The Zephyr defense put the clamps on Stroudsburg last Friday night, paving the way to a resounding victory and bringing them one step closer to hosting a playoff game.

Now all Whitehall has to do is defeat Northampton on Friday night and they’ll nail down the top seed among the four 5A playoff teams. If they don’t win, Southern Lehigh could sneak into the top spot with a victory over Salisbury.

It was the Zephyr defense that told the story against the Mounties, a team that was 6-2 coming into the game. Stroudsburg had been undefeated in the EPC North, their losses coming against South teams Allentown Central Catholic and Easton.

However, Whitehall kept the Mounties from sustaining any rhythm, forcing three turnovers en route to the 29-7 win.

“The defense did a great job all night,” said head coach Brian Gilbert.

The defense came up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery, while also limiting the Mounties to just two third down conversions on 10 attempts.

Gilbert said that they showed a lot of energy, flying to the ball and making plays.

“I thought we very aggressive and very physical on defense.” he said.

They also had to contend with running back Jamaal Brome, who came into the game with just under 900 yards rushing. That included a 272-yard performance against East Stroudsburg South. They held him to 95 yards, about 20 yards below his season average.

“We did a good job containing him,” said Gilbert.

Whitehall got on the board first, with Zach Gilbert connecting with Jacob Snyder for the 25-yard score. That drive covered 57 yards in six plays.

Snyder said that they ran a four-vertical route, and that fellow tight end Devin Martinez drew the attention of defense allowing him to get open. It was his first touchdown of the season and his first since ninth grade.

Whitehall has an array of talent at the receiving positions. Wide receiver Dez Boykin leads the EPC in catches with 53, while Devin Castro, Martinez and Jacob Buskirk can all impact a game with their abilities.

With all those options, Snyder said that it’s important to stay focused on what he can do to help the offense.

“I just learned to be patient,” said Snyder. “When I get my chances I just have to take advantage of it.”

The Zephyrs didn’t have a lot of passing yards, but quarterback Zach Gilbert was efficient, completing two of his eight passes for touchdowns. Both of those went to Snyder.

On Snyder’s second TD, he said that he ran a drag route, with the Stroudsburg safety latching onto the wrong person, leaving him open for the six-yard score. Snyder finished the game with two catches for 35 yards and two TDs.

“It was a pretty good night for me,” he said.

The Zephs didn’t need to be dominant through the air. They were getting the job done on the ground, rushing for 281 yards. The workload was distributed to seven different players, with Tavion George leading the way with 97 yards. George also had a TD, his seventh of the season. Additionally, Braxton Marrero had 44 yards, while Zach Gilbert rushed for 39.

The Zephyrs will now prepare for Northampton, the final game of the regular season. This game has home field playoff implications for Whitehall, and they could cement that spot with a victory against the Kids, a team that’s still looking for its first win of the season.

The Kids come into the game 0-9 and would like to end their season on a positive note. Snyder said that the Cement Bowl trophy’s also at stake, adding another incentive for the Zephyrs.

“We’re going to come out and play our hardest,” said Snyder.