It was a night of remembrances at Zephyr Stadium on Friday. Prior to the game, there was a tribute and moment of silence to recognize the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11. At halftime, the Whitehall community celebrated 100 years of football with returning alumni from as far back as the 1940s.

And yes there was a football game. Whitehall scored 24 second-half points to break a 7-7 halftime tie to retain the Cement Bowl Trophy in a 31-19 win over rival Northampton.

Tanner Dogmanits had a massive game for the Zephyrs accounting for 372 total yards and 4 touchdowns, including a career-high 154 on the ground.

Dogmanits spoke about the halftime adjustments the team made, “I talked to some of the coaches and they told me to use my legs more because that’s a scary thing for a defensive coordinator. And just taking what the defense is giving us, the short game, and then running the ball, and they’re going to get tired in the fourth quarter.”

Jeziah Gregory added 128 yards on 18 carries to keep the K-Kids from focusing their full attention on Dogmanits.

While the guys who carry the ball typically get most of the attention, the big guys up front enable those flashy plays. Justin Heckert, who plays on both the offensive and defensive lines, was crucial to the effort. He opened the holes for Gregory and Dogmanits and also blocked a pair of kicks. One was a field goal right before the half that kept the game tied at 7 and the second was a PAT in the third quarter.

Heckert described the matchup between the lines, “They always have a size advantage on us, They’re big up front. There was a lot of preparation this week to get ready for them. Leverage was key. It’s not all about size. We knew it was gonna be close game, but we played a complete game and got the outcome we wanted.”

Whitehall scored on their first four possessions of the second half. Their other drive was the clock-eating game ender.

Chase Kessler continues to pace the K-Kids offense. He racked up 154 yards on the ground and all three of Northampton’s touchdowns. He also added a 44-yard kickoff return to set up the Kids first score.

Zion McKinney added 98 yards on the ground.

The Kids continue to struggle to gain yards through the air. They were limited to 61 yards and the QBs combined for a pair of interceptions.

Northampton head coach John Toman summed up his team’s performance, “They just played better than us. They played more physically than we did and they were a little quicker and more athletic than we were tonight. It seemed like they had a little more desire. They got Mercy Ruled by Nazareth last week and came played a really good game.”

Northampton 7 0 0 12 — 19

Whitehall 7 0 14 10 — 31

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

W — Tanner Dogmanits 19 run (Nick Miley kick)

N — Chase Kessler 19 run (Jackson Sandt kick)

Third Quarter

W — Tanner Dogmanits 3 run (Miley kick)

W — Tanner Dogmanits 26 run (Miley kick)

N — Chase Kessler 1 run (kick blocked)

Fourth Quarter

W — Miley 34 field goal

N — Zion McKinney 14 run (conversion pass intercepted)

W — Henry Shultz 24 pass from Dogmanits (Miley kick)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING

Northampton — Chase Kessler 25-154, 3 TDs; Zion McKinney 14-98, TD; Joell Small 4-20; Robert Wambold 2-7.

Whitehall — Tanner Dogmanits 13-154, 3 TDs; Jeziah Gregory 18-128; Henry Shultz 1-1; Ben Pychinka 2-2.

PASSING

Northampton — Zion McKinney 4-7-1, 53 yards; Luke Stopay 1-3-1, 8 yards.

Whitehall — Tanner Dogmanits 18-25-0, 218 yards, TD.

RECEIVING

Northampton — Evan Kleppinger 1-30; DJ McDonald 1-15; Colby Brearman 2-8; Jeremiah Strowder 1-8.

Whitehall — Henry Shultz 6-84, TD; Jeziah Gregory 4-36; Envy Rivera 3-28; Rocco Fonzone 2-27; Griffin Peters 1-22; CJ Lowe 1-13; Stephen Fedorak 1-8.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS

Northampton — Robert Wambold 8 tackles; DJ McDonald 7; Colby Brearman 5; Logan Rusnock 5; Maddex Scheetz 5.

Whitehall — Team defense credited with 50 tackles; Nazavier Calcano and Iskander Blanco recorded interceptions.