The postseason offers a clean slate, and that’s especially the case if a team is facing off with an opponent it has already competed against during the regular season.

Palmerton faced off with North Schuylkill just a little less than a month ago, with the Bombers leaving Fountain Springs with a 35-21 loss.

This time around - with a trip to the District 11 3A championship on the line - the Bombers are hoping they can clean up and correct their mistakes and put together an improved effort against the Spartans.

“A key for us will be to once again get off to a good start,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak. “But this time, we must maintain that momentum. Last time we played, we grabbed an early lead, but then we had some special teams miscues, we had some turnovers, and we weren’t able to finish off a few scoring drives where we had the ball inside their 10 yard line.

“So we have to make sure we take advantage of any and all opportunities. The overall key for us will be to execute efficiently in all phases.”

Palmerton (7-4) got off to a good start against North Schuylkill in its first match-up, getting out to a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter on two big pass plays (73 and 69 yards) from junior quarterback Matt Machalik to senior wideout Cole Serfass. However, the Spartans (9-2) were then able to score 35 unanswered points which were aided by the Bombers’ turnovers and stalled drives.

North Schuylkill running back Jared Tinari scored two touchdowns, and wide receiver Joey Flail scored three consecutive touchdowns on receptions of 43, 45 and 47 yards. Tinari leads the Spartans’ rushing attack with 1,218 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Flail leads the wide receiver group with 697 yards and 13 touchdowns. The North Schuylkill passing attack has been impressive, with quarterback Trevor Minalda having thrown for 1,669 yards and 23 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions. Five players have 15 or more receptions, and five have 133 or more yards receiving.

“They certainly have a cast of playmakers that can hurt you,” said Walkowiak. “We have to be able to manage our emotions if something doesn’t go our way or if they make a play

“With this team, you can’t just focus on one guy because they have plenty of weapons, but knowing where Flail is when they lineup is key. If you have the chance to make a tackle or a play on him, you have to execute. We also have to be able to rush the quarterback, and we have to try to defend every inch of the field.”

The Bombers were able to have success through the air against North Schuylkill, with Machalik throwing for 345 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Wide receivers Daniel Lucykanish (nine catches for 141 yards) and Serfass (three for 147) both had big days for Palmerton. However, Serfass won’t be available for the game after suffering a season-ending injury late in the regular season. While the Bombers passing game was in high gear in the previous meeting against the Spartans, the they weren’t able to get much going on the ground, rushing for just 74 yards, at 2.96 yards per carry.

The North Schuylkill defense has been impressive this season, forcing 21 turnovers, and has been relentless at getting into the opponents’ backfield, tallying 19 sacks and 74 tackles for loss. It will be tested by the Bombers, as Machalik has been exceptional in the pass game, having already thrown for a school-record 2,472 yards and 31 touchdowns.

“There is no doubt you want to always establish a run game, but as we do every week, we’re going to take what the defense gives us,” said Walkowiak. “Protecting the football, I believe has to be our top priority, and we must also be aggressive in forcing turnovers, and try to win the turnover battle this week. We were able to force three turnovers last week against Tamaqua, and it had a profound impact on the game.”