Hunter Reitz believed his team showed plenty of grit and determination in their win at Mahanoy Area last Friday night.

He should know.

Reitz has been slowed by knee and shoulder injuries the past two seasons.

Against Mahanoy, Reitz did a pretty good job at showing his own version, as he ran for 154 yards in the Rough Riders’ 35-14 victory. Their triumph raised their record to 3-1 overall.

Catty had a 14-8 advantage after three quarters, but they broke the game open with 21 points in the final stanza. They will host Pen Argyl Friday night.

For Reitz, it was a welcome change of pace.

“It felt great having a big game running the football,” exclaimed Reitz. “There were holes that trucks could have fit through, and I have to thank my offensive line for that. They were great.”

Head coach Travis Brett was confident his team could recover from their slow start.

“We started slow, and they came out and punched us in the mouth,” said Brett. “They went right down the field and scored and then recovered an onside kick. On our first drive, we fumbled on our five and then had five penalties on our other drive. After those two drives, we scored on every drive the rest of the game.

“They played a lot of two-high safety, which really opened up our running game. That was big for us because we struggled running the ball early on. Our backs ran hard, and our offensive line did a good job opening up holes. It was nice to see Reitz run hard, but he is a little banged up.

“After the first drive, our defense played well. We made some adjustments, and then we were fine.”

Reitz sees his team starting to come together.

“I see our team right now as a team that is very balanced,” added Reitz. “We can throw, and we can run. That is great because our defense is always on its toes. Our defense had been getting big stops all year.”

Brett isn’t taking Pen Argyl lightly, as the Green Knights lost to Northwestern, 41-7, last week. The Green Knights (2-2) have dropped two straight. Senior quarterback Brad Rissmiller and receiver Damina Tyminski have played key roles on both sides of the ball.

“Pen Argyl has a very good wide receiver in Tyminski, and we will have to be aware of where he is on every play,” noted Brett. “They are returning their quarterback from last year and have some other skill guys back.

“We are going to have to clean up penalties and come out fast. It definitely is a big game for us because they are in our classification for districts.”

PREDICTION (Overall record 3-1): Catasauqua is first in the Class 2A bracket followed closely by Schuylkill Haven and Williams Valley, both also with 3-1 records. Pen Argyl is fifth ... Rissmiller was 10-for-18 for 89 yards last week. He has completed 52 of 84 for 761 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions ... Tyminski had six catches for 72 yards last week, and he has 25 catches for 303 yards with two touchdowns for the season ... Pen Argyl was held to six yards rushing and 89 yards passing last week ... Brett stated Reitz is listed as questionable. Jyzaiah Bonilla has a tibia bruise, but he is expected to play. Everyone else is healthy ... Bonilla rushed for 57 yards, and Chad Bellar gained 82 yards ... Bonilla has rushed for 157 yards and Reitz for 280 this season ... Quarterback Aiden Hess was nine for 16 for 79 yards with two touchdowns against Mahanoy. Hess is 44 for 76 for 579 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions ... Catty has own the last two meetings (30-12 in ’22 and 42-15 in ’21), but the Roughies lot the previous three (36-13 in ’20), 49-7 in ’19, and 28-7 in ’18) after they won in 2017 (17-14) ... Bellar had eight tackles against Mahanoy, and he has 69 for the season. Miles Melendez has 27 tackles and Brenden Eck has 20 for the year. Ian Juica has two interceptions ... Roughies have won two straight and appear to be on a roll ... Catty will need a strong defensive effort, and Hess could have a big game here. Reitz will be a game-time decision, and he likely will be limited if he does play ... Roughies do need the game to stay ahead in the district bracket ... Catty looking to start fast, and they should. Eric Snyder can pick up a couple packs of homemade pierogies in this one, and he can wait until Saturday to get them ... ROUGHIES, 31-14.