The Whitehall football team’s cornucopia of touchdowns involved a variety of players as they grew one step closer to repeating as district champs.

As the playoff game began under a harvest moon at Zephyr Stadium, the Zephyrs needed only three plays to score two touchdowns, setting the stage for a 56-7 win over East Stroudsburg North last Friday night. The win puts them in the title game where they’ll once again face Southern Lehigh for the 5A championship.

The Zephs didn’t waste any time putting points on the board. Their first play from scrimmage was a swing pass to Dez Boykin in the flat. Boykin eluded the ESN defenders and rumbled 62 yards for the opening score. That touchdown marks 17 consecutive game in which the senior receiver has scored a touchdown. He finished the game with two catches for 90 yards and two scores.

Ethan Parvel found the end zone on their next possession as he darted through the Timberwolves defense for the 26-yard score. That run was the third play of the game for the Zephyrs who would eventually see seven different players score in the semifinals.

Boykin’s second score came on a seam pass from Parvel as he outraced the defense for the 21-0 lead with about three minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The East Stroudsburg North offense had trouble gaining any traction as Whitehall kept a constant presence in their backfield. Boykin, Joshua Novak, Dabriel Ayala, Jacob Hudak, Darwin Cofield, all introduced themselves to the Timberwolves skill players behind the line of scrimmage.

The Zephyrs recorded 11 tackles for losses in the game, allowing ESN only 123 yards of total offense, the bulk of those coming in the second half.

On offense, they racked up 307 total yards as they forced their will on the Timberwolves who were still looking for their first win of the year.

The ability to gain control of the game started up front. Hudak, who’s Whitehall’s staring center, is responsible for setting the tone, and he made sure they didn’t get complacent.

“We just couldn’t overlook them and were focused on working toward winning a championship,” said Hudak. “We have to work week by week, and knew that we had to beat them.”

Hudak said that they wanted to gain momentum early, making sure they remained focused on executing on offense.

“We wanted to start as fast as possible, and stay strong throughout the game, and get ready for the championship,” said Hudak.

Hudak, who broke his wrist in week two in their win over Emmaus, is now playing without a cast. In fact, the senior decided to go without the cast after just two weeks, telling his doctor that it didn’t hurt. The senior said that the cast was just a minor inconvenience as he never missed a game.

The Zephyrs kept their foot on the gas throughout the game as Braxton Marrero closed out the first quarter with a 1-yard TD plunge.

Joel Henninger found pay dirt in the second quarter, leaping high in the air to snag a 14-yard pass for his first touchdown of the season. Allen Negrete also got into the end zone as he scooted two yards for a score in the second quarter.

The final touchdown before the intermission belonged to Jacob Heffner who fielded a punt and wove through the mass of teal jerseys before racing down the sideline for a 64-yard score.

Their final score came courtesy of Waheeb Wehbey who took the handoff from Antonio Quinones and ran four yards for the score.

Head coach Brian Gilbert said that one of their goals was to get their starters out quickly which they accomplished by jumping out to that early lead. He was also able to put in a lot of junior varsity players and was pleased with their contributions.

“They were able to get in and get some reps,” said Gilbert.

Even though the Timberwolves trailed by a wide margin, they fought the entire game, a testament to their players and coaches, said Gilbert.

“They’re well coached,” said Gilbert. “It’s a new coaching staff and this is a good experience for them.”

The Timberwolves got their touchdown in the third quarter as Rahsaan Jacobs bulled his way into the end zone on a 1-yard run.

The Zephyrs will now play Southern Lehigh for the district crown. The game will be played at Northampton High School this year as the two teams will look to hoist the 5A trophy.

As they prepare for the title game for the revenge-minded Spartans, Hudak knows that preparation is the key.

“We’re ready for them,” said Hudak. “To win back-to-back championships, we really have to have a good week of practice.

Hudak said that the Spartans are a good team and they’ll be ready. He said that they’ll be ready as well.