In rivalry games, points a lot of times are hard to come by, so getting off to a good start is key in order to win the ball game. On Friday night, the Palmerton Blue Bombers did just that against backyard rival Northern Lehigh.

The Bombers (5-5, 5-5 CL) zoned in on their target and the result was an aerial assault in the first quarter as Palmerton used a 21-point opening frame to come away with a 21-7 Colonial League victory over the Bulldogs (4-6, 4-6 CL).Palmerton didn't waste any time getting started on the offensive end. On its first possession, the Bombers orchestrated a nine play 74-yard drive ending in a two yard touchdown plunge by quarterback Garrett Perschy. A 42-yard hookup between Perschy and Jared Mooney on the opening play of the game set the stage for what would be an explosive 12 minutes for the Bombers.Palmerton continued the offensive momentum it gained on its first offensive possession to the defensive side of the ball. On the Bulldogs first offensive possession on a third and long from their own 30, a Tekoah Guedes pass was intercepted by Mike Stasko and returned 31 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, five and a half minutes into the game the Bombers were out to a 13-0 advantage."We came out very fired up and we hit the big play on the first play of our opening drive and that created a lot of momentum for us," said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak. "In that first quarter, we were really clicking on all cylinders. Defense was playing well and we were finishing off our drives on offense. It was just the start we were looking for on the road against a good Northern Lehigh team."Palmerton added another score late in the first on another strike from Perschy. The senior signal caller found Chuck Burke for a 44-yard pitch and catch down the seam, which gave the Bombers a three score advantage.The second half of this one played out a lot like a rivalry game usually does and that's because it was a dog fight. The Bulldogs themselves showed a lot of fight dominating time of possession in the third quarter and getting on the scoreboard at the 8:37 mark in the third. Northern Lehigh got back in the ball game on its opening possession of the third quarter with an eight play 70-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard touchdown scamper by Mason Seiler."My guys never give up and even down three touchdowns early they never played with their heads down," said Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout. "Credit has to go to Palmerton, they came out and put some points on the board early. The first quarter has been an issue for us all season, we have to get out better at the start because we've played pretty good football from that point on. We also missed some opportunities in the second half, so we have to clean some stuff up and work hard to be better next week."Palmerton's offense stalled in the second half, but after Northern Lehigh pulled within two scores its defense picked up the slack. The Bombers didn't let up another point for the rest of the night, which was due to the pressure they were able to put on Guedes on third and fourth and long situations."Our defense was able to generate pressure and our defensive backs made plays," said Walkowiak. "We had a bunch of sacks tonight and two interceptions. Any time you can do that on the defensive side of the ball you're going to have a good chance to come away with a victory."PERSCHY THE PUNTER?... Garrett Perschy has certainly proved his worth as a quarterback in his career for the Bombers, but on Friday night he showed that he is just as valuable in the punting game. Perschy had punts of 56 and 57 yards, pinning the Bulldogs at the one-yard line and the 13-yard line on the night.