Location: 10 AM, Delaware Avenue Field, Palmerton
Final Score: Slatington 0 - Palmerton 25
Weather: Cloudy and milder. According to The Morning Call, the high temperature in Allentown was 40 degrees. It was probably a bit colder in the morning at Palmerton.
Coaches: Michael "Mike" Burcin (1920-1998) for Slatington and Joseph "Joe" Foran (1910-1974) for Palmerton
1952 Palmerton High School yearbook photo of the 1951 football team
In a preview of the upcoming high school football season, The Morning Call headlined an article about Palmerton, "Nucleus of 7 Senior Lettermen Key to Palmerton Grid Fortunes." The paper then asserted that "The big task ahead for Coach Foran and his two capable assistants, Oscar Blynn and Crete Hollywood, is reconverting the Blue Bombers into the T formation, the modern system being employed for the first time in Palmerton. For many years, with Coach Johnny Young as the pilot, the long punt formation was used." (The Morning Call, 31 August 1951)
Meanwhile, in Slatington, 55 candidates reported for the first football practice session on Monday, August 20th. "The first few days were spent on conditioning drills. Afternoon sessions [were] held with blackboard discussions and the study of football films." (The Morning Call, 25 August 1951)
I was curious to see if the weather for August practices in 1951 was any different from the weather that we experienced for August practices in 1975. On 20 August 1955, The Morning Call reported a forecast high of 80 degrees in Allentown and a low of 58. That meant that the temperature was probably not all that bad in Slatington and Palmerton. From what I remember of 1975 or 1973, it was hot, just hot, especially wearing all that gear and helmet.
1952 Slatington High School yearbook photo of the 1951 football team
Slatington's schedule before the Thanksgiving game with Palmerton:
Slatington 20 – East Stroudsburg 13 (Saturday afternoon, 15 September, rescheduled from Friday night because of a failure of the light system at East Stroudsburg) Slatington won with a 12-yard scamper by "Little Bruce Kemmerer" and two more touchdown runs by fullback Romaine Ross.
Coplay 21 - Slatington 2 (Saturday, 22 September)
Lehighton 13 - Slatington 47 (Saturday, 29 September) "Bruce Kemmerer Sparkles, Scoring Four Times as Slatington beats Lehighton" – That was the headline in The Morning Call (30 September 1951). He scored on runs of 55, 37, 21 and 74, and he also had a touchdown pass.
Emmaus 18 - Slatington 12 (Saturday, 6 October) – "Emmaus Surprises Slaters, 18-12 … in a bitterly fought contest at Slatington's Victory Park."
Slatington 39 – Northampton 0 (Saturday, 13 October) – This was Slatington's first ever win over Northampton since high school football began in 1935. Kemmerer scored five times. He "electrified the crowd on the first play of [the ball game, running 51 yards off right end for a touchdown."
Catasauqua 13 - Slatington 6 (Saturday 20 October) According to The Morning Call, this loss "kill[ed] Slatington title hopes."
Whitehall 20 - Slatington 2 (Saturday, 27 October) The local newspaper called it "a stunning 20 to 2 victory over Slatington High School yesterday at Slatington … Without the services of Buddy Kemmerer, who was used very little because of an injury Slatington's offense bogged down time and again." (The Morning Call, 28 October 1951)
Slatington 6 – Stroudsburg 0 (Friday, 2 November) In the game played on a Friday night at Stroudsburg's Gordon Giffels Field, Slatington "out mudded Stroudsburg 6-0." (The Morning Call, 3 November 1951)
Slatington had a fair record of 4-4 heading into the Thanksgiving game with Palmerton. The team had managed a rare semi-winning record and had outscored opponents 134 to 98.
While Slatington had a pretty good football season in 1951, that was Palmerton’s year. Let’s recap Palmerton’s championship season.
Palmerton's team had many ousttninf players that year, including Doug Shiner (1933-2010).
