Although Parkland's bread and butter is their ground game, it was a pass that proved to be Whitehall's undoing last week in the district semifinals at Zephyr Stadium.

With the score tied 3-3, and five seconds left on the clock until halftime, Devante Cross found Eli Redmond streaking to the post and delivered a strike over the outstretched arms of Ryan Bonshak to give the Trojans a 10-3 lead going into the break.

That go-ahead score proved insurmountable, and the Zephyrs never were able to derail the Trojans who unleashed a potent rushing attack in the second half, winning 27-10 to advance to the District XI 4A subregional finals against Easton.

That pivotal scoring drive came on the heels of Whitehall's failed attempt on a fourth-and-one conversion at their own 47-yard line with 1:47 left to play in the second quarter. Saquon Barkley tried to get to the edge toward the near sideline, but defensive back Jarey Elder forced Barkley out-of-bounds for no gain.

Head coach Brian Gilbert never wavered when assessing the risk versus reward on his decision to go for the first down at that juncture.

"I've done it a million times before, and I'd do it again," said Gilbert who has guided the Zephs to the playoffs two straight years. "We were going to get that first down and score, that was the thinking. I like to be aggressive where they [the players] have to perform."

He said that getting a yard and a half was something he believed they could accomplish, and wanted to ignite a spark that would lead to a score. With Parkland set to receive the second-half kickoff, he wanted his team emboldened by a lead at halftime.

He understands that the decision to go for it may invite second guessing and criticism, but he's harder on himself than anyone else can be.

"I question myself more than anybody," said Gilbert.

He said it was about getting momentum on their side, and he firmly believed they could seize that opportunity despite the risk.

While that play swung the momentum in the Trojans favor, the Zephs had opportunities in the first half for more points, but penalties and a missed connection during the second quarter between quarterback Jeff Charles and Zachary Hixson in the end zone prevented them from taking the lead.

That drive eventually netted three points as Connor Ilgenfritz connected on a 24-yard field goal to tie the score.

Still, it was a half that had Barkley (17 carries, 94 yards) and Bonshak (11 carries, 46 yards), gobbling up real estate, but penalties proved to be their nemesis.

"I just thought we were sloppy in the first half and we were still in the game," said Gilbert.

He said their defense continued to play well into the third quarter, but their offense "put them in a lot of tough situations." Soon cracks began to emerge in that defense as Parkland began controlling the line of scrimmage, making holes for Kareem Williams who had another big day on the ground against the Zephs. With Parkland keeping the ball nearly 19 minutes during the second half, their resistance began to falter a bit.

Williams, who was the MVP of their last meeting, found a phone booth in the locker room at halftime and emerged as SuperTrojan, gaining 155 of his 227 yards in the second half. He also scored two TDs,

That put the Zephs in "catch-up mode," which forced them to put the ball in the air to get the offense rolling. Charles was able to get the Zephs on track at the end of the third quarter, successfully leading them on a 12-play, 61-yard scoring drive that was capped by a one-yard Bonshak TD run which trimmed the lead to 20-10, but the subsequent drives ended with interceptions. Charles finished the game 9-18 for 63 yards.

Conor Sullivan was the Zephs leading receiver, finishing the game with six catches for 47 yards, while Darius Young finished with three catches for 16 yards.

Gilbert said that they needed to play as clean a game as possible, and limit their errors.

"We can't make mistakes like that in a really big game like that against an opponent like that," he said. "We made a few mistakes and it cost us."

Parkland's ability to wear them down in the second half was another area that Gilbert will try to address as he moves forward. Parkland can remain fresh with a number of one-way players, while Whitehall relies heavily on two-way players who sometimes never leave the field. That was evident as Parkland kept running virtually the same play with Williams during the second half, but the fresher legs along the O-line of Parkland took its toll.

Still, Gilbert was pleased with the way his team fought the entire game.

"I'm proud of the way our guys battled," said Gilbert. "They fought hard and never gave up."