It has been five seasons since Catasauqua’s boys basketball team earned a spot in the District 11 playoffs. The Rough Riders were in the 2020-21 tournament during the COVID year when all the teams were invited. During that season, they lost to Palmerton, 67-47, in the second round.

Their last official appearance was in the 2017-28 season when they opened the postseason with a 75-60 win over Northern Lehigh in the quarterfinals before they fell to Notre Dame, 65-44 in the semifinals.

This season, the Roughies ended the season with an overall 9-13 record and were awarded the eighth and final seed in the Class 3A bracket. They will face top-seeded and defending three-time Class 3A champion Executive Education in the opening round Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m.) at Easton High School.

The Raptors, who have an overall 18-4 mark have won five of their last six games, paced by the trio of guards Gabe Hornberger, Rylan Muniz, and Jayden Shipley as well as the imposing figure of 6-10 center Lamine Sanoh in the middle. All four players have been averaging roughly 10 points per game this season.

Roughies’ head coach Eric Snyder sees Sanoh’s presence being the challenge.

“We have watched some tape on them,” said Snyder. “We know we can stay with them. We just have to believe in ourselves.”

Snyder asked his team if any of them knew about Villanova’s upset of Georgetown in 1983. Their game plan may be to control the pace.

“Their 6-10 kid will be hard to overcome because he stays in the post and blocks shots. We’ll have to occupy him. We know we can probably get some layups against him, but we also have to limit their possessions and slow the game.

“But we still have to shoot. We will shoot the ball. Our first prerogative is to push the ball, and we’ll try to beat them down the floor. “

The Roughies, who have won four of their last six games, will be led by guard Frankie Pujols, who is averaging 14 points per game, along with swingman Reece Lopez, who is averaging roughly nine points per game, and guard Hamaad Jenkins, who averages close to seven per contest.

“Our guys are confident, and we have been playing better,” added Snyder. “We have to play our game.”