Whitehall traded blows with Pleasant Valley throughout a back-and-forth second half before the Zephyrs scored late to pull out a 36-33 victory on Sept. 18 at Zephyr Stadium.

“I think we came thinking that this was gonna be a stroll in the park,” said Whitehall running back Jeziah Gregory, “but they came playing smashmouth football, which we had to get used to.”

Pleasant Valley took control in the opening minutes, as quarterback Brandt Wines threw 17 yards to Sean Cobb in the end zone and Ethan Duran kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

After Nick Milley’s field goal for the Zephs, Wines connected with William Breuer for 21 yards and the Bears’ second touchdown.

Whitehall went to its passing game, and Zephyr quarterback Tanner Dogmanits’ completions to Gregory and Henry Shultz led to Whitehall’s first touchdown just before halftime.

The Zephyrs carried that momentum into the third quarter when Gregory returned the kickoff to Pleasant Valley’s 35-yard line, and Dogmanits passed to Shultz for a touchdown, all within 20 seconds.

Gregory later scored on a 2-yard run to give Whitehall its first lead, 22-21.

From there, the lead continued to change hands.

Pleasant Valley regained it early in the fourth quarter when Chris Ward scored from 11 yards out. The Bears’ 2-point attempt failed, leaving them ahead, 27-22.

Dogmanits answered with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Rocco Fonzone to put Whitehall back in front, 28-27. The Zephyrs also came up empty on their 2-point try.

Pleasant Valley responded again.

On 3rd-and-7, Wines’ 16-yard touchdown run gave the Bears a 33-28 advantage, but again unsuccessful with a 2-point attempt.

Pleasant Valley tried an onside kick, but Whitehall recovered with 5:24 remaining.

A Dogmanits completion to Shultz helped set up Gregory’s 4-yard touchdown run to put the Zephyrs ahead. Dogmanits added the 2-point conversion for a 36-33 lead.

“Our line started to play more aggressive, and I don’t think they liked that,” Gregory said. “They were so focused on me, they forgot about the pass. They forgot we had Henry Shultz, Clifford Murray, Rocco Fonzone. We have different weapons. We don’t only have me, and we have our quarterback who’s a running threat too.”

Pleasant Valley coach Blaec Saeger had high praise for his Bears as well as Whitehall’s Zephyrs.

“This was just an awesome football game,” Saeger said. “We came down here as monster underdogs. Everybody knew it, our kids new it, and they didn’t care. It was just a great football game against a really good Lehigh Valley team.”