It’s safe to say Tamaqua’s Ace Schickram has successfully adapted to the quarterback position.

The Blue Raider junior is in his first season calling the shots behind center and his growth there increases game by game.

Last week against Selinsgrove, Schickram provided offense with both his legs and his arm to lead his team to a 27-18 victory. The win was the third in a row by Tamaqua.

“This is his first year playing the position, so obviously we knew there would be some growing pains to start out but I think he’s definitely progressed through the course of the year,” said his head coach Sam Bonner. “He handles the huddle. He’s a leader ... I’ve told him that’s his huddle to take charge of and he’s been doing a great job of that.

“We know that he can run the ball, it started with North Schuylkill with his long touchdown run that put us ahead and won us the game. And then he ran for (200 yards in the Panther Valley game) and this week it was around 150. ... He’s been on a roll with his legs and improving with his arm.”

Against the Seals, Schickram again did damage on the ground, picking up 158 yards on 22 carries. But he also moved the ball in the passing game, completing six passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. While the aerial numbers are modest, they represented his season highs as the team becomes a little more diverse and less one-dimensional.

His 231 total yards of offense also earned him the Times News Football Player of the Week.

“I think we’re always expecting to have a big run game,” said Schickram. “I think it’s a big part of our offense, and we knew that they were probably going to come out in a three-man front, which we blocked well in the past and we’ve had a lot of experience blocking it this year so we came out and we did what we were supposed to do in the run game.

“My line does a phenomenal job week in and week out ... It’s a pleasure running the ball a lot, especially next to Terrence (McDowell, who had 173 yards rushing against Selinsgrove). I think we compliment each other a lot ... I feel like we’ve tried to do more speed running with him, and then more tackle-to-tackle a bit with me, but last game with the power-I we were just running it down their throat.”

The success on the ground aided the Raiders in the pass game as well. Schickram, who has run for 721 yards this season, used deception to help Tamaqua move the ball through the air.

“With the run game getting better as the year goes on, I feel like our play-action has as well,” said Bonner. “Ace has been doing a good job. Obviously we have two guys who are borderline thousand-yard rushers, and I think defenses have to respect the run so I think Ace does a good job of selling the run game and then does some play-action.

“I think we had five, six play-action passes this past week, which he did a good job of sprinting out, making sure he sells the fakes and gets the ball to our receivers.”

The junior signal-caller is quick to agree.

“I think we are trying to throw in some more passes there, and with how well we were running the ball, the play action was working really well,” said Schickram. “That’s what they were giving us at the time, and we were taking it. And that’s what we try to do, take what the defense gives us.”

Speaking of defense, Schickram has seen more time on the opposite side of the ball and the team has reaped the dividends.

While he only had a couple tackles against the Seals, he did force a fumble and provided coverage on one of the other team’s top receiver. And on special teams, he also came up with a key play.

“We weren’t playing him much defensively earlier in the year, but since we have ... he’s done a great job of making our secondary better,” said Bonner. “A lot of times we put him on one of their better receivers. This past week it was on (Jon Neidig), that we made sure that in critical situations he was covering him. He’s probably one of our most athletic kids.

“He also had a big recovery on an onside kick. At that point they had a little momentum going, and we recovered that onside kick and I think that helped put the game away.”

Surprisingly, Schickram might enjoy the defensive side more.

That being said, he likes his role at quarterback.

“I love defense, and honestly I like defense a little more than offense sometimes,” he said. “I have fun playing both sides of the ball, and honestly I get a little mad when I’m not playing both sides of the ball. I love to be out there.

“I think I’ve grown a lot since the start of the season (at quarterback). I’m trying more to just go through reads when I am throwing the ball, and just trying to make sure I make the right choice and not put the ball in harm’s way. And always making sure I have two hands on it when I’m running. It’s been a pleasure to play quarterback. I’m having a lot of fun with it.”