When Whitehall scored its first touchdown against Parkland High School, a 44-yard burst by Saquon Barkley on their opening play from scrimmage, it seemed to portend a big night for the maroon and gold.

But after getting the extra point blocked, the Zephs fortunes were altered, forcing them to chase that point the rest of the game.

In reality, the real chasing they did was in pursuit of running back Kareem Williams who torched them for 219 yards on 23 carries, including three touchdowns. His effort kept the Joe Gerencser Trophy in Parkland's possession, and earned Williams the Most Valuable Player Award as the Trojans won 21-12 to end the Zephyrs unbeaten streak.

The Trojans win now turns the Lehigh Valley Conference into a bottleneck at the top, with Whitehall, Easton, Parkland, Emmaus and Bethlehem Catholic all sharing a piece of the lead with one league loss.

With the Zephyrs scoring early, the scenario was reminiscent of last year's game when they also scored on their first possession with quarterback Nick Shafnisky finding the end zone after a 9-yard run.

The Zephs also had a lead in the second quarter, just like they did last year, leading the game this time 12-7 after a fake field goal attempt that featured holder Gianni Sinatore diving over the pylon for the go-ahead score.

However, the similarities ended there because even though Williams had a tremendous game on the ground, coupled with quarterback Devante Cross' 103 yards rushing, the Trojans didn't have a single yard through the air. Last year quarterback Tim Baranek threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns, while they also ran the ball effectively against the Zephs.

Head coach Brian Gilbert said that Friday's loss was simply a matter of too many miscues.

"We were right there," said Gilbert. "It was an even game. But we had more turnovers; we made more mistakes, and you can't do that.

"We kept giving the momentum away. We'd get it, then we would give it away really fast."

With the Zephs trailing by two still midway through the fourth quarter, they began to mount a drive with quarterback Jeffrey Charles hitting Barkley for a big third down conversion, gaining 21 yards. That put the ball at their own 39-yard line. Next, Ryan Bonshak found a hole on the right side, but after spinning for extra yardage, the ball popped loose and the Trojans recovered.

The Trojans ensuing drive lasted almost five minutes, erasing any glimmer of hope of winning or tying the game after Williams scored on a 2-yard run with 1:59 left in the game.

The earlier blocked PAT, which dictated their decision to attempt a two-point conversion after the Sinatore score, fell incomplete. It now meant that the Zephs needed two scores to win the game, hoping for a quick score and on-sides kick and recovery in that small window. They managed to get the ball to the Parkland 30-yard line, but the game ended on a Omar Haddad interception.

Chasing those earlier points proved pivotal, but the biggest impediment to a win at Orefield was a Cardinal and Grey wall. The Parkland defense put the clamps on the Zephyrs ground game after Barkley's big run. They allowed just 81 yards after his initial TD jaunt.

"They're fast," said Gilbert. "They got off blocks and we couldn't get to the perimeter like we've been able to."

Parkland did an excellent job of snuffing out the quick swing pass, while also bottling up the inside rushing game.

Barkley finished the game with 81 yards on 13 carries. He also had six catches for 54 yards. Additionally, Bonshak had 25 yards on 10 carries, and tight end Nick Nejad caught three passes for 44 yards.

Charles had a solid game, completing 14 passes for 137 yards. He was also proficient in third down efficiency, converting six of fourteen opportunities while leading the offense.

After their second quarter drive stalled at the Trojan 5-yard line, Gilbert gambled on the fake field goal. The Trojans had taken the lead, 7-6, and he was looking for something to get them rolling.

"We needed a spark, we needed something," said Gilbert.

Still, Parkland's ability to control the clock in the second half, and negate the big play while racking up 347 yards on the ground was their formula for success.

"They controlled the ground game, and that's what won the game," said Gilbert.

Still, Gilbert believed his defense played well enough to win the game. They were led by Bonshak who had 11 tackles. Jacob Buskirk also had a good game, finishing with eight tackles, including one for a 5-yard loss. Additionally, Jacob Kerchner had a good game as he had seven tackles, while Mustafa Mitchell had a key interception on a deep ball to thwart a drive.

While the loss will sting, Gilbert wants to make sure they learn from it.

"We need to have this be motivation for us," said Gilbert. "We need to practice better and be prepared and take this feeling into the weeks ahead of us so we're not feeling like this again."