As he begins his fourth season as the helm of the Catasauqua boys’ soccer program, head coach Josh Inman feels an especially close bond with his 10 seniors.

“We have gone through this together,” he said. “We have a big senior class. It is kind of a big deal for me and them. I want the best possible outcome for them.

“It’s been a tough go of it with COVID, but we have really seen the resiliency of the boys.”

After a win Tuesday at Northern Lehigh 2-1, the Rough Riders had an overall 3-3 record, one of their latest games an impressive 5-0 victory over Saucon Valley Saturday. In the game, seniors Donovan Ahart and Damian DiPaolo each tallied a pair of goals and sophomore Jaxon Berrier added a solo.

“It’s pretty emphatic to get five (goals) on them (Saucon Valley),” said Inman. “I don’t think anyone saw that coming, and I don’t know how many teams scored that amount on them.”

Junior Wesley Fotta registered the shutout.

“He has made some big saves for us this year,” added Inman. “He never really played the position until last year.

“Every time he goes out there, he impresses even more. He really has become comfortable with the position, and you can see it. He has been a diamond in the rough”

DiPaolo is the team’s leading scorer, and he will enter Tuesday’s game with six goals on the season and three shy of 50 career goals. Ahart is a second-year captain and fellow senior Derek Troxell is a three-year captain.

“We have a lot of experience,” said Inman. “You can see it on the field, and we have been right there in every game. The seniors will play a big part on how far we can go.”

Troxell is confident his team can make a run at districts.

“I believe we are in a great spot to contend for a playoff position,” he said. “We came off a dominating performance against Saucon Valley. I hope we can use that huge wins to win some more games down the road.

“We are definitely trying to make the most of every opportunity we get with everything going on due to COVID-19.”

Inman stated the team currently has 10 games on their schedule, but he likely will be looking for more. The Roughies are sitting in the 11th spot in the crowded District 11 Class 2A power rankings with Notre Dame (5-1), Tamaqua (8-3) and Nativity BVM (8-3) atop of the pack.

“Tuesday’s game is important because Northern Lehigh is similar to us with a lot of seniors,” said Inman. “It will be a good game for us.

“We know we have to keep winning to stay in the district hunt.”