The 2016 Whitehall football season kicks off this Friday when the Zephyrs once again host a team from the Pocono Mountain school district.

This time it happens to be Pocono Mountain East, a school they last met in 2011 when they defeated them 55-0 in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The last two years the Zephyrs have played Pocono Mountain West in the opener, both times defeating the Panthers to begin the season.

The Cardinals finished last season 2-8, and will be looking to rebound this season. Head coach Brian Gilbert said that they return a lot of players, and that experience will be evident across the offensive line where senior center Jeremy Adams anchors the middle for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals feature two quarterbacks, with Jacob Keane and Joel Wittel sharing the duties. Keane threw for 654 yards last season and three touchdowns. He took over for an injured Wittel who is expected to see time under center as well. They also return their leading rusher from a season ago as Matt Fisher returns. Fisher ran for over 600 yards last season.

Additionally, receiver Tyler Horvath returns. Horvath caught 22 passes for 184 yards last season.

Gilbert said that with a large number of experienced players returning, PME is bound to open up their playbook and add some new things to their offensive packages. That means they’ll have to be wary of a team that can attack via the pass and the run.

“They line up in a lot of different sets,” said Gilbert. “From those sets they like to run their quarterback.”

Gilbert said that both Keane and Wittel can run, and when you throw Fisher into that mix, that makes for a potent ground attack.

He also said that the Cardinals have good size up front. However, the Zephs can match up with that size across their defensive front. Gilbert also said that PME has good speed in the secondary and that will be another good test for Whitehall’s receiving corps.

With only one scrimmage under their belt, Gilbert is anxious to see how they perform in the opener. They didn’t get to hit as much as he would have liked in preparation for the opener, so Gilbert said that their main focus will be to limit their mistakes and be ready on special teams.

Once PME has the ball, Gilbert said he wants his team to be aggressive and swarm to the ball.

“I want to play a physical game on defense,” said Gilbert.

That means getting the Cardinals off the field quickly, and if they can limit those possessions, that should allow them to be in the driver’s seat.

Gilbert will also be closely monitoring their conditioning since that’s another area that’s affected by the short ramp-up to the season. It will be the first time they’ll be playing four quarters, and he wants to see how they respond.

“I want to see how we’re able to handle a live game situation,” he said.

Whitehall will have a good mix of experience as well, and that begins with their offensive line. They’ll lean on that experience as Zach Gilbert gets his first start as a varsity quarterback for Whitehall. Zach Gilbert will have plenty of talented skill people to rely on as Whitehall will be well balanced on offense this year.

Some of those players who will be looking to start the 2016 campaign off with a bang include backs Tavion George and Braxton Marrero; tight ends Devin Martinez and Jacob Snyder, and wide receivers Jackson Buskirk and Dez Boykin. They all have varsity experience and will look to build on what they accomplished last season.

Gilbert said that it all boils down to playing physical on defense, while limiting their mistakes and penalties.

“We don’t want to be sloppy with our discipline,” said Gilbert. “That’s the key.”