Catasauqua head football coach Joe Henrich watched his team dig themselves in to a first-half hole against Salisbury, and then the Rough Riders nearly dug themselves out of it.

The Roughies rebounded from a 28-13 halftime deficit to nearly walk away with a victory, falling 42-35 to Salisbury at Alumni Field.

A 59-yard touchdown pass in the closing minute gave the Falcons their second consecutive victory and pushed their record to 3-1 overall. Catty suffered its first defeat of the season, slipping to 3-1 on the season.

The Roughies’ Manny Bolmer tied the game at 35-35 when he broke free for a 26-yard touchdown gallop with 10 minutes left in the game.

Catty will try to get back on track Friday when they will host Notre Dame. Henrich didn’t envision the kind of battle between the Roughies and the Falcons.

“I didn’t see that kind of game at all,” said the fist-year head coach. “We had some turnovers early that hurt us as well as some poor tackling. We did not have a stellar first half.

“But these kids battled back, scoring three touchdowns. We continue to show a lot of character.”

Bolmer had a big night for the Roughies, as he also caught two touchdown passes and return a punt 60 yards for a score.

Quarterback Aiden Reilly, who completed 12 of 25 attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions, saw a similar situation. He also didn’t think his team overlooked Salisbury.

“No we didn’t take Salisbury lightly, we knew they had some good athletes,” stressed Reilly. “In the first half we had too many turnovers, missed tackles, and mental mistakes that pushed us back, but we didn’t ever give up.

“In the second half we started to establish the run game which then opened up the passing game a lot more. From being down 35-13 with a very young team we never gave up at any point of that game. We have a lot of heart and desire to win and brought the game back to 35-35. This week is behind us and over with now we just look forward to next week.”

The Roughies will tangle with Notre Dame (3-1), which is coming off a 24-7, comeback victory over Saucon Valley. The Crusaders scored 158 points in their first three games, posting 71 points in one game and 56 in another.

“They have been putting up good numbers all year,” said Henrich about his opponent. “Offensively, we will have trouble stopping them, and we need to slow them down. We have to get their quarterback out of rhythm.”

PREDICTION: (Season Record 3-1): Jordan Bradshaw is the Roughies’ leading ground gainer with 298 yards on 48 carries for a 6.21 yards per carry average. Reilly has completed 45 of 78 attempts for 844 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Bolmer leads the team in receptions with 14 for 459 yards with eight touchdowns … Notre Dame quarterback Matt Bodnar II has completed 96 of 136 attempts for 1,491 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has run for 53 yards on 11 carries. Bodnar’s prime targets have been Jonathan Striba (21 catches for 110 yards), Carmine Diaz (19-360, four touchdowns), and Alex Clark (14-349, three touchdowns) ... They last met in 2020 with Notre Dame posting a convincing 51-17 victory ... Notre Dame has relied heavily on its passing game, and the Roughies have done a solid job protecting the pass this year, allowing their opponent 120 yards per contest. Catty has been very vulnerable to the run, as Salisbury had 247 yards rushing last week and nearly 200 yards per game ... Being at home will help the Roughies, but this will be their stiffest test of the young season. It has the makings of a battle royal, and the Roughies need a fast start. This time, I’ll owe coach Snyder some Potts’ hot dogs ... NOTRE DAME, 28-21.