Catasauqua head boys’ basketball coach Eric Snyder has seen some progress lately for his 0-10 team.

Even though their scores looked lopsided in losses against Wilson (69-39), Moravian Academy (61-31), and Notre Dame (79-37), the Roughies were competitive. Since a 47-45 loss against Lehighton, the Rough Riders have lost by an average of 34 points.

“Our kids played hard last week,” said the veteran coach. “We were winning 26-24 against Wilson at the half,” said Snyder. “They went into a 1-3-1 zone, and we had problems. We hadn’t practiced against it since before Christmas. We had guys in the right spots, but we couldn’t make plays.

“Against Moravian, we were winning 5-4, and they went on to score 24 straight points. They also had 14 offensive rebounds in the first quarter. We never recovered.

“We were losing 24-6 against Notre Dame, and down 42-22 at the half. But we didn’t shoot well, and we couldn’t keep up with their pace.”

Snyder did credit freshman Matt Fotta and junior Ian Juica for the JV contributions as well as their increasing time on varsity.

“They both are playing well,” he said. “They will have big roles down the stretch. Fotta is young, but he is playing hard. Juica brings a lot of energy to the floor.”

Senior Cedric Bright has taken over the point guard, and junior Bryann Rivera has moved to the two-guard spot.

“Cedric likes playing the point,” said Snyder. “We have been searching for a point guard. Cedric can drive, but he has to learn to stay with the play. Bryan has been shooting much better lately, and he and Irving Torres both have shot well from the outside and from three-point land.”

Seniors Manny and Jose Jiminez continue to be instant spark plugs. The duo is hampered by language and eligibility barriers.

“They do make plays,” stressed Snyder. “They are aggressive out there, and they bring an energy. They have trouble understanding plays because of the language issue, and they are battling academic eligibility issues.”

Seniors Donovan Keys and Jared Schneck have proved to be solid leaders for the team.

“Donovan is a good leader,” said Snyder. He is the glue of the team, and the kids respect him. When we came in at halftime in one of our games, he was breaking down a play on the board for them.

“Jared works very hard, and also is a leader. The kids respect him as well.”

Snyder is optimistic his team can capture some wins down the stretch. Three years ago, the Roughies had a 1-21 campaign.

“We’re competing and the kids are battling,” he said. “I believe we can get a couple of wins before the end of the season.”