Success on the football field invariably breeds keen interest, and judging by the throng of media crowded in then press box, Zephyr Stadium was the place to be last Friday.

On hand were two local television stations, four newspapers and a blogger to watch the 3-1 Zephyrs tackle the 2-2 Trojans in an eagerly anticipated Lehigh Valley Conference showdown that's usually reserved for the end of the year. It was the center of the football universe in the Lehigh Valley for that moment, and everyone expected a tough, close game.

It didn't turn out that way as the Trojans won 52-23, handing the Zephs their first league loss which allowed Parkland to retain the Joe Gerencser Trophy as well as the coveted bragging rights between these two proud football programs. What kept the Zephs unblemished in league play so far was their ability to avoid the big play, something they couldn't evade against the Trojans who racked up 494 total yards, including two scoring plays over 60 yards.

"They had way too many big plays," said head coach Brian Gilbert whose team now falls into a second-place tie in the Lehigh Valley Conference with Nazareth and Parkland. "They won the big play battle and they won the game."

Gilbert also said that once the Trojans bolted out to a lead late in the second quarter, they seized the momentum, something they never relinquished, dousing any hope for a Zephyr comeback.

"They had the momentum and we couldn't get it back," said Gilbert.

The game started well for the maroon and gold, scoring on their first possession as quarterback Nick Shafnisky went 3-5, hooking up with John Johnson for 23 yards on their seventh snap to get them deep into Trojan territory. Shafnisky capped the 10-play drive with a 9-yard TD jaunt up the middle, signaling that Parkland better have their chin straps buckled tight.

It appeared they were going to keep the Trojans retreating all night, with Shafnisky finding Zach Delp on a crossing route for a 20-yard score, extending their lead to 13-7.

Later in the period, the Zephs caught a break as the Trojans fumbled out of the end zone, giving the ball to Whitehall at the 20. On the next play, James Wah exploded through the Trojan defense for an 80-yard score.

All seemed well in hand, with Parkland's spread offense held largely under wraps until Trojan quarterback Tim Baranek found the keys and made that engine purr.

Shafnisky said that coach Gilbert arranged for a guest speaker who was on the Gerencser staff, indicating how important the trophy was, instilling that desire to bring it back to Whitehall.

"We wanted it so bad as seniors cause Parkland's our rival, and we wanted to definitely get it our senior year knowing that we beat Parkland," said Shafnisky.

"I feel like they just overpowered us," said Shafnisky. "At the end we didn't really have time to really run the ball, and then on defense we have to wrap up and tackle."

After surrendering the lead late in the second quarter, Whitehall was looking for that fast start to begin the second half. That didn't materialize as they went three and out, handing the ball back to the Trojans who didn't waste any time converting on their first possession.

In that drive, Trojan running back Jarel Elder was gobbling up more real estate than Donald Trump, eventually scoring on a 30-yard dash.

But the standout star of the game was Parkland's Baranek who engineered four unanswered scoring drives to ice the game, and in the process earned the award as the games Most Valuable Player. He finished the game 8-11 for 167 yards, including two TDs. The Trojan signal caller also rushed for 144 yards, finding pay dirt twice.

His big plays on the ground and through the air sent a dagger through the hearts of the Zephyr faithful who watched the game slip away in the second half.

Defensively, the Zephs got solid efforts from a number of players, notably Jacob Kerchner who led the team with 10 tackles, including one for a loss. Ryan Bonshak finished with eight tackles, while Stephen Buss registered six.

But it was their inability to stop the big play that gave the Trojans that insurmountable lead. That feat was underscored by their ability to remain calm even when down by two scores.

"They didn't let our lead effect them, and they battled back to win the game," said Gilbert.

The Zephs still managed to roll up 392 total yards, with Shafnisky, Wah (96 rushing yards) and Nick Sommer (106 receiving yards) accounting for a large chunk of their offense.

Shafnisky had another solid game, finishing 13-27 for 191 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 29 yards and a score.

It also didn't help that Wah left the game early in the second half with an injury, leaving the Zephs without their go-to back in the running game. They also lost the services of staring linebacker and running back Jacob Rex that impacted the team.

While Shafnisky and his fellow seniors wanted to hoist the trophy, Shafnisky knows they have to put that game behind them.

"We just have to practice hard and get kids healthy," said Shafnisky. "Once we do that and get another win, that will get our morale back up."

Gilbert also knows that working hard on the practice field will get them playing as a unit again.

"We'll stay together as a team," said Gilbert. "We'll get back on that practice field and stay focused on what we need to do."