In their 21-19 victory over Wilkes-Barre Area, Whitehall’s defense and special teams showed they will be a constant force throughout the season.

The Zephyrs’ intercepted two passes - one for a touchdown - and blocked three kicks.

However, their offense sputtered throughout the game. The Zephyrs also committed eight penalties and an interception.

“As a program, we had too many penalties and self-inflicted wounds that put us in non-favorable situations,” stated Whitehall head coach Andy Marino. “But credit to our players who kept responding.”

Whitehall quarterback Tanner Dogmanits, who completed 11 of 22 passes for 164 passes with a touchdown, believes his team has plenty to reflect upon for the remainder of the season.

“We learned a lot from that game,” stressed Dogmanits. “Personal penalties hurt us a lot. Our defense held it down and played very well.”

The Zephyrs won’t have too much time to reflect upon their opening game, as they will host Nazareth Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff. However, the Blue Eagles were routed by Garnet Valley, 63-34, in their season opener.

Still, Marino isn’t taking last year’s Class 6A semifinalists and former district champions lightly.

“Nazareth is an excellent program,” said Marino. “We are excited to play them.”

ZEPHYR ZOUNDS: Nazareth has won the last seven meetings between the clubs, including a 62-33 victory last year. Whitehall’s last victory was a 51-49 win in 2017 ... Zephyrs’ senior running back Jeziah Gregory ran for 78 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown. Senior Henry Schultz caught six passes for 105 yards, and junior Envy Rivera had two catches for 48 yards and a touchdown ... Junior Rocco Fonzone returned an interception for a touchdown ... Nazareth junior quarterback Cooper Madson completed 20 of 37 attempts for 215 yards with a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Matt Leluga had eight receptions for 66 yards with a score, and senior Luke DiPietro had eight receptions for 124 yards ... Whitehall will host Northampton next week in their annual Cement Bowl, the second of four consecutive home games.

PREDICTION (Season record 1-0): This is the first of several key matchups for the Zephyrs, as they will juggle for playoff position in their new Class 6A bracket ... Look for Nazareth to bounce back in this one. The Blue Eagles aren’t accustomed to blowouts. Garnet Valley quarterback Coltan Turner set a new school record with five touchdowns against Nazareth in his 247-yard performance ... Wilkes-Barre Area quarterback Declan Gregor threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns ... The Zephyrs’ defense will be tested. This is a very tough call, and it should be an entertaining game. Boys’ varsity basketball head coach Jeff Jones can pick me up a cheesesteak at SMP, as I have a slight lean to the home team in their second close call, but this time ... ZEPHYRS, 24-20.