Luke Kane threw a touchdown pass in the final seconds to defeat Pottsville on Friday night.

Tamaqua

Head coach: Sam Bonner

2023: 5-6 

Story by Leroy Boyer

Tamaqua entered the 2023 season with a youthful roster looking to grow, gain experience and improve as the season went on. The Blue Raiders did just that, winning five of their last six regular-season games before falling to North Schuylkill in the opening round of the District 11 Class 3A playoffs.

The goal for Sam Bonner’s club in 2024 is to keep growing and take the next step — a winning season. After compiling records of 3-7, 4-7 and 5-6 over the last three seasons, the pieces are in place for Tamaqua to snap that streak of losing campaigns.

The Blue Raiders will feature a senior-dominated group that lost just six players from a year ago and welcome a dozen key returnees. Leading that charge will be senior quarterback Luke Kane. A three-year starter, Kane threw for 910 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago after passing for 1,020 yards and 11 TDs as a sophomore. He also offers a physical presence in the running game, carrying the ball 57 times for 234 yards and four scores last season.

Senior running back Bradley Whalen, who rushed for 657 yards and seven TDs

last season, and fullback Tyler Koch (38-172, 3 TDs) also return. Tamaqua did see leading receiver Damon Sell (20 catches, 297 yards) graduate, but senior wide receiver Victor Schlosser (15-172, 2 TDs), junior wideout Brady McCabe and senior tight ends Declan Coleman and Jacob Hehn are back. Junior center Luke Fronheiser and senior Declan Franz lead the offensive line group that must replace graduated tackle Michael Styka.

Defensively, Kane (77) and Koch (61) led the team in tackles from their linebacking spots. Hehn, who had six sacks a year ago, anchors the defensive line along with Coleman, Whalen and Franz. McCabe and Fronheiser return at linebacker, with Schlosser, senior Scott Case and junior Shawn Chen in the secondary.

“Defensively, we will work hard on tackling in preseason camp,” said Bonner, entering his 18^th season at the helm. He earned his 100^th career victory last season and has a career record of 104-81. “Offensively, we will work on our run game in the I formations because we know that will be a key to our success this season.”

Tamaqua will be one of the smallest schools in the nine-team Red Division (Division I) of the Schuylkill/Colonial Football Cooperative, joining Bangor, Blue Mountain, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, North Schuylkill, Northwestern Lehigh, Pottsville and Southern Lehigh. The Blue Raiders will be in the nine-team Class 3A bracket for districts. Tamaqua opens its season Saturday, Aug. 24, at 1:30 p.m. at Pen Argyl.

“The new division alignment is very competitive,” Bonner said. “However, we do miss out on playing our classic rivalry games against schools in close proximity to us like Marian and Panther Valley.”