Sure, the stage might be bigger and the stakes might be higher for Palmerton heading into its District 11 Class AA playoff game against North Schuylkill this Friday.

But that won't change how the No. 4 Blue Bombers set about dealing with the top-seeded Spartans."We're going to approach this game the same way we would have at any other point in the season," Palmerton coach Chris Walkowiak said. "They're a very good football team that's well-coached. But we're concerned with the things that we can control: Our effort; our attitude; our work ethic and our execution."Managing those aspects of the game will be critical against a North Schuylkill (10-0) squad that outscored its opponents by just over 31 points per game this season.The Spartans certainly have no shortage of options on offense. Running back John Rupinski has amassed 1,446 yards rushing this season to go along with 20 touchdowns.Quarterback Bobby Grigas and wide receiver Tevin Murray give Rupinski plenty of support in the passing game. Grigas has thrown for 1,360 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, and Murray has been his favorite target, hauling in 31 passes for 639 yards and 12 scores.But facing a high-powered offense isn't something that will take the Blue Bombers (7-3) by surprise."Having played Southern Lehigh and Northwestern, I think that will prepare us a little bit for what we're going to see this week," Walkowiak said of the two Colonial League teams that have also averaged over 40 points per game this season. "Obviously, many aspects of this game will be different than either of those contests. But we feel the level of competition we've faced throughout the season will have us prepared for this week."Palmerton will counter with several talented players, both in the backfield and on the perimeter.Quarterback Garrett Perschy leads the team in rushing with 522 yards and seven scores on 136 attempts. Perschy has been more than capable with his arm, too, completing 55 percent of his passes while throwing for over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns.Tailback Tre Nelson has rushed for over 400 yards and six scores, while Dominic Shivone has recorded 19 catches for 265 yards and four touchdowns."We're going to continue to spread the ball around," Walkowiak said of the team's game plan. "We don't have any egos here. The kids have bought into the team concept and all they care about it winning."It doesn't matter who it is; they just want to win."That mentality has given the Blue Bombers their first district playoff berth since 2008, an opportunity Walkowiak relishes."It's big. It's very exciting for our program," the coach said. "I told them it was going to be a process and that we needed to do the little things right to get here. And to their credit, they've stuck with it. No one has quit."I've told them it's not about how many times you get knocked down; it's about how many times you get back up. They've kept fighting and these seniors have hung with me for the last four years. I'm so happy to see them get this chance."