When the Parkland football team rolls onto the Whitehall grounds this Friday, it's sure to be another epic battle between two teams that have championship aspirations.

Both teams come into the game undefeated. Both teams are percentage points behind Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South leaders Easton and Freedom who have one more division win under their belts. Both teams are among the six undefeated teams in the EPC, and a loss would severely jeopardize any chance for a championship given the landscape of the EPC.

Also at stake is the Joe Gerencser trophy, and Whitehall would like nothing better than to remove it from the Trojans' possession where it's been the last three years.

Parkland is currently ranked fifth in the state's 4A football ranking, vaulting to that position after beating Allentown Central Catholic High School in week three.

Head coach Brian Gilbert has yet to beat the Trojans. The Zephs lost to Parkland twice last season, capped by a 27-10 loss in the district semifinals.

Last year's nemesis proved to be Kareem Williams who rushed for 446 yards in their two meetings. While he's gone, the Trojans still have plenty of weapons to unveil, starting with quarterback Devante Cross who leads their offense. That group also includes receiver Jeray Elder who caught three TD's last week, and backs Unique Divine, Preston Saylor and Ricky Williams.

Perhaps their biggest asset is their team speed. They possess that on both sides of the ball. Defensively they feature a number of standout players led by senior Omar Haddad, a fixture at defensive end. They also have Amir Wallace and Billy Danko at the tackle spots, while Saylor returns at middle linebacker. Their secondary is also experienced with Elder and Nolan Ridgway at the corners, along with Nick Zambelli and Anthony Pagliaro at the safeties.

Gilbert said their approach this week has been business like, noting their preparation hasn't deviated from their normal routine.

"They're ready to get the work in what's needed, and do what it takes to beat Parkland," said Gilbert.

Gilbert said that even with the loss of Williams and linebacker Nezar Haddad, Parkland never has to rebuild; they simply plug in the next man up and keep rolling.

"They're just a solid team," said Gilbert.

This game features two explosive players, Barkley and Cross, who can change the trajectory of the game every time they touch the ball. It will also draw the attention of most of the media outlets, making it the center of the scholastic football universe in the Lehigh Valley on Friday.

With that big spotlight, and the intense rivalry surrounding the game, the Zephyrs don't need much motivation. The last three years have served that purpose.

"Our guys are up for the challenge," said Gilbert.

Last year's game started off with a bang as Saquon Barkley bolted for a 44-yard TD run on their opening possession. Gilbert would like another fast start. The Zephyrs are tied with Bethlehem Catholic for most points scored in the EPC at 184, a testament to those fast starts.

However, Parkland has only yielded 22 points so far this season, third best in the EPC. That should make for another storyline to watch in the game.

Quarterback Gianni Sinatore is another key to their success. He's coming off a game in which he had 50-plus yards rushing and 100-plus yards passing.

They'll also benefit from the seniors who have been in these battles before, including Chad Rex, Conor Sullivan, Edgardo Rivera, Joe Mark, Zachary Hixson, Danny Roustic, Orlando Bonilla, Angel Rodriguez, Tyler Cyriax and Jacob Buskirk.

Buskirk and his fellow seniors have never beaten the Trojans, something they want to rectify this Friday.

"We talk about Parkland a lot," said Buskirk. "It's the main team that we want to beat. They're a really good team; their defense if tough, and their offense is really good with Devante Cross at quarterback, and Jeray Elder, Gabe Clark, and a bunch of good skill guys."

Buskirk said to combat Parkland's quickness, they'll need to set the edge and funnel everything inside.

"We can't let them get to the edge, get to the sideline; we have to keep them bottled up," said Buskirk.

Gilbert said the team's in good shape right now. Their young offensive line is getting better each week, and they're playing their best football to date. Still, Parkland's ability to maintain fresher legs by fielding less two-way players remains a concern. Last year they wore the Zephs down in the second half of both games. This year Gilbert said the Trojans have more two-way players, but their numbers are always a problem.

Gilbert knows how much the senior class wants this victory.

"They want to be the team that comes back years from now and say they were the ones to beat Parkland and end that streak," said Gilbert.