The strategy made sense.

And the results proved it.

Blessed with three quality running backs, Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak has to figure out when to use each one on Friday nights.

Last week, though, the decision became clear.

Mikey Garey started strong, and the Blue Bomber mentor stuck with his sophomore throughout the team’s contest against Salisbury.

Garey responded with 136 yards on 21 carries, which included three touchdown runs — including the go-ahead score with just over three minutes to play — to help Palmerton pull out a narrow 26-25 victory.

The 10th grader was also in on six tackles from his linebacker spot, and also came up with a fumble recovery. Garey’s effort in a close contest not only helped his team improve to 3-5, but it also earned him the Times News Football Player of the Week award.

“We look at production, and what was going on there when he was carrying the ball,” said Walkowiak. “We saw it and we said let’s run with it, and you saw the confidence building. We had a confident player who was producing, and credit also goes up front ... It was a matter of timing and getting hot at the right time, and more importantly taking advantage of opportunities.

“We tell the kids all the time they never know when their number is going to be called, and when it is called, take advantage of that opportunity. I think so much in life is the same thing. You have to make your own opportunities at times, and he made his own opportunity and capitalized on it.”

During the first four weeks of the season, Garey only touched the ball three times for 10 yards. But in the fifth week against Northern Lehigh, he received that opportunity and ran for 135 yards and two scores. Since then, he has shared time in the Bomber backfield with seniors Vincent Taglieri and Caleb Sagatume.

Neither of them are the “feature” back and never know who will get a bulk of the action from game to game.

“We just all come prepared, honestly,” said Garey. “We’re all ready to get either 20 carries or no carries ... I was just waiting for my opportunity. But I do think all the backs on our team are capable of big games.

“No, I wouldn’t have believed it at all,” he added when asked if he could see this coming at the beginning of the season. “A month ago, I don’t even think I was getting running back snaps actually. In the Northern Lehigh game, I took a step up ... and ever since then my coach has seen what I can do and what the other backs can do, and we just rotate. We’re all good backs.”

Walkowiak noted that all three bring a different style, which allows him to use the preferred matchup against a certain defense or just whoever’s getting the job done at the time.

“There’s no doubt that he has the ability to be on the field and he deserves to be on the field,” said Walkowiak. “Running the ball, he presents a different style of running back then some of our other guys. He’s a downhill, north and south type of guy ... we like what he does there and defensively at linebacker, he’s got athletic ability to cover ground.

“He has a motor and a little bit of an edge to him, on both sides of the ball — when he runs or plays defense. So I think you’re looking at the coming of a kid with a very bright future for us. He just has to continue to work hard and be consistent in his daily efforts.”

Time will tell whether Garey can continue the kind of production he had against the Falcons.

But it was clear that night he was getting the ball and coming through for his team.

“It was a meaningful game and he was the go-to guy. He wanted the ball,” said Walkowiak. “It was funny, in film our quarterback, we had a zone read and I said, ‘You could have kept it.’ He said, ‘Coach, Mikey was hot.’ And I said, ‘I won’t fault you on that.’ So the kids sensed it. Mikey brings a certain energy with him. He’s bringing that positive energy and you can feel it. He’s fun to be around, he’s fun to coach. He keeps me on my toes.”

Garey not only wants more evenings like the one he had last Friday, but he also wants to improve his all-around play.

“I need to get in better shape, honestly, because ... I only had six assisted tackles but I had a good offensive game,” he said. “Against Palisades, I had two sacks but I only had 50 rushing yards. I need to work on being balanced, having good games on both sides of the ball instead of just one side.

“It gives me a lot of excitement (for the future), especially with what the team can do too. We’ve fought through adversity with all the injuries we’ve had. We were losing in the (Salisbury) game and then in winning that game, we definitely came together. It wasn’t just me. It was a whole team effort.”