Palmerton looks to right the ship after dropping its first game of the year, while Jim Thorpe hopes to get back to .500 when the two local high school football teams clash Friday night.

For the mayors of the two Carbon County boroughs, however, there is a little something extra on the line.

Don Herrmann of Palmerton and Michael Sofranko of Jim Thorpe are placing a friendly wager on the game.

Should Palmerton win, Sofranko will have to wear Bomber gear to his next regular council meeting, scheduled for Oct. 13. If Jim Thorpe triumphs, Herrmann will be outfitted in Olympian attire on Sept. 22, when Palmerton Borough next meets.

“I haven’t bought a Jim Thorpe shirt yet and I don’t intend to,” Herrmann said as the two gathered Wednesday night to talk about the event. “It was a good game last year with Jim Thorpe securing the win on the last play of the game. This gets the community a little more interested from both towns and helps food banks in the process.”

Sofranko has been part of something similar. Tamaqua Mayor Nathan Gerace had to supply Jim Thorpe’s football team with Guer’s Iced Tea after the Blue Raiders fell to the Olympians in 2018.

“This is all about the young men on the field, the cheerleaders, the band and supporting all of them,” Sofranko said. “I never like to give any motivation to the opposing coach, but I feel Jim Thorpe has a great chance of winning.”

In conjunction with the game, the two mayors are running a canned food drive to support food pantries in Palmerton and Jim Thorpe.

“Around the holidays there is definitely a big need,” Herrmann said. “A lot of families need help, especially with the rising cost of food. Everyone loves football and everyone loves helping out the community, so you put two and two together and it’s great.”

The canned food drive, Sofranko said, also helps the young men on the field realize there are some things bigger than football.

“It creates awareness,” he said. “The athletes realize there is more to a game sometimes. If this helps with that, then it’s a bonus for us.”

Canned goods can be dropped off at the gate as you enter the game.

The game kicks off at 7:10 p.m. Friday night in Palmerton.