On Saturday afternoon, 22 September 1951, Palmerton opened the season with a 36-12 win over Whitehall on Palmerton's Delaware Avenue field. Both Ed and Doug Shiner scored in the opening game. "A thrilling finish to Palmerton's amazing triumph was furnished near the close of the contest when Doug Shiner, now engaged in his fourth season as a varsity back, returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown." (The Morning Call, 23 September 1951) The local newspaper noted that "the debut of Coach Joe Foran at the helm for the first full season of the Palmerton High School Blue Bombers and his introduction of the T formation was launched with thundering success yesterday afternoon as the Blue and White trounced Whitehall High 36 – 12 at Palmerton … It was the Blue Bombers' highest scoring inaugural on records." But, "There wasn't much of a crowd on hand to witness Palmerton's successful opener."
In Palmerton's second game, played again on a Saturday afternoon, September 29th, on the home field "before a small crowd, The Blue Bombers triumphed in a 13-0 win against Stroudsburg." "The Shiner brothers, Doug and Ed, combined their grid talents yesterday afternoon in leading Palmerton High School to their second straight Lehigh Valley League triumph." (The Morning Call, 30 September 1951)
"A last period touchdown netted Palmerton's Blue Bombers an important 18-13 victory over Catasauqua High yesterday afternoon at Catty's Thomas Field before a crowd of 2900 and established the Zinc Borough team as favorites to capture the Lehigh Valley League championship." In the Saturday afternoon game, played on October 6th,.it was quarterback Ed Shiner's one-yard sneak (Maybe, it was two yards.) with about four minutes remaining that finally gave Palmerton the league. Earlier in the second half of the game, Doug Shiner had about a nineteen-yard pick six for Palmerton's second touchdown in the game. (The Morning Call, 7 October 1951)
Next up for Palmerton was a non-league game against Bangor on a Friday night on Bangor's home field. Palmerton prevailed 27-6 to run its record to 4-0. In the game. Doug Shiner scored on a seven-yard pass from his brother Ed. (The Morning Call, 13 October 1951)
The Palmerton train kept rolling on Saturday afternoon, October 20th, on Palmerton's home field. "Palmerton Stays Step Ahead in Lehigh Valley Loop Race" as the "Bombers Nip Northampton 32 to 0 for 5th Straight Triumph without Defeat." In the game, Palmerton piled up 282 total yards while holding Northampton to 102. This was only the second time that Palmerton had been able to defeat Northampton since the series began in 1935.
The bye week might have stalled Palmerton's momentum, but it didn't.
Moving to 6-0, Palmerton crushed Emmaus 41-7 at Emmaus on Saturday afternoon October 27th. "Palmerton High's Blue Bombers just about clinched the championship in the Lehigh Valley league yesterday afternoon with a convincing 41 to 7 victory over Emmaus High School at Emmaus." In the game, Emmaus had eight fumbles, losing 4 of them. (The Morning Call, 28 October 1951)
The Palmerton at Wilson Boro contest, scheduled for Saturday, 3 November, was postponed and then canceled because the two teams could not agree on another date to replay the game.
In the last game before Palmerton's showdown with Slatington on Thanksgiving Day, the Blue Bombers crushed Lehighton 33-0 on Saturday, November 10th on the Delaware Avenue field in Palmerton. "Coach Joe Foran's Palmerton High School Blue Bombers moved to within one game of the first unbeaten slate in the history of football at the school. (The Morning Call, 11 November 1951)
Palmerton was undefeated with a record of 7-0 heading into the Thanksgiving game with Slatington. The team had managed to outclass its opponents by a score of 200 to 38.
