Bombers have improvised at quarterback
Versatility is a key attribute when talking about the quarterback position.
A quarterback needs to be able to run, throw, make quick decisions, read defenses and most importantly lead. Usually, if a coach can find just one player that displays all those characteristics, then that individual will be named the quarterback.
However, Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak hasn’t had to find just one player to fill the quarterback position for the Bombers this season; instead, he’s had to find four.
Lucas Heydt, Aaron Stasko, Cody Waterhouse and Jordan Nelson have all gone under center for Palmerton in its first five games.
Multiple injuries, whether it was before a game or in-game, as well as game flow, have been the contributing factors to the game of musical chairs Walkowiak has had to conduct at the signal caller spot.
“As far as preparation goes it can certainly be difficult, because with the injuries we’ve had we really need all these guys to know our game plan from the quarterback position,” said Walkowiak. “Even if they’re practicing at wide receiver or running back at practice, they need to pay attention to what we’re saying to the quarterback,
“We’re fortunate to have four guys that are athletic and are all knowledgeable and have good football I.Q., that they can pick up all the information we’re telling them week to week.”
Week 1 is when the quarterback carousel began for Palmerton when freshman Lucas Heydt was knocked out of the game against Palisades with an injury. Senior Cody Waterhouse filled the void in that contest.
In Week 2, Heydt resumed his quarterback duties against Southern Lehigh, but was injured in the next game against Saucon Valley, when Stasko would then get his shot. Stasko performed nicely, going 10-for-16 for 150 yards and three scores, while rushing for 60 yards. Stasko was then injured in that game as well, and Waterhouse re-entered the fold to finish out that contest, throwing for 42 yards and a score. The Bombers threw a scare into the still undefeated Panthers that night, losing by a narrow 32-26 margin, all the while having to play three different quarterbacks.
Jordan Nelson was the fourth player to play the signal caller position for Walkowiak Saturday in the Bombers 62-30 victory over Pen Argyl. Nelson, Stasko, and Waterhouse all attempted at least one pass, but Nelson was able to get himself in a running groove as he took the majority of the snaps on the afternoon against the Knights. Nelson, who has played predominantly wide receiver in his career, rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns, which paired with Stasko’s 113 yards through the air, proved to be the perfect recipe for Palmerton’s first win.
“All these kids have been great. They’ve all embraced the challenge of playing quarterback and the responsibilities that the position demands,” said Walkowiak. “They were all thrown into the fire at one point, and they’ve all reacted well and have played well.
“Quarterback is a tough position to play. One week you’re the hero when your team wins, and the next week you’re the blunder if your team loses. It’s a lot of pressure, and I’m proud for how our kids have handled it.”
Freshman Heydt is expected to be back this week, but it has not been determined in what capacity.
Regardless, it’s safe to say that Walkowiak will have plenty of options to lead the offense when Palmerton takes on Northwestern Lehigh in an important Colonial League matchup on Friday.
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CAN’T SPELL RAIDERS WITHOUT AIR ... Tamaqua’s Brayden Knoblauch threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns last week against Blue Mountain.
Two of those scores went for over 50 yards (54 and 53), both of them to Matt Kistler.
In the past 30 years, a total of 323 games, Knoblauch is just the third Blue Raider quarterback to throw two touchdowns of over 50 yards in the same game.
The others were Nate Edmonds, who did it twice during the 2012 season, and Geoff Kruczek, who did it against Mahanoy Area during the 1991 season.
As for Kistler, he is the only Tamaqua player during that span to catch two 50-plus touchdowns in one game.
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FORCING TURNOVERS ... Palmerton posted a 63-30 victory over Pen Argyl last Saturday.
The Blue Bombers helped their cause by forcing eight turnovers in the contest.
The last time Palmerton forced its opponent to give the ball up that many times was Sept. 13, 2013 (57 games ago), when Salisbury threw four interceptions and fumbled the ball away four times.
You have to go back to Sept. 17, 1999 (204 games ago) to find a contest where the Bombers forced more turnovers. In that game, a win over Notre Dame, Palmerton intercepted four passes and recovered six Crusader fumbles.
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HIGH-FIVE ... Jim Thorpe’s Jarrin Geisinger, who was named the Player of the Week, scored five touchdowns last week in a win against Midd-West.
The last time an Olympian player recorded five TDs in a single game was Sept. 8, 2006 (132 games ago) when Craig Zurn did it against Mahanoy Area during a 42-6 victory. Zurn ran for four scores in that contest, and also returned an interception for a touchdown.
Speaking of defensive scores, Dylan Dailey had a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the win last Friday. It marked the second straight game Dailey has scored a defensive touchdown. The last time Jim Thorpe had back-to-back games scoring a defensive touchdown was 2008. On Sept. 5 of that year, CJ Lehmann scooped up a fumble and traveled 64 yards to the end zone. The following week, Jimmy Nunez picked up a loose ball and went 87 yards for a score.
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GETTING A LEG UP ... Jim Thorpe’s Chris Condley (28 points), Tamaqua’s Nate Boyle (26) and Northwestern’s Connor de Wit (22) have all passed 20 points as kickers at the midway point of the regular season.
That got us thinking what area player has totaled the most points in a season with just his foot.
Over the past 25 years, that honor goes to Aaron Mill of Northern Lehigh, who in 2003 accumulated 75 points as a kicker. Mill booted 66 extra points and three field goals during the Bulldogs’ run to the state championship game. The next closest to Mill is Northwestern’s Chris Horn, who had 65 points in 2006.
