Maintain balance.

It will be one of Whitehall’s key to success on the football field this fall. Fortunately for the Zephyrs, they found in their season-opening victory over Wilkes-Barre Area, 38-14.

Whitehall scored 21 unanswered points in the second half and opened up a tight, 17-14 game. Jeziah Gregory ran for 165 yards on 24 carries and scored three touchdowns, and quarterback Tanner Dogmanits threw for 177 yards and ran for 47 with a touchdown.

Zephyrs’ head coach Andy Marino was impressed with Dogmanits and Gregory, the latter a transfer from Bethlehem Catholic.

“Tanner played a smart football game,” said Marino. “He was able to use his legs and arm to move the ball effectively. Jeziah has excellent vision and runs hard. We look forward to him developing.”

Offensively, the Zephyrs racked up 419 yards, 242 on the ground. Defensively, the Zephyrs forced five turnovers, recording four interceptions.

“The offense was able to stay in manageable situations,” noted Marino. “Therefore, it allowed us to stay balanced.”

Dogmanits truly enjoyed the moment.

“It was huge win to start the season,” said Dogmanits. “I saw things very well. Our defense played great making them turn the ball over numerous times.

“The O-line did a great job. Whether it was pass or run blocking, they gave full effort.”

Marino also was pleased with his team’s temperament.

“I’m proud of the way our coaches and players handled he ebbs and flows of the game,” said Marino. “In the second quarter, we had some negative plays, and they started to gain traction. We just played and never got too high and never too low.”

It was a total team effort. I’m proud of the effort they played with.”

Hoping to keep their momentum, the Zephyrs will face their first major challenge when they travel to Nazareth