Notre Dame-Green Pond’s first three possessions Friday night ended with touchdowns.
Catasauqua’s first three series ended with an unsuccessful fake punt, a turnover and a punt.
The Crusaders led 21-0 late in the first quarter on their way to a 63-7 victory.
What bothered Rough Riders coach Joe Henrich most about the early deficit was the players’ response to the situation.
“I was not happy in the beginning with the way they acted after we got down a couple, maybe three [touchdowns],” the team’s first-year head coach said. “But we were able to adjust that attitude a little bit, and our kids kept fighting.”
Catasauqua dropped to 3-2 this season after Friday’s loss, its second in a row. But Henrich, as much as he would like to see the wins pile up, wants to see the players understand the long-term process of what it takes to build a program like Notre Dame-GP.
The Crusaders (4-1) have had a winning season every year since 2015. They made the postseason the last nine years. They are headed for another winning season and playoff berth.
The Rough Riders re-established a program under Tom Falzone, peaking with a 13-win season and a District 11 championship in 2013. But Falzone left and the program then sat at the bottom of the league standings for the next several years.
Catasauqua reached the district playoffs the last two years despite losing promising players to transfer. Two more players transferred ahead of Henrich’s first season in charge. But neither he nor the kids offer any excuses.
The Rough Riders program will not be rebuilt overnight. That is why Henrich made sure he addressed the attitude issue immediately on Friday.
“It’s the whole idea about character,” he said. “You can’t win them all. When you’re not winning, you can’t act immature and be disrespectful and be a sore loser. You’ve got to hold your head high and play with character. I thought the kids did that toward the end of the first half and in the second half. I’m proud of them for that.
“[Friday] was a great learning experience for us. That’s where we want to be. All this is a process for the kids.”
The next step in Catasauqua’s process is preparation this week for 4-1 Saucon Valley.
Three unbeaten teams remain at the regular season’s midway point [Northwestern Lehigh, Tamaqua and Williams Valley).
But it was great to see a couple teams (Palisades and Pine Grove) get their first win of 2024, leaving only four winless teams.
Colonial-Schuylkill Week 5 stat heroes
(in alphabetical order)
Matt Bodnar, Notre Dame-GP : Completed 19 of 24 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Catasauqua.
Manny Bolmer, Catasauqua : Had a team-high eight tackles and made four catches for 40 yards against Notre Dame-GP.
Silas Day, Palisades : Made eight tackles, including a sack, and blocked a kick in a win over Pen Argyl.
Rory Dixon, Marian Catholic : Rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown and caught a 14-yard pass against Mahanoy Area.
Caiden Faust, Pen Argyl : Ran for 93 yards and two TDs and made nine tackles, one for loss, against Palisades.
Jacob Ferguson, Lehighton : Rushed for 27 yards and a touchdown against Northwestern.
Shane Hulmes, Northwestern : Caught three passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns and made 10 tackles, including two for loss, in a win over Lehighton.
J’son Johnson, Wilson : Ran for 71 yards and a touchdown and made five tackles against Saucon Valley.
Luke Kane, Tamaqua : Completed six of nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 101 yards and two TDs and made four tackles in a win over Salisbury.
Tyler Koch, Tamaqua : Made five tackles, four for loss, against Salisbury.
Cole Lazorick, Jim Thorpe : Completed 19 of 28 passes for 193 yards and rushed for a touchdown against North Schuylkill.
Shane Leh, Northwestern : Completed 12 of 19 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns against Lehighton.
T.J. McLain, Bangor : Made a game-high 12 tackles against Blue Mountain.
Landon Moll, Northern Lehigh : Had a team-high 11 tackles, including two for loss, in a win over Palmerton.
Grady Newhard, Northern Lehigh : Ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and made 10 tackles vs. Palmerton.
Jeremy Phelps, Panther Valley : Made a team-high eight tackles, including two for loss, against Nativity BVM.
Christian Rivituso, Notre Dame-GP : Registered a game-high 12 tackles and ran for a touchdown against Catasauqua.
Braden Rohn, Saucon Valley : Threw for 142 yards and a TD and rushed for 56 and two scores and made three tackles in a win over Wilson.
Jared Rohn, Saucon Valley : Rushed for 93 yards and three touchdowns and made seven tackles against Wilson.
Victor Schlosser, Tamaqua : Ran for 53 yards and two TDs, caught five passes for 147 yards and a score and made three tackles against Salisbury.
Mason Soos, Pen Argyl : Rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown against Palisades.
Sean Steckert, Southern Lehigh : Amassed 226 rushing yards and three touchdowns, caught three passes for 93 yards and a score and made two tackles in a victory over Pottsville.
Jameson Trainer, Palmerton : Threw for 137 yards, rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns and made seven tackles, two for loss, against Northern Lehigh.
Max Woerner, Palisades : Made a game-high 15 tackles and intercepted a pass against Pen Argyl.
Eli Zimmerman, Northwestern : Rushed for 160 yards and two scores, made two tackles and intercepted a pass against Lehighton.
Colonial-Schuylkill League standings
Team (Overall): Division; PF; PG
A Division
Northwestern (5-0); 3-0; 230; 29
Tamaqua (5-0); 3-0; 194; 59
Blue Mountain (4-1); 3-1; 157; 71
Southern Lehigh (4-1); 3-1; 155; 87
Pottsville (2-3); 2-2; 118; 78
Lehighton (2-3); 1-2; 118; 115
North Schuylkill (3-2); 1-2; 149; 137
Jim Thorpe (1-4); 0-4; 59; 210
Bangor (0-5); 0-4; 35; 191
B Division
Northern Lehigh (4-1); 3-0; 145; 120
Notre Dame-GP (4-1); 3-0; 243; 109
Catasauqua (3-2); 2-2; 145; 167
Saucon Valley (4-1); 3-1; 176; 59
Salisbury (3-2); 2-2; 105; 146
Pen Argyl (2-3); 2-2; 108; 92
Palisades (1-4); 1-3; 79; 159
Palmerton (0-5); 0-3; 60; 237
Wilson (0-5); 0-4; 21; 207
C Division
Williams Valley (5-0); 4-0; 187; 87
Schuylkill Haven (4-1); 4-0; 279; 79
Nativity BVM (4-1); 3-1; 230; 54
Marian Catholic (3-2); 2-2; 116; 73
Minersville (3-2); 2-2; 220; 133
Tri-Valley (3-2); 2-2; 122; 92
Mahanoy Area (1-4); 1-3; 93; 210
Panther Valley (1-4); 1-3; 27; 185
Pine Grove (1-4); 1-3; 48; 147
Shenandoah Valley (0-5); 0-4; 61; 244
WEEK 6 SCHEDULE
(at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Friday
Lehighton at Pottsville
Northwestern Lehigh at North Schuylkill
Bangor at Tamaqua
Jim Thorpe at Southern Lehigh
Blue Mountain at Palisades
Catasauqua at Saucon Valley
Northern Lehigh at Notre Dame-GP
Marian Catholic at Minersville
Panther Valley at Tri-Valley
Pine Grove at Mahanoy Area
Shenandoah Valley at Nativity BVM
Williams Valley at Schuylkill Haven
Saturday
Palmerton at Wilson, noon
Salisbury at Pen Argyl, 1:30
Morning Call senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com
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