(EDITOR’S NOTE: Rod Heckman has been a member of the Times News Sports Department since September 1988. In the next few weeks, he will be sharing some of his most memorable moments for each of our 10 area schools. Today’s edition features Palmerton).

By Rod Heckman

rheckman@tnonline.com

Mention Palmerton sports, and many things come to mind.

The Mlkvy brothers are among the first, but I never saw them play, so all my knowledge of them comes from stories and other people’s memories.

All my colleagues - past and present - that have ties to the borough are quickly remembered, including Ed Hedes, TJ Engle, Andy Steinmetz, Todd Suarez, John Faust and Cody Grohotolski. But outside of some athletic success (by Steinmetz in tennis and Grohotolski in wrestling), to me they will be thought of for their writing styles.

Little details over the years also pop into my brain. Some of them are no numbers on the football field, with just the pylons on the sidelines marking each 10-yard increment; the rendition of the national anthem played at basketball games, featuring the all-male barbershop-style singers; and the softball field on Delaware Avenue, with football sleds deep in the outfield.

Then, of course, there is Trainer Dave, who will greet you like you’re family, whether it’s been a week or three years since you’ve seen him last.

But when it comes to the Blue Bombers, for me there is one name that stands above the others - Nicole Levandusky.

Levandusky, the Times News all-time leading scorer with 2,662 points and star player who helped Xavier University reach the NCAA Elite Eight in 2001, is the subject of one of my most memorable moments of Palmerton.

February 8, 1997

Levandusky sets school record

There are many words to describe the events that happened in Palmerton’s gym that Saturday afternoon.

Phenomenal, fitting, impressive, controversial are just a few of them.

Playing in their regular season finale, the undefeated Blue Bomber girls were taking on rival Northern Lehigh. Levandusky was playing the final home game of her illustrious high school year, and there were rumors circulating that she was going to be left on the court to try and break the floor record of 46 points.

The Bulldogs, who finished 10-14, were completely overmatched and trailed 48-6 at halftime behind Levandusky’s 20 points.

Any sort of record seemed out of reach when the Palmerton star netted just six points in the third frame.

But Levandusky put on an amazing display in the final quarter, scoring 26 points to finish with 52 in a 95-33 victory. She broke the school record for most points in a quarter (breaking her own mark), most points on the Palmerton floor and most points by a Palmerton player in a single game.

“For Nicole, those were primarily the only records she had left to break,” said her head coach Rod Strohl after the game.

Some questioned leaving the senior in the game during a 62-point rout, while others just praised her accomplishment.

Levandusky also had 12 steals and eight assists in the contest.

September 26, 1992

Blue Bombers improve to 4-0

They had six straight losing seasons, and had been 2-9 three years in a row.

Their head coach quit just weeks before the start of the 1992 campaign.

They were still competing in the Centennial League, having to face much bigger teams week in and week out.

For Palmerton’s football team, things weren’t looking that bright.

But everything seemed to gel for the Blue Bombers and Manny Guedes, who had been the team’s head coach in 1989 and 1990, and stepped in after Jack Sweeney stepped down due to medical issues.

They opened with two straight victories over non-league opponents (Pen Argyl and Southern Lehigh) and then downed Pocono Mountain in their CL opener.

Next up was East Stroudsburg at the Purple Pit. Guedes, before the season, said “East Stroudsburg will be the team to beat. They’ll be right at the top.”

I covered the game from the press box that evening. I was at the end of a long row of other press people and workers from East Stroudsburg. All I kept hearing was how the Cavaliers were going to roll over Palmerton, and that the Bombers’ start was a fluke. I remember thinking to myself this team is better than they think, and they might be in for a surprise.

Things started well for Guedes’ club as they opened up a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. But Eastburg battled back to tie the score in the third, giving the know-it-alls in the box reason to think the tide had turned.

But two touchdown passes by Chris Lucykanish, one to Mark Recker and the other to Joel Hemmingway, later in the period put the Bombers up for good in an eventual 27-14 win.

Palmerton went on to enjoy a 9-2 regular season and played for a district title.

I remember that game when I think a team doesn’t have a prayer to win, or when I’m opening my mouth to say that.