Whitehall tops PME, finals vs. ESS up next – Lehigh Valley Press

It's the district playoff postseason, and the Whitehall Zephyrs know it is their time.

The Zephyrs have won consecutive District 11 Class 5A crowns, and they captured five of the last eight titles.

So, it shouldn't have been a surprise when the Zephyrs rolled past Pocono Mountain East, 49-7, in a district semifinal last week. The Zephyrs (5-6) will be seeking their third straight title when they meet East Stroudsburg South (9-2), who downed Pleasant Valley, 47-7, last week, Thursday night.

Whitehall posted their victory in a true team effort.

Quarterback Tanner Dogmanits threw a pair of touchdowns to his brother, Talon; Brandon Bird rushed for 51 yards and scored two touchdowns; Trokon Kai blocked two punts, one for a touchdown; and Cole Richards connected on all of his seven extra-point attempts.

Head coach Andy Marino was pleased with the overall effort.

"We had a lot of big special teams plays" said Marino. "We blocked two punts and took one in for a touchdown, and we had a lot of kickoffs go into the end zone. There were a lot of good things. Like any game we had some peaks and valleys, but we handled those. Now we're just happy to have another week together."

Tanner Dogmanits saw the victory as a further confidence builder.

"The win was a big team win," he stressed. "We needed it to keep the momentum from the (Allentown) Central (Catholic) into this Thursday's game against East Stroudsburg South.

"As a team, we feel really confident about this Thursday because earlier in the year they beat us. But now we are better, and we are playing better as a team.

"East Stroudsburg South is a great team, but we are ready to face them again and have a better outcome in the end."

When the two teams met during the regular season, East Stroudsburg South recorded a convincing, 38-7 victory.

Bird knows his team needs to stay consistent throughout their games. He also is anxious for the rematch.

"The win showed us that we can't ever let up at any point in the game, no matter what the score" said Bird. "We are ready to play South again, and we are ready for our second chance."

PREDICTION (season record 5-6): East Stroudsburg South has won five straight. The Cavaliers' Charles Capers ran for 115 yards and scored four touchdowns against Pleasant Valley ... Capers has 1,446 yards with 23 touchdowns, and quarterback Ivan Laubach has thrown for 1,758 yards with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions. Xavier Pusateri has caught 53 passes for 975 yards with 12 touchdowns ... Tanner Dogmanits went 7-for 7 for 192 yards against Pocono Mountain East, and Talon Dogmanits caught five passes for 183. Iskander Blanco added 25 yards with a touchdown ... For the season, Tanner Dogmanits has completed 122 of 190 with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Talon Dogmanits has caught 52 passes for 1,350 yards. Adam Youwakim has a team-high 54 tackles ... East Stroudsburg South has won the last three meetings ... In their last three wins, Whitehall has allowed just 14 points ... The Zephyrs have some late-season momentum at the right time. Their offense has been crisper, and the defense has tightened. However, this is a tall order ahead. Tanner Dogmanits will need a tight game, and the Zephyrs will need to win the turnover battle. This could be a very interesting game, but, somehow, I see Whitehall head cross country Brandon Hampton picking me up a cheesesteak at SMP Mini-Mart ...