With football's biggest game about to take center stage, the Whitehall football team recognized their own gridiron accomplishments at their annual banquet.

The banquet, held Jan. 18, featured a long list of accomplishments by a team that finished 8-3, making it to the quarterfinals of the district playoffs.

In order to get to that point it took a monumental team effort, and those achievements were celebrated when they huddled together to acknowledge one another at their annual gathering.

The Zephs had a number of players who earned postseason honors. Named to the first team Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division All-Stars were Saquon Barkley (running back), Danny Roustic (guard and defensive line), Jacob Buskirk (offensive athlete and linebacker) and Mustafa Mitchell (secondary). Getting Honorable Mention nods were Conor Sullivan (wide receiver) and Chad Rex (secondary).

The postseason kudos continued with a number of players making the all-area team by a local publication. That list included Barkley at running back, Roustic as an offensive lineman, and Buskirk as a linebacker, all of whom were selected for the first team. The second team featured Sullivan at wide receiver, Rex at offensive athlete and Mitchell at cornerback.

Additionally, quarterback Gianni Sinatore, who set a single-season mark for touchdowns with 21, made an all-area team by a local publication, and tight end Zach Hixson received recognition as well.

Both Buskirk and Barkley were invited to participate in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Florida over the holiday break.

The game, played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. featured some of the nation's finest high school athletes.

Gilbert said that the two were selected after he filled out applications and sent them, along with some tape, to the officials at Offense-Defense Sports. He said the players followed through and were rewarded with a chance to play in a game that's included alumni Cam Newton and Dez Bryant.

Barkley was also included among the Mini Max Pennsylvania Football Award Winners, having been selected among 61 football players from the state. The Mini Max, a branch of the Maxwell Football Club, annually awards one athlete as the Player of the Year at their gala on Jan. 8.

Finally, Barkley and Buskirk were named to the Pennsylvania Football Writer's AAAA All-State Team. Barkley was chosen at running back, while Buskirk got the nod at linebacker.

"There's been a lot of good press coming our way this year," said Gilbert. "We got recognized for having a lot of good seniors this year as it should have been."

At the banquet, Barkley's was named the team's MVP, while Buskirk walked away with the Scholar Athlete Award.

The Zephs also unveiled the inaugural Ron Madouse Zephyr Pride Award at this year's banquet.

Madouse, who passed away last April, was a fixture in the Whitehall sports community for many years, and his legacy will continue with an award that bears his name. Gilbert said the award exemplifies what Madouse embodied: pride, hard work, sacrifice and a commitment to winning. In creating the award, they wanted the recipient to reflect those values.

Dalton Burrows won the award, a player who personified that spirit. Gilbert said they wanted to recognize a player who doesn't get a ton of ink, but is an unsung hero among their ranks. It's a testament to his dedication, said Gilbert.