For Catasauqua in its opener, their performance went as expected in their convincing 48-22 victory over Northern Lehigh.

It was a key victory for the Rough Riders, who will host Palmerton Friday night.

“Our offense executed well, and we were prepping for this game all summer,” said head coach Travis Brett. “We stuck to the game plan. We liked our matchups on the outside and took advantage of them.”

It was Catty’s first victory over Northern Lehigh since they defeated them 38-30 in 2017.

Against Northern Lehigh, the Roughies rolled up 357 yards of total offense, paced by first-year starting quarterback Aiden Hess, who threw for 213 yards with five touchdowns.

Ian Juica was Hess’ favorite target, as he caught five passes for 125 yards with four touchdowns. The Roughies also got a big lift form running back Hunter Reitz, who ran for 68 yards on 11 carries. Reitz’s previous two seasons have been cut short due to injuries.

“Hess threw the ball very well,” added Brett. “Our receivers got open, and our offensive line was tremendous. They had a lot of returning guys up front. Reitz ran hard and looked good.”

Defensively, the Roughies allowed 313 yards rushing with Grady Newhard leading the way with 121 yards. Their running defense has been an Achilles’ heel in the past.

“Defensively, we let up a few big plays, and we will need to correct that going into next week,” stressed Brett. “But overall, we played well on defense and made them work for everything.”

The Roughies will need to have the same type of effort when they meet Palmerton. The Blue Bombers routed Lehighton, 54-30, a game in which they had a 40-14 lead at halftime.

All-State quarterback candidate Matt Machalik threw for five touchdowns and 181 yards, and the Blue Bombers registered 268 yards on the ground.

“We are in for a battle Friday night against them,” stated Brett. “They have an explosive offense and probably one of the best quarterbacks in the state. We have to slow down Machalik and put the pressure on the other guys to make the plays for them. We will need to limit our mistakes.

“They run a 4-2 defense and like to bring pressure. Offensively, we see some things that we like, and we have to carry over some momentum from Northern Lehigh. Our offensive line had a great game upfront blocking for Hess and our running backs. Hess and Juica made some great plays for us, and we need that again.”

PREDICTION (Record 1-0): Hess’ five touchdown passes tied the school record in a game with Zack Bradley and Andrew Brett … Palmerton beat Catty, 42-16 last year, and the Blue Bombers have defeated the Roughies nine straight games. Catty’s last victory over Palmerton was a 38-17 win in 2013 ... Roughies can set the tone of the season early with three home games to begin this year’s slate ... Stephen Jones opened the game with an 81-yard kickoff return for the Blue Bombers ... Machalik rushed for 172 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Teammate Ty Sander caught five balls for 80 yards ... This is another statement game for the Roughies, and it has been circled on their calendar for a long time. If they can beat Palmerton, it will place them in a favorable position for the league title. This is tall order for Catty, especially stopping the multithreat Machalik. He also returned an interception 33 yards for a score ... Catty needs to curb their running game and avoid any turnovers ... Hess faces another stiff test, and he is bound to get plenty of new looks against him ... Reitz is a big key here, too, but the Blue Bombers allowed just 88 yards rushing and 199 passing last week ... This will be one of the better games in the area this week ... Like what Catty is doing, and this is head vs. heart game ... Huge game for the Roughies as well as Palmerton ... There’s some mojo going on in Catty these days ... Roughies will win a tight one that could go down to the game’s final plays, and Eric Snyder can send me some Yocco dogs ... ROUGHIES, 28-27.