In his second season at the helm of the Catasauqua football program, Joe Henrich continues to see progress.

Unfortunately, the maturing Rough Riders continue to be plagued with inconsistencies.

Catty ended its 2025 campaign with a 45-0 loss to Northampton on Thanksgiving morning at their Alumni Field to end their year with an overall 4-8 record.

The Roughies won their last regular season game, a 26-7 decision over Palmerton, and that helped vault them into a district playoff game. Fate wasn’t on their side, however, as they ran into Class 2A top-ranked and undefeated Schuylkill Haven, who routed the Roughies, 62-14.

Henrich will look to rewrite the script next season. For the past two seasons, Catty has gotten off to 3-1 starts, only to see a collapse down the stretch.

Despite some issues, Henrich didn’t lose faith in his troops.

“I was proud of our guys this year,” stated Henrich. “I thought that we hit a wall around midseason, and we struggled with negativity and some other internal issues. But I really thought we turned the corner and finished strong the last three weeks.”

Wide receiver Manny Bolmer, one of seven graduating seniors, is optimistic that the Roughie returnees can make an impact next season.

“I saw the game as a great opportunity to get out on that field one last time,” said Bolmer. “It was great for the younger guys to get some reps to see what to look forward to next year.”

Despite his team having just 71 total yards against Northampton, Bolmer didn’t pinpoint any reason for his team’s start, as they trailed 38-0 at the half.

“I do not believe there was a reason we came out slow,” added Bolmer. “It’s just a part of the game and happens sometimes. We just had to do the best we could at that point in time.”

Bolmer also hasn’t realized that his football time in Brown and White is over.

“I’m still in disbelief that my high school career is over,” offered Bolmer. “I had an amazing time with my teammates, family and friends throughout these last four years.

“I am just looking ahead in my life and learning from these experiences and hoping that the young guys can get farther than we did this year.”

Fellow senior linebacker Chris Wellington Jr. tried to keep everything in its proper perspective. Wellington Jr. also has had some trouble dealing with the end of his high school football career. Yet, Wellington plans to continue playing next year.

“I saw it like a regular game,” said Wellington. “I thought given our preparation we’d come out a little stronger and hang in a little more. It feels like yesterday when I was a freshman getting ready for heat accumulation, so it definitely is a weird feeling and hasn’t hit me that it’s over yet. I plan to be playing collegiate football next year.”

Henrich will look to returnees quarterback Aiden Reilly, linemen Shane Bortz and Evan DeLong, wide receivers Tyler Limandri and Omar Pacheco, and running back Josiah Martinez to help anchor the team next year and reach the next level.

“We look forward to our second full offseason here,” stressed Henrich. “We hope that we understand what keeps us from being able to truly compete with the teams on our schedule, and that we embrace what needs to be done to continue to close the gap.”