It's been a back and forth tussle between the Husky and Zephyr wrestling programs the last few years, and this season found Whitehall emerging on top.

The Zephs upended Dieruff High School 42-27 to claim their first Lehigh Valley Conference Victory.

Head coach Tim Cunningham knew they would be in for a hotly contested match since their history indicated the outcome could hinge on a few close bouts.

"Dieruff is a very tough team and that match could have gone either way depending on the bonus points and the close matches," said Cunningham.

The match featured three bouts with bonus points for the Zephs, with Matthew Bonshak, Fouad Haddad and Nico Kauffman all registering pins that helped create some separation from the upstart Huskies.

Bonshak, who is currently 17-2, has pinned his last two opponents (four out of his last five), and has emerged as a leading contender to defend his district and regional titles. Even though he is the returning champ, he's pegged as the number three wrestler in the Valley at 160, according to a local publication.

They also won those close matches versus the Huskies, as Matt Schuler held on for a 10-9 decision over Ronald Nguyen at 132, and Edgardo Rivera upended Shai Hines 1-0 at 285.

Those tough, nail-biting wins helped fuel the victory over the Huskies, and it underscored the concepts Cunningham talks about every day. He wants his wrestlers to scrap from the first whistle the last. Once they keep attacking their opponent, it creates opportunities for good things to happen.

"We are preaching about fighting for every point either by winning close matches, getting bonus points or not giving up bonus points," said Cunningham.

The Zephs have been getting production from the higher weights with Rivera winning his last two league matches; his prior win came over Emmaus grappler Tristin Kirby, pinning him in 1:57. Rivera has been at the forefront of that group that has also seen some solid production from Tyler Bridgwood at 195 and Shiwalla Singh at 200. Both Bridgwood and Singh recorded pins against the Green Hornets, with Bridgwood flattening Sam Selkregg in 5:08, while Singh showed Michael Montgomery the rafters in 2:32.

"Our upper weights are improving on a daily basis and are making major contributions to the team," said Cunningham.

The Zephs have made steady improvement, becoming more competitive with each passing match. Cunningham said that they're not looking to obsess over their record, but wants to ensure that each wrestler maximizes their potential. It's something they discussed as soon as they got into the wrestling room to begin the 2012-2013 campaign,

"Yes, as we talked about in the beginning of the season, we work to get better everyday," said Cunningham. "We do not worry about wins and losses just learning and improving everyday."

He wants his team to work hard every day and then peak at the postseason when tournament time rolls around. He also wants them to make sure they are staying united, working toward their goals.

"The guys are starting to wrestle as a team and are buying into our team philosophy," said Cunningham.

The Zephs also faced Emmaus High School last week, losing 46-30 to the Green Hornets.

It was another step in their journey of improvement, giving their familiar foe a strong, competitive match.

"I think we wrestled well against Emmaus with the guys giving everything they have out on the mat, we just did not have enough of horse power to squeak out that win, but overall they wrestled well and learned from the loss," said Cunningham.

In that match, 120 pounder Nico Kauffman also had a pin, decking Matt Hamati in 3:28, while at 182 Haddad lost a squeaker to Thomas Alcaro, 1-0.