Facing their third undefeated team in as many weeks, the Whitehall football team needed one last stop to preserve a victory.

Freedom High School lined up for the two-point conversion in overtime - their second crack at the goal line on fourth down following a pass interference penalty and found a hole through the left side for the one-point win.

When running back Joe Santos crossed that line to give the 'Pates the 29-28 victory at Zephyr Stadium on Friday night, it signaled the end of Whitehall's hopes for a third consecutive league championship.

Head coach Brian Gilbert said that is was a bitter pill to swallow, especially since their removed from the EPC picture.

"The Freedom game is a tough loss; I really hope we play them again," said Gilbert.

He knows that teams are geared up to pay Whitehall given their success the last few years.

"We are everyone's Super Bowl," said Gilbert "We have had a target on our chest all year. We have to respond with a higher energy level and sense of urgency. We have to play with the energy and sense of urgency like we did in the Parkland game."

The loss drops their record to 5-2 and places them in a tie with Parkland and Liberty for the third spot in the South Division of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. It also puts them in a scramble with the Trojans and the Hurricanes for one of the six spots allotted to District 11 in the 2/4/11 AAAA sub regional. However, if the Zephs win their remaining games, they'll secure a spot in the playoffs.

Unlike last week's football game when it appeared like the last team to have the ball would win the game, Friday's game went scoreless for the first 23 minutes. It wasn't until Zephyr quarterback Gianni Sinatore found back Saquon Barkley in the corner of the end zone with just five ticks left on the clock in the first half that the deadlock was lifted. Barkley made a circus catch, rising above the defender, then tipping the ball back to himself before falling out-of-bounds.

That TD was set up by five big completions, the first of which was a screen to Barkley who burst up the seam for a 36-yard gain. It was preceded by a 13-yard completion to Mustafa Mitchell, and then followed by a 15-yard strike to Conor Sullivan to put the ball at the 43. After another completion to Mitchell, this time for a gain of 23, Sinatore connected with Barkley on the fade route to take a 7-0 lead into halftime. The touchdown was part of a 9-play drive that covered 90 yards.

Whitehall looked like they were going to score on their opening drive to start the second half, capitalizing on another big play. This time Sinatore found Chad Rex for a gain of 36 yards, putting the ball at the Pates' 32-yard line. When Barkley broke loose for another big run, it seemed certain Whitehall would extend their lead. But as he fought for extra yards, the ball popped loose and Freedom recovered the fumble at their own 14.

That turnover breathed new life into the Pates. They took advantage of the miscue and put together an 86-yard scoring drive to knot the score at seven.

That drive set the tone for the second half, with Freedom putting together two more drives over 90 yards as Patriot quarterback Joe Young ran and passed his way over and through the Zephyr defense for a combined 173 yards.

Young was especially effective in the final quarter, engineering two scoring drives to give them the lead. In their go-ahead drive, the Pates only needed four plays to march 90 yards. Young hit Roberto Diez for a 23-yard gain to get them rolling. Diez then complemented that pass play with a 47-yard run that put the ball at the 1-yard line, Santos capped the drive with a one-yard plunge.

Whitehall was able to extend the game into the extra session on their ensuing possession. Bryce Crum gave them good field position, returning the kickoff to the Zephyr 46-yard line. After a personal foul, pushed the ball back 15 yards, Sinatore got to work, hitting Rex for a 53-yard gain. The Zephs then got a big gain by Jake Buskirk to move the ball to the 11, followed by a Zach Hixson catch that put the ball on the doorstep. Barkley finished the drive with a 1-yard run for the equalizer.

Barkley finished the game with 164 yards rushing, including three TDs. He also caught three balls for 75 yards and another TD. Barkley now has 1,214 rushing yards on the season, and increased his TD total to 18.

A look at the stat line would indicate a better outcome for the Zephs. They outgained the Pates by 180 yards, finished 50 percent on third down conversions, and controlled the ball eight more minutes than their division counterparts.

However, penalty yards 126 to 78 and the turnover battle, which was 2-1 in Freedom's favor, contributed to the loss.

Whitehall now shifts its attention to Nazareth this Friday, looking to end their two-game slide.