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Palmerton Overcomes Lethargic Start to Overcome Battlin’ Miners. @PalmertonHigh @MinersFB

Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| October 23, 2021


Blue Bombers Got Off to Shaky Start but Survived Friday Night Over a Determined Minersville Squad.

PALMERTON- Opportunities only knock once, so the saying goes. Thankfully for the Palmerton Blue Bombers football team they received more than their fair share. After not taking advantage early, they managed to convert enough of their chances in a nearly three hour marathon to defeat a game Minersville squad 45-24 Friday night in a key Schuylkill/Colonial League Contest.

Minersville opened up the scoring on their first series when on the second play from scrimmage Miners quarterback John Adams completed a pass-play from his 37 yard line that eventually wound up inside the Palmerton five. A penalty and then a tackle-for-loss pushed the ball back to the twelve. An incomplete pass on third down forced a 29 yard field goal by Jason Cullen and a 3-0 lead.

Palmerton could not take advantage of a 70 yard kickoff return by Lucas Heydt on the ensuing possession. The chances kept coming a fumble recovery by Jeremy Mooney, an interception by Danny Lucykanish set up the offense in Miners territory in the opening quarter produced zero points. All they did was punt and fail to convert three fourth down tries and two first downs in four times having the ball.

Finally though, they would take advantage of a Matt Machalik interception off a Adams pass to set up shop at the Miners 44. Machalik would score the first of his four touchdowns by going in from ten yards a missed PAT left the score at 6-3 with 7:39 till half.

A strange sequence took place the next Minersville possession as they faced a fourth and eight from their own 21 and in punt formation, the snap went over the head of punter Cullen, who chased the ball back to the end zone, he avoided a safety by completing an eleven yard pass to Adam Frie and a first down.

On that same drive facing another fourth down punt, a roughing the kicker call against Palmerton gave Minersville another chance. Adams the connected with Cullen for a 53 yard score and a 10-6 lead with 4:50 left in the quarter. Adams finished to night throwing for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

Machalik , who ran for 217 yards on the night, scored from 68 yards on Palmerton’s second play from scrimmage after the Miners score to make it 14-10 with 3:50 before half. After an exchange punts, Palmerton forced a Minersville safety, as Adams was called for intentional grounding in the end zone make the score 16-10.

A James Denicola return of the free kick set the Bombers up at the Minersville 37, a few plays later Machalik scampered in from 28 yards and a 24-10 heading into intermission.

Machalik scored his final touchdown of the night from fifteen yards out with 7:42 left in the third quarter capping off a 71 yard drive on 9 plays making the score 30-10.

Minersville would not go away though as on their next drive they would score from a yard out as the ball was fumbled into the end zone with 3:18 left in the third quarter making the score 30-17.

After a Dalton Drake interception of an Adams pass placed the ball on the Palmerton 36. Lucykanish capped the drive by taking the ball in from 27 yards with just 32 seconds left in the quarter and a 38-17 lead after the 2-point conversion.

An Adams to Lorenzo Yourey pass covered 16 yards for Minersville with 8:32 left in the contest. The drive covered 57 yards on 7 plays to make the score 38-24.

Lucas Heydt would close out the scoring for the night by darting in from 25 yards with 3:02 left to play on the Bombers next drive that began on their own 20 making the score 45-24.

Here is what Palmerton coach Chris Walkowiak had to say after the win Friday night:

Palmerton improves to 8-1 with one game left with rival Northern Lehigh(6-3) next Friday night in Slatington, the Bulldogs defeated Salisbury 26-7. Minersville(6-3) will finish off their regular season at home with Nativity BVM(4-5), who lost to Williams Valley 37-14.

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