Location: 10 AM, Delaware Avenue Field, Palmerton
Final Score: Slatington 7 - Palmerton 27
Weather: Partly cloudy and cold; the high temperature in Allentown was 37 degrees.
Coaches: Louis DeRosa (1915-2007) for Slatington and John C. Young (1906-1981) for Palmerton
The main star of the 1947 football season was Palmerton's halfback, Robert Lee “Bob” Romig (1930-1996).
1948 Slatington High School yearbook photo of the 1947 football team
Coplay 19 – Slatington 6 (27 September)
Slatington 0 – Lehighton 26 (4 October)
Emmaus 6 – Slatington 13 (11 October)
Slatington 0 – Northampton 65 (18 October)
Slatington 0 - Catasauqua 38 (25 October)
Whitehall 20 – Slatington 12 (1 November)
Slatington 0 – Stroudsburg 7 (7 November)
Slatington had a record of 1-6 heading into the Thanksgiving game and was on a four-game losing streak. It had not been a banner year for the blue and white.

1948 Palmerton High School yearbook photo of the 1947 football team
Whitehall 6 – Palmerton 0 (27 September)
Stroudsburg 27 – Palmerton 12 (4 October) Romig scored on a 53-yard run
Palmerton 12 – Catasauqua 12 (11 October) Romig two touchdowns, one of 60 yards in the first quarter to "electrified the crowd", 214 yards rushing of his team's 225, 2 yd plunged in final minutes to tie game
Palmerton 0 – Bangor 7 (17 October)
Northampton 13 – Palmerton 6 (25 October)
Palmerton 25 – Emmaus 0 (1 November) Romig 3 TDS including one from 50 yards
Lehighton 0 – Palmerton 19 (15 November) Romig 2 TDs and 150 yards rushing
Palmerton 12 – Wilson 26 (22 November) Romig TD
Palmerton had a record of 2-5-1 heading into the Thanksgiving game.
During the season, Palmerton had been slightly outscored by its opponents 86 to 91, while Slatington had been decisively outscored by its opponents 31 to 181.
The season for both teams began in late August, about a week before school opened. For Slatington, Coach DeRosa welcomed 56 boys and had their suits issued on 26 August. That gave the team a little over three weeks to practice before the opening game against Coplay. (The Morning Call, 5 September 1947) For Palmerton, Coach Young eventually had 64 boys signed up for the team. Equipment was distributed on 19 August with morning and afternoon practices starting the next day.
Photo credit: 1948 Palmerton High School yearbook
As someone who has not-so-fond memories of the seven-man sled back in the 1970s, that six-man, wooden blocking sled just looks terrible.
Palmerton finished its season with a loss to Wilson High in an unusual game on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Usually both Slatington and Palmerton did not play the week before Thanksgiving to allow more time to prepare for the showdown.
Coach DeRosa noted that Slatington entered the game as a big underdog. “On a basis of comparative scores, the Slatington team is not given much of chance, but as in the past, comparative scores will not mean anything on Thanksgiving morning … Winning the Turkey Day game will mean a successful season.” The local boys had been gradually rounding into shape for their biggest game of the year. (The Morning Call, 21 November 1947)
It was a big game for the two towns. “Slatington’s population will largely shift during the morning hours of Thanksgiving Day, as the Slatington High football team travels to Palmerton for the traditional tilt. All tickets allotted to the Slatington fans and students are gone and another record crowd is predicted.” (The Morning Call, 26 November 1947)
Maybe the fact that Slatington’s marching band and drum majorettes were going to accompany the team to Palmerton might make a difference, but it didn't.
“Palmerton’s junior triple-threat left halfback, Bob Romig, scored two of the Bombers’ touchdowns on 62- and 59-yard jaunts and registered better than 200 yards from scrimmage. Romig ended the season in [the] No 2 spot in the Panther Valley-Carbon County scoring parade, boosting his total to 72 points by making two of the Bombers’ extra points yesterday.” (The Morning Call, 28 November 1947)
“The Slatepickers came across with the first touchdown. This was after the boys traveled two-thirds of the field and then ‘the old pass to the tackle play’ from Hoffman to Ringer. Dale Greensweig converted to make the score 7-0.” And that was all the game’s scoring for Slatington. (The Slatington News, 4 December 1947)
“On the second play after the Slatington kickoff, Romig traveled 59 yards for Palmerton’s first touchdown, and then added the extra point by plunging through center to tie the score.”
“Midway in the second period, the fleet-footed halfback registered his second long run of the game. Breaking loose from a host of would-be tacklers, Romig races 62 yards down the sidelines to score. Again, he plunged through the center for the extra point.”
A third touchdown by Palmerton’s Johnny Jones gave Palmerton a 21-7 lead at the half. The game was pretty much over at that point. “Shortly after the third period opened, Romig intercepted one of the Slaters’ passes in his own territory and dove the visitors’ 11.” Palmerton’s Clark scored the final touchdown. (The Morning Call, 28 Nov 1947)
Some statistics from the game (The Slatington News, 4 December 1947; also in The Morning Call, 28 November 1947)
Palmerton | Slatington | |
first downs | 6 | 7 |
yards rushing | 380 | 79 |
passing | 0/2 | 5/17/1 |
yards passing | 0 | 50 |
fumbles | 2 | 2 |
yards penalties | 70 | 15 |
Position | Palmerton | Slatington |
Left end | Haslam | Bauers |
Left tackle | Haysick | Williams |
Left guard | Stamler | Hughes |
Center | Bohunicky | Queen |
Right guard | Wentz | Hartline |
Right tackle | Sutovsky | Ringer |
Right end | Kurtz | Cunfer |
Quarterback | Martin | Kemmerer |
Left halfback | Romig | Roberts |
Right halfback | Jones | Krause |
Fullback | Mooney | Hoffman |
After this game, the Thanksgiving rivalry stood at Palmerton 11 wins, Slatington 1 win and 1 tie.
Newspaper sources
- The Morning Call
- The Palmerton Press
- The Slatington News
- Service Star Press (Palmerton)