(EDITOR’S NOTE: Rod Heckman has been a member of the Times News Sports Department since September 1988. In the next few weeks, he will be sharing some of his most memorable moments for each of our 10 area schools. Today’s edition features Tamaqua).

By Rod Heckman

rheckman@tnonline.com

Injuries are part of sports, especially football.

No one wants them, or wants to see anyone suffer from them. But right or wrong, it’s hard not to forget them when they happen.

Anyone who saw Lawrence Taylor break Joe Theismann’s leg in 1985 still cringes when they think about it. The same holds true for Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware in 2013 when he tried to block a shot during the NCAA Tournament and came down awkwardly, snapping his leg.

Anytime a player is laying on the ground and a cart is driven out to take them to a medical facility, you just stop and hold your breath.

My most memorable Tamaqua moments both feature Blue Raider football wins - including a recent district championship. But both those memories also feature some unfortunate circumstances (directly and indirectly) involving their opponents.

September 27, 1991

ELCO player hurt in Tamaqua win

It was just another regular season game against a non-league opponent.

For most, it was pretty insignificant.

For me, it was a new experience ... and it turned out to be rather frightening.

The 1991 season was my fourth with the Times News. I had never covered a Tamaqua home football game. Those assignments were usually reserved for my colleague, Joe Plasko - a Blue Raider graduate who bled Blue and White. Joe covered 89 out of 107 Tamaqua games during the 90s. Meanwhile, my next Blue Raider game didn’t come until 2005.

Joe’s task that night was a matchup of undefeated teams as Schuylkill Haven and Jason Killian battled Panther Valley and Cazzie Kosciolek. That left the Tamaqua game open, which eventually was given to me.

The game itself wasn’t super special. The Raiders, coached by Whitey Williams at the time, put together a balanced effort against Eastern Lebanon County (ELCO) and cruised to a 35-7 victory. Geoff Kruczek completed 9-of-19 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown, while Mike Coleman ran for 94 yards and a score.

But during the contest, a scary incident occurred, which left everybody in a daze.

ELCO lineman Art Bankus was injured on a play, but got up and ran off the field under his own power. Soon after, however, he collapsed on the sidelines. Medical personnel rushed to his aid, and you could tell by their actions there was concern. Moments later, a MedEvac helicopter was landing on the baseball field and Bankus was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital Center.

Bankus would be treated for strained neck muscles and released three days later, but the incident is one I’ll always remember.

November 8, 2019

Raiders capture D-11 football title

It was freezing cold ... and I had a cold.

While the sidelines are my usual office during a football game, my health relegated me to the press box at Lehighton’s multipurpose stadium.

Tamaqua was playing for its first-ever district title on the gridiron and were facing rival North Schuylkill.

The Spartans, and all of District 11 for that matter, were still reeling from the tragic events from two weeks earlier. Jaden Leiby, North Schuylkill’s star quarterback, suffered a broken neck during the team’s regular season finale in a win against Pottsville.

While it’s impossible to know what would have happened if the Spartans (who defeated Pine Grove to get to the title game) had a healthy Leiby playing, many who saw the game could assume that it might not have mattered. Tamaqua’s defense dominated from start to finish, and posted a 20-0 victory to claim district gold.

Sam Bonner’s club limited the Spartans to just one first down and 30 yards in the opening half. The D, led by Bronson Strouse, Jake Barron and Company, forced six three-and-outs and didn’t allow North Schuylkill to cross midfield. Brayden Knoblauch threw for two touchdown passes, which was more than enough for the Raiders on this night.

Tamaqua celebrated after the game, and players and parents alike seemed like they didn’t want the evening to end - and who could blame them.

But there was still a part of most people, even Raider fans, that felt bad for the Spartans and what they had endured, trying to play for a championship while thinking about their friend and teammate in the hospital.