscues.”

Running back turned quarterback Cadeo Estronza had a big game for the Roughies, as he scored all of his team’s four touchdowns on the ground. Estronza’s 18-yard run pushed the Roughies ahead to stay at 14-7 in the third quarter.

Estronza ran for 146 yards on 16 carries, and tray Dunn complemented him with 143 yards on 16 carries, leading Catty to 286 yards rushing.

Henrich credited the tandem, but he also was impressed with the play of his offensive line.

“Cadeo did a great job in tandem with Tray Dunn,” said Henrich. “But they needed all other players to block for them. Our offensive line did a great job winning the line of scrimmage.”

Catty will meet Schuylkill Haven (10-0), which has scored 541 points and allowed 134 points in 10 games. The Hurricanes ended their regular season with a 72-0 shutout of Pine Grove.

Henrich anticipates a possible Herculean task ahead.

“Schuylkill Haven is ranked number-one for a reason,” stressed Henrich. “It will be a huge challenge for us. But if we aspire to be a championship level program we need to see and experience these kind of teams and games.”

ROUGHIE RIDGES: Catty was last in the district playoffs in 2023 when they lost to Williams Valley, 34-20 ... The Roughies have a 2-1 lifetime record against the Hurricanes. Schuylkill Haven won the last meeting, 22-13, in 2023, and Catty won, 35-12, in 2022. The Roughies won their first meeting, 35-16, in 2021 ... Estronza had completed eight of 19 passes for 63 yards and he has rushed for 246 yards on 33 carries with five touchdowns, and Dunn has rushed for 739 yards with seven touchdowns ... Manny Bolmer has 25 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns ... Chris Wellington Jr. led the Roughies in tackles with 56, and he has two sacks ... Schuylkill Haven running back Colton Reber has rushed for 1,961 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. Backfield mate Nick Castillo has 614 yards with 12 scores. Quarterback Max Heim had thrown for 908 yards with 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Schuylkill Haven lost to Williams Valley, 23-18, in the first round of the state playoffs last year. The Hurricanes have averaged 463 yards per game and have rushed for 3,724 yards with 199 first downs.

PREDICTION (Season record 4-6): If ever there was one, this may be a true David vs. Goliath matchup. No team has stayed with the Hurricanes since Blue Mountain played them to a 34-27 game in their opener. Along with their explosive backfield, the Hurricanes have size up front. Catty will need to play ball control, but Schuylkill Haven also has played well on the other side of the ball. Hurricanes appeared destined for the state final, and this has all the making of a quick night. Catty rebounded nicely to capture a district berth, but the Roughies trip home likely will be a quiet one. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, 42-6.