Week Seven of high school football season in the Times News area is loaded with marquee matchups — but only one brings together two undefeated teams on Friday night.

In a clash worthy of the hype, the 6-0 Palmerton Blue Bombers prepare to defend their home turf against the high octane 6-0 Notre Dame Green Pond Spartans in the Times News Game of the Week.

The Spartans entered the season as the clear favorites to challenge Northwestern Lehigh for the District 11 3A crown, and so far, they’ve looked every bit the part. Notre Dame has dismantled the opposition week after week, outscoring its opponents 307–42, averaging 51.1 points per game. Head coach Phil Stambaugh likes to put points on the scoreboard — and he likes to do it through the air.

Junior quarterback Tommy Murphy has stepped in seamlessly for graduated 3,000-yard passer Matt Bodnar. Murphy showcased his versatility last year as a receiver and a runner, racking up 529 total yards and five touchdowns, but he’s taken command of the offense this fall from the signal caller spot. He’s thrown for an impressive 1,505 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just one interception, completing 74 percent of his passes and averaging 250.8 yards per game.

Seniors Drew Boyd and Jonathan Striba returned at wideout after standout junior seasons, and both have picked up exactly where they left off. Boyd leads the team with 22 receptions for 433 yards and nine touchdowns, while Striba has added 15 catches for 360 yards and seven scores.

But the Spartans aren’t just a one-trick pony on the offensive side of the ball — they can hurt defenses on the ground as well. Senior Aaron Gordon (336 yards) and Murphy (309 yards) have combined for 645 rushing yards, averaging 10.75 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns.

Palmerton’s defense has been solid this season, giving up 13.5 points per game with its strength being up front at the defensive tackle positions. Mason Konze and Colson Ruzicka have been a tough matchup for teams in the middle of the Bombers front.

“Their offense always presents a bunch of challenges. They have an explosive passing offense, and Murphy is a stud for them. He is dangerous with his arm and his legs, and he does a great job of running their offense, finding favorable matchups and finding open receivers,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.

“Alignment and assignment are going to be extremely important for us. You can’t let anybody run free, or they will make you pay. So, getting lined up right and then playing fundamentally sound is your best chance at trying to slow them down. Tackling in space is a must. You can’t let the quick throws go for big yardage.”

Palmerton’s offense has shown it can win in a variety of ways this season. Two weeks ago, in windy conditions at Pen Argyl, the Blue Bombers leaned heavily on their ground game, throwing just five passes while grinding out 235 rushing yards to secure the win.

But last week, they turned to their passing game, taking to the air to beat Salisbury behind a standout performance from quarterback T.K. Gursky, who threw for 271 yards and six touchdowns.

There’s no question Palmerton prefers to establish the run early, and most weeks it has done exactly that thanks to a good offensive line group and a deep stable of backs in Carson Eckhart (329 yards), Cale Young (251 yards), and Connor Lawless (141 yards). Still, versatility will be critical against a Notre Dame defense surrendering just seven points per game.

“We’ve been pretty good this season at not being one-dimensional. We always want to establish the running game early, but one of the things we preach and preach about every single week is that we’re going to take what the defense gives us,” said Walkowiak. “The goal is to spread the ball around to our playmakers, whether that’s in the run game or through the air. Moving the sticks, finishing off drives and protecting the football is what we strive to do.

“Notre Dame is a very disciplined defense, so we need to match that as well. They excel at reading their keys and flying to the ball, so staying out of third and longs and putting ourselves in a consistent manageable position to move the chains is going to be very important.”