It’s been a while since Palmerton has had a quarterback competition.

After having Matt Machalik run the show for a number of years and Jameson Trainer taking over the reins behind center last season, Blue Bomber head coach Chris Walkowiak will look to one of two sophomores to take snaps on Friday nights.

The veteran mentor is monitoring the progress of both TK Gursky and TJ Weller, who are battling for the starting job.

“Both have been growing daily since we started our summer workouts,” said Walkowiak, who enters his 15th season leading the Palmerton progress. “They’re both hard workers and battle each day to get better, and more importantly make the team better.

“They each possess certain intangibles that will serve them well during the season.”

Gursky and Weller have similar size and both have already seen action on the turf at the varsity level.

Their head coach is stressing priorities to his young signal-callers and not asking them to do too much.

“Right now, we are looking for consistency in their play and asking them to manage the game by making good decisions with the ball, not forcing things and increasing their anticipation with their throws to help get rid of the ball faster,” said Walkowiak, whose team finished 3-7 a year ago.

“We have a very good nucleus around them of experience on offense, which will serve both of them well.”

Walkowiak is pleased with their development so far and looks forward to working with them as the season moves along.

He is also excited to watch them “grow physically and mentally.”

Helping them to do just that are the players that will be surrounding them. In the backfield, senior Caleb Sagastume and junior Cale Young, along with sophomore Michael Garey, will look to lighten the load for the Bomber QBs by churning out yards on the ground.

“Each brings a different style of running the ball, and we need to stay healthy with all of them since they all know our offense and can make plays,” Walkowiak said. “I like how they operate in our offense.”

Young collected 294 yards rushing on just 46 carries last year, while Sagastume took 33 handoffs and gained 163 yards. The Bombers’ leading ground gainer was Trainer, who topped 1,000 yards.

Trainer had very capable receivers in 2024, and they return this season. Vincent Taglieri (30 catches, 387 yards, five TDs) and Alex Keiper (13.18 yards per catch) lead the way, while Young also snared 18 receptions.

Others, whether lined in the slot or outside, who expect to contribute include juniors Connor Lawless and Jacob Walkowiak, and sophomores Ben Negley and Gaven Meixsell.

“Our seniors have very good knowledge of our system and bring speed and play making ability to the field,” Walkowiak said. “Our junior class is solid with their efforts and play-making abilities. They also have excellent attitudes that help make the whole unit cohesive.

“They no doubt help our offense continue to get better in the pass game. I am excited about this group as a whole, they’re play makers, and they’re all selfless. They’re a very fun group to work with.”

Any success by the offense, though, starts up front with the offensive line. And the Bombers are blessed with quality in the trenches.

Seniors, and four-year starters, Logan Anthony — a Division I recruit (Rutgers) — and Beau Stahler return. Juniors Mason Heilman, Mason Konze, Colson Ruzicka and Cooper Henry, as well as sophomore Wyatt Gable, give Coach Walkowiak a formidable front.

“In order to be successful, we need this entire unit to play well, and I believe we have many other key contributors in the trenches,” Walkowiak said. “Anthony and Stahler have the experience and knowledge of our system to make all the calls and mentor our other lineman. But, we need to be physical at all times with this unit and consistent with our mental approach.

“I like how we are gelling together, and I expect this unit to be our core nucleus to lead the way this year. We are also in the process of developing (sophomore) Parker Davis and (freshman) Colby Kohler to add even more depth up front.”

With some experience under their belt now — 68 percent of the program were sophomores and freshmen — Walkowiak expects his team to be much improved from last year.

“Last season is gone, and now it is time to show maturity and make plays,” Walkowiak said. “We have enough experience back; however, we need to have consistency in all phases of the game. We must act like a veteran team, although we still have quite a few underclassmen in our lineup.

“Responding to adverse situations is a must, while playing fundamental football and executing our assignments are a priority. We no doubt can’t beat ourselves or put ourselves in bad situations as we have done in the past.”

POSITION BREAKDOWN

QUARTERBACKS

Two sophomores – TK Gursky and TJ Weller – are battling to take snaps behind center for the Bombers. Gursky may have the upper hand, serving as the back-up last season behind Jameson Trainer.

RUNNING BACKS

Trainer (1,166 yards) accounted for more than half of the Bombers’ 1,957 yards on the ground last season, but the Bombers do return a trio of experienced running backs. The Bombers will rely on senior Caleb Sagastume (33 carries for 163), junior Cale Young (46-294) and sophomore Mikey Garey (16-63).

WIDE RECEIVERS

Look for senior Vincent Taglieri to add to his team-leading 387 receiving yards and five TD receptions from a year ago. Looking to complement Taglieri at slot will be juniors Connor Lawless, Jake Walkowiak, and Young while fellow senior Alex Keiper and sophomores Ben Negley and Gaven Meixsell round out the receiver position.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Bombers return their entire front line. Leading the way are seniors Logan Anthony and Beau Stahler, and returning to lend a helping hand are juniors Mason Heilman, Mason Konze, Cooper Henry and Colson Ruzicka. Sophomores Wyatt Gable and Parker Davis have experience upfront, while in-coming freshman Colby Kohler will also see time.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Anthony, Stahler and Company won’t have much rest in the trenches, as they will also line up on defense. With nine linemen, though, the Bombers will have plenty of players to rotate in and out between plays.

LINEBACKERS

The Bombers lost both Trainer and Ortiz to graduation. Senior James Mack returns with the most experience. Fellow seniors Anderson Garcia and Caleb Sagastume figure to start, while others to see time include juniors Dillon Anthony, Chris Collier and Connor Lawless, as well as sophomores Mikey Garey and Ben Negley.

SECONDARY

Coach Walkowiak welcomes back senior Alex Keiper to the secondary, while Cale Young, Gaven Meixsell and Jake Walkowiak will lend a hand to a squad that had 13 interceptions in 2024.