As game day approached, "There will be double interest for the hometown fans when Palmerton entertains Slatington Thanksgiving morning. Never have the schools entered the classic with an unbeaten record at stake." There had to be a lot of excitement in the Palmerton at the dual prospect of an undefeated season and a league championship. (The Morning Call, 18 November 1951)
The local newspaper's preview of the game noted that "A record crowd is expected to watch Coach Joe Foran's Blue Bombers endanger their first unbeaten record in 16 years against the unpredictable Slaters … Palmerton has a well-balanced club. Four hard running backs Andy Wasilkowski, Pete Blynn and the Shiner brothers Doug and Edward, spearhead the Blue and White offensive which has rolled to an even 200 points." As for Slatington, "Bruce Kemmerer, leading Lehigh Valley league scorer, is the only hope for the visiting Slatington eleven. The lumbering fullback has tallied 60 of this team's 100 points in circuit play this year." (The Morning Call, 21 November 1951)
With a 25-0 stomping of Slatington, "Palmerton High Wins to End Season Undefeated, Untied."
"Filled with the same fury that propelled them to their first Lehigh Valley League grid flag, Coach Joe Foran's Palmerton High School Blue Bombers rolled over Slatington High 25-0 yesterday morning to conclude their first unbeaten season."
"A Palmerton stadium throng of 4,500, easily the largest ever to attend the 17-year-old Thanksgiving Day rivalry, watched the Blue and White score in every period. Only the frozen terrain sputtered Palmerton High's scoring offensive."
"Andy Wasilkowski proved the most effective of Palmerton's feared backfield foursome as he seemed to gain jarring momentum the minute Slatington tacklers poised to pin him. He scored three touchdowns and Doug Shiner produced the fourth." (The Morning Call, 23 November 1951)
The statistics from the game were not overly in Palmerton's favor.
Slatington first downs - 6
Palmerton first downs - 8
Slatington passing 5/20/1 for 65 yards
Palmerton passing 4/11/1 for 135 yards
Slatington rushing 47 yards (29 yards lost)
Palmerton rushing 94 yards (26 yards lost)
Slatington - 5 fumbles
Palmerton - 1 fumble
Slatington 10 yards in penalties
Palmerton 70 yards in penalties
| Position | Palmerton | Slatington |
| Ends | Smida Werkheiser Mesaros |
Freda Gower |
| Tackles | Bonita Turko Webb Kolnick |
Ross Dilliard Levan |
| Guards | Wentz Kelchner Banko Vargo Halada |
House Buzinski Werley |
| Center | T. Naratil | Ringer |
| Backs | E. Shiner P. Blynn Wasilkowski D. Shiner Meinhart Christman Williams |
Smith Kemmerer Rex Ross |
Rudy Bednar, noted sports columnist for The Morning Call for over forty years, wrote about the undefeated 1951 Palmerton football team several times in the 1990s.
"Foran has introduced the T-formation and it was a smashing success. Eight seniors helped make that once-in-a-lifetime season happen: Doug Shiner, Tom Naratil, Joe Smida, Pete Turko, Pete Blynn, Andy Wasilkowski, Carl Kelchner and Pete Bobita."
"It was a year of years for the Blue Bombers." (The Morning Call, 4 October 1990)
Before the Thanksgiving game, "All eyes were focused on the Blue Bombers. The town was buzzing with excitement like never before. A record crowd turned out for the annual renewal of this classic battle that began in 1935 when Bill Braucher's Bombers won 13-2 before less than a thousand folks."
"But it was Palmerton's year to shine. Not since the Blue and White athlete laced on the shoulder pads and fastened the then glove-like headgear to play football for the first time in 1926, had they enjoyed such success."
"A gala testimonial dinner program was held by the Palmerton Exchange Club to honor the team later that year in the VFW home. Allentown sports announcer Allan Raber along with Tom Triplett, Muhlenberg's head football coach, and Don Dix, general manager and president of the Allentown Cardinals baseball club, were the guest speakers." (The Morning Call, 27 November 1992)
"Even now as I look back, 1951 was indeed a special year … The Blue and White claimed the Lehigh Valley League title as well as the mythical Carbon-Panther [Valley] area crown." (The Morning Call, 3 October 1996)
After this game, the Thanksgiving rivalry stood at Palmerton 13 wins, Slatington 3 wins, and 1 tie.
Newspaper sources
- The Morning Call
- The Palmerton Press
- The Slatington News
- Service Star Press (Palmerton)