Back in 2013, Catasauqua defeated Palisades, 48-21, in a postseason game to clinch a district title. During the regular season, the Rough Riders blasted the Pirates, 45-7.

Since then, it can be debated whether or not the two teams have a rivalry.

Last season, that factor seemed to come into play when the Pirates edged the Roughies, 20-17, on a last-second score, and the Roughies then returned the favor in the district playoffs when they won a 17-14 battle on a last-second field goal.

Now the Roughies will travel to Kintnersville Friday night for another skirmish with the Pirates. Catty, 4-4, will look to further secure a district berth against Palisades, which enters the game with a 2-6 mark.

Since 2004, the Roughies have an overall 6-14 mark against the Pirates, and that includes a 2-1 postseason mark. Catty lost a 36-0 district playoff game in 2020. The series has been a series of runs with Catty having a stretch of six straight wins from 2009 to 2013. The Roughies also have two streaks of five losses apiece.

This Friday, it looms to be another black and blue game, having Palisades in a desperate situation with their sixth-place seeding in the same Class 2A bracket that will only take the top four.

Roughies’ head coach Travis Brett is ready for a tussle.

“Palisades is a tough team,” said Brett. “They are a hard-nosed football team that flies around. They are easily the best 2-6 team around. It has become a rivalry game in a way, especially after last year. They are going to want this game badly after how their season ended last year. We will be ready, and we know what the implications of this game are.

“We will be treating this game like a playoff game. They have three guys that stand out. Sessinger is a good wider receiver and cornerback. The Hauberts are always tough. They also have a kid named Krisch, who is a returner and always flies around the ball.”

Running back Hunter Reitz also understands the meaning behind the game.

“I definitely think Palisades is a rivalry game after what happened last year,” he said. “They will be looking to knock us around in their stadium.”

Palisades head coach Bobby Smith expects it to be a game to remember.

“They are a very good and physical team,” said Smith about the Rough Riders. “I believe their group has been together for a while now, and it is pretty much the same team when we played them in districts a few years back when they were young.

“I said that we have to watch out for that team, and here they are. As far as a rivalry, we’re both small schools, and the kids remember the wins and losses. It has been a bit of a rivalry game.”