Kendall Robinson played football as a seventh grader with many of his Palmerton teammates, then decided to step away from the game.
He didn’t hit that growth spurt when many of his friends did, but he never stopped supporting them or the program.
Robinson finally filled out, then listened to his buddies.
“Me and [quarterback Matt Machalik] and others were talking when we went to prom,” Robinson said. “They started reeling me in and I was thinking about it.
“I was going to be a junior [last year]. I’ve only got two more years of high school. I might as well enjoy it. My friends are all playing.”
Robinson, who was 5-foot-4 through eighth grade, filled out. He’s 5-foot-10, 165 pounds. He hit the weight room hard in the offseason to add 10 pounds of muscle.
The senior receiver/defensive back recalls the perspective Machalik gave him in the spring of 2020.
“I should have played because Danny Lucykanish,” Robinson said, “he’s the same size, same weight as me. He played the whole time. I should have listened to him. I probably would have had more fun, been better than I am right now.
“[Machalik] said to me, ‘What do you gain from not playing?’ I was like, ‘Nothing, really.’ So he’s like, ‘You have nothing to lose.'”
Palmerton lost several senior starters, but has a bunch of weapons returning on both sides of the ball.
Machalik ran for 1,539 yards and 29 touchdowns and passed for 1,308 more and nine scores last season. He’ll be the center of the Blue Bombers’ versatile offense after leading the Colonial-Schuylkill League in scoring (201 points) in 2021.
Skill players James Denicola, Harrison Dailey and Lucas Heydt graduated, but there are plenty of weapons at Machalik’s disposal.
Ty Sander, Dalton Drake, Stephen Jones, Lucykanish and Robinson are all reliable options.
Lucykanish led the team last season with 35 catches for 568 yards and three TDs.
Junior Bryce Marino, who ran cross country last season, is a first-year player in 2022. There also are three out-of-state transfers.
“It’s the same every year,” Walkowiak said. “We’re developing two and three positions for some guys. We pride ourselves on doing more with less. You have to keep evolving.”
Juniors Clayton Christman and Zack Anthony will anchor both sides of the line. Jeremy Mooney, Shea Finney, Shade Klotz and Dominic Dengler graduated. Alex Konze also has experience up front.
Serfass was a state-level linebacker as a sophomore. Emilio Gonzalez lettered last year at that position plus Sander is back.
Jones, Lucykanish, Machalik and Drake are returnees in the defensive backfield.
Palmerton’s top five tacklers graduated: Denicola, Dengler, Heydt, Klotz and Dailey.
3 things to know about the Blue Bombers
1. He’s back
Senior Cole Serfass returns to the program after a one-year absence. He led the team with 963 rushing yards and 11 TDs in the COVID-shortened 2020 season (eight games).
Serfass’ versatility will fit right in with the Blue Bombers’ system.
“Cole is going to be utilized,” Walkowiak said. “He’s an athlete. Cole could play every spot offensively. Down the line, if we said, ‘Cole, we need you to play tackle,’ he would have no problem.
“He came back in like he didn’t miss a beat. He’s just a student to of the game. He’s great to have around. He can play tight end, slot, wide receiver, H-back, quarterback. He has that experience. We’re not going to be afraid to move him around.”
Serfass played quarterback at times as a freshman and sophomore, throwing for 230 yards and three scores in 2020.
2. 64-34
That score is posted in the Palmerton locker room to serve as a reminder to this year’s players what last year’s seniors had as their last hoorah. It wasn’t pleasant.
Northern Lehigh won the District 11 Class 2A championship by that score over its neighboring rival on a blustery, cold November day.
“Seeing the seniors end that way was tough,” Machalik said. “For us as juniors and sophomores, we get that other chance to get back to the district championship.
“That is motivation coming out to every practice.”
“We had a pretty good season,” Robinson added. “Our goal is to get to the same place, but do better. We’re using that game as motivation, drive for the season. [Last year’s district final] lingered on most of the team for a couple weeks.”
Palmerton believes it can get back to the district final, but the circumstances will be different because the Blue Bombers are in Class 3A for the next two years while the Bulldogs drop down to Class A.
The two rivals will meet, however, in Week 10 on Oct. 28 in Palmerton.
3. Palmerton’s schedule (at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Aug. 20: Hanover Area (scrimmage), 10 a.m.
Aug. 26: Lehighton
Sept. 2: Catasauqua
Sept. 9: at Palisades
Sept. 16: Jim Thorpe
Sept. 23: at Notre Dame-GP
Sept. 30: at Pine Grove
Oct. 7: Salisbury
Oct. 14: at North Schuylkill
Oct. 21: at Tamaqua
Oct. 28: Northern Lehigh
Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com
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