Nineteen years.

That’s how long Sam Bonner has been the head coach of the Blue Raiders.

And his father, Mike Bonner, has been right there beside him for every one of those seasons, serving as an assistant coach and currently handling the linebackers and receivers.

Athletic roots

The football tradition doesn’t stop with Mike and Sam. The family’s connection to the game stretches back even further.

Sam Bonner’s grandfather, Sam Pagano, played at Catholic University and appeared in the Orange Bowl.

Pagano graduated from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., in 1937, where he excelled in basketball and football. He was selected to the Eastern College All-Star Team alongside Vince Lombardi.

His high school teaching and coaching career spanned 34 years, starting in 1938 at Jim Thorpe, continuing at Nesquehoning and ending at Tamaqua, where he retired in 1976.

“Sam’s grandfather, that’s who we named him after, he was the line coach here for a while,” Mike said.

Mike’s father was a three-sport athlete at Albright College, and is enshrined in its Hall of Fame.

This deep family history creates a unique perspective on the game, and its role in developing young student-athletes.

The early days

Mike raised Sam and his brother Michael in Jim Thorpe.

The two played high school football together as Olympians, but were also involved with Mike’s programs from a young age in a different way.

“When we were young, we grew up as water boys and assistant managers for him at Northern Lehigh,” Sam said. “My dad’s been around the game probably for 50-plus years right now.”

Mike was the Northern Lehigh head coach from 1982-86. During his collegiate playing days, he was a Kutztown Golden Bear, playing both fullback and linebacker.

Sam said the only time his dad stepped away from football was to watch him play at East Stroudsburg University — a decision that speaks volumes about his priorities as both a coach and a father. While at ESU, Sam played with current Penn State head coach James Franklin in the early 1990s.

“The only time I remember him not really coaching football is when he kind of got out of the game a little bit to come and watch me play while I was in college,” Sam recalled. “He came and watched me those weekends.”

Enter Tamaqua

After a year at Panther Valley and 10 years at Northern Lehigh working under various coaches, the Tamaqua head coaching opportunity arose, and Sam knew it was his chance to build something special.

“I already had a lot of familiarity because I was doing sports performance, so I had a lot of connections with the local kids in Tamaqua,” he said. “This high school was about three miles down the road from where I worked, so that would be my opportunity to possibly take over a program.”

The rest is history.

Entering the 2025 season, Sam and Mike had coached Tamaqua to a 56 percent win rate together, compiling an overall record of 111-85.

What makes it work

The father-son dynamic works because of the complementary skills each brings to the program.

Mike, who spent more than 35 years as a guidance counselor at Northern Lehigh, provides the patience and understanding that comes with decades of working with young people.

“My dad’s gotten a lot more patient over the years,” Sam said with a laugh. “A lot of the time when kids are a little apprehensive about coming to me when it comes to maybe fixing a face mask on game day, they know my dad’s the guy that has the patience.”

Mike’s dedication to the program goes well beyond the X’s and O’s. Despite his extensive experience, he’s still willing to handle the fundamentals.

“He’ll be the first guy to grab and carry the balls off the field,” Sam said. “He helps the kids out on a daily basis.”

The daily dynamic

Working together seven days a week during football season could strain any relationship, but the Bonners have found their rhythm over nearly two decades.

“This time of year, we see each other seven days a week,” Sam said.

When asked if they needed a break from each other, he laughed: “Maybe at the end? It all depends on how the season’s going sometimes.”

“I think the older you get, the more you enjoy it,” Sam said. “You realize it’s precious time. You get a chance to spend time with someone who’s not just a great dad, but a great coach.”

Mike’s commitment to Tamaqua extends beyond football — he even named his dog Raider, a testament to how much the program means to him.

One thing is for sure: the Bonners have always led a tough football program, and they know what they want to do — establish physicality and the ground attack.

“We were always a power-run football team, and my dad enjoys it as well, especially playing fullback in his college days,” Sam said. “We always say when we end up in a double-tight or power-I situation and we’re running the ball well, it usually leads to success.”

Enjoying the grind

The father-son coaching combination represents something increasingly rare in modern high school athletics — continuity, dedication and a genuine love for developing young people through football.

What keeps them going?

“I’ll tell you what I like, I like the preparation. All year, the offseason stuff, I enjoy that. I tabulated some of it. I was up here 120 days — two or three days a week, and Sam, he’s up here all the time. He lives here,” Mike joked. “I enjoy trying to motivate the kids and having fun.”

It’s year No. 19 for Sam, so are there 19 more in the cards?

For now, it’s on to tomorrow. The Bonners will focus on taking on Salisbury for the Raiders’ homecoming game Friday night in search of their second win of the season.