KINTNERSVILLE — Palisades usually relies on quarterback Jack Trickel to find the end zone with his arm.

He had only rushed for three touchdowns all season before Friday night, while throwing for 11.

Trickel doubled that total, as he ran for three scores to lead his team to a 40-6 win over Palmerton on the Pirates’ homecoming night.

“That’s definitely the most,” Trickel said of his three rushing touchdowns in one game. “Normally I pass for them. Give credit to their [defensive backs]. They did a good job tonight and the defensive line got pressure on me all night. I’ll do whatever I need to do make the team win. I don’t care about passing yards or rushing yards.”

The Bombers focused on stopping a Pirate passing game that’s thrown over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns in its first six games.

With the passing game ineffective, the Pirates relied on running backs Max Woerner (7 carries, 113 yards) and Ashton Fitzgerald (8 carries, 39 yards).

Trickel only rushed seven times for a total of 20 yards, but he found the end zone for his team’s first three offensive touchdowns, including two in the third quarter after a close first half.

“They have a bunch of weapons,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak. “Their quarterback is very good. The running back. Their tight end is a stud. Their defense played phenomenal. They won the line of scrimmage. Their linebackers are down hill players and they made plays.”

A couple early turnovers hurt the Bombers.

Palisades’ Carter Kilhefner scooped up a fumble and ran 10 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead just two minutes and 10 seconds into the game.

Both teams struggled to move the ball in the first half, but the Pirates finally got their offense going late in the second quarter.

A 37-yard reception by Lincoln Cook got the Pirates inside the 10-yard line, setting up Trickel’s second touchdown run, this time from 5 yards out with 3:08 left in the first half for a 13-0 lead.

The Bombers (2-5) answered this time. They went 75 yards in five plays, including a 47-yard scamper by Vincent Taglieri, who eventually scored from 1 yard out to make it 13-6 just before halftime.

The Pirates, who were coming off two straight losses after a 4-0 start to the season, got rolling in the second half.

Trickel’s 5-yard TD run with 6:50 left in the third extended his team’s lead.

An interception by Fitzgerald set Palisades (5-2) up at the Palmerton 16-yard line to start its next drive. Trickel again found the end zone, this time from 7 yards for a 27-6 lead with 3:24 left in the third quarter.

“We struggled in the first half but we manned up in the second half,” said Trickel. “We weren’t going to let our school down. We wanted to get back into the win column.”

The Pirates’ Max Woerner got in on the scoring with a 72-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter and another from 10 yards to cap the scoring with 6:14 left in the game.

The Palisades defense set up the offense much of the night. Palmerton started only one of it’s six first-half drives on the Pirates side of the field and none of its five second-half possessions started past midfield.

The Bombers piled up 231 yards (211 rushing, 20 passing) to the Pirates’ 280 (168 run, 112 pass), but were unable to finish all but one of those 11 possessions.

“First half we came out and shot our self in the foot, turnovers,” said Walkowiak. “They had a short field to get the momentum going there. We settled down and it was a 13-6 game at halftime. We were fighting and clawing. We missed some opportunities I thought offensively. We were down inside the red zone and didn’t put them in.”

MORE TRICKS...Trickel, who also plays in the secondary, picked off a Bomber pass in the game. On offense he was 7-for-14 passing for 112 yards with one interception.

NOT MUCH COOKING...The Bombers made a concerted effort to contain one of the Colonial League’s best wide receivers in Cook. He caught five passes for 84 yards, but three of them and 42 of those yards all came on a late first-half drive that didn’t result in points. Walkowiak credited defensive back Alex Keiper for his coverage of Cook. Keiper even came up with an interception in the game.

BLACK AND BLUE BOMBERS...Palmerton had six starters out with injuries and Walkowiak said many of them will miss most or all of the season. “The injury bug has bitten us hard,” he said. “We’re not going to get a lot of people back due to the injuries we have. We need to step up and be ready. We have to put on a better performance.”

Palisades 41, Palmerton 6

Palmerton 0 6 0 0 - 6

Palisades 7 6 14 14 - 41

Palis - Kilhefner 10 fumble recovery (Oglialoro kick)

Palis - Trickel 5 run (pass failed)

Palm - Taglieri 1 run (pass failed)

Palis - Trickel 7 run (Oglialoro kick)

Palis - Trickel 7 run (Oglialoro kick)

Palis - Woerner 72 run (Oglialoro kick)

Palis - Worrner 10 run (Oglialoro kick)