Heading into his team’s season opener Friday night against Wilson, Catasauqua head football coach Joe Henrich has a good feeling about what to expect. The Rough Riders’ scrimmage against Stroudsburg gave him a good indication.

“The scrimmage was good,” offered Henrich, who is beginning his third year at the helm. “I thought we got out of it what we needed. We now have a better idea who is ready to play and what we need to work on.”

Catty finished last season with an overall 4-8 record. They began last season with a 3-0 record before they endured a six-game losing streak that ended with a win over Palmerton.

They clinched a district playoff berth, but they encountered a seasoned Schuylkill Haven squad that posted a 62-14 district quarterfinal victory. The Roughies ended their season with a 45-0 loss to Northampton in their annual Thanksgiving Day tilt.

This season, Henrich welcomed 32 players into camp, and the Roughies have most of their pieces in place for their opener.

“We believe we are on schedule,” added Henrich. “The kids have a pretty good knowledge of what they are doing. We just have to improve on consistency, focus, and physicality.”

The Roughies will face a Wilson team that had lost 41 straight games until they defeated Belvidere, 18-14, in their final game of the season last year.

Henrich expects both teams may be a little rusty.

“It will be a typical first-game-of-the-season battle,” noted Henrich. “Both teams will be amped up and I am sure we will both be a little sloppy.”

ROUGHIE RITES: The Roughies will bring back senior quarterback Aiden Reilly (603 yards, three touchdowns, eight interceptions), who battled injuries last season, and fellow seniors Tyler Limandri and Omar Pacheco (22 catches, 325 yards, three touchdowns) loom as prime receiving targets. Senior Ruben Concepcion (124 yards) will move into a full-time role as their prime back ... Catty dominated Wilson, 34-7, in their meeting last year ... Wilson’s last win in the series was in 2019 by a 53-8 score ... Wilson, which has a number of seniors on both sides of the ball, will look to seniors Ryan Bonham and J’son Johnson to pace their offense and defense. Bonham ran for 479 yards with five touchdowns, and Johnson gained 528 yards with three scores. Junior Connor Patterson steps in at quarterback replacing incumbent senior Jaxson Tadayesky, who suffered an injury and threw for 690 yards last season. Bonham recorded 48 tackles, and Johnson is the leading returning tackler with 60 stops.

PREDICTION: There has been plenty of positive buzz in the Catty camp, as players have indicated that there has been a reinforced team concept, and it has shown … The same goes for Wilson, which is looking to establish an early presence to avoid another losing season … Catty needs to take advantage of their first three games in which they should have an edge with Wilson, Mahanoy Area, and Saucon Valley. Their schedule then becomes challenging, and they’ll have three stern tests in Palmerton, Notre Dame, and Northern Lehigh. Yet, the Roughies truly have to take it one-game-at-a-time with some new faces in place ... Going with the Roughies here in a tight battle. Coach Snyder, the next cheesesteak and pierogies at Seward’s are on me ... ROUGHIES, 21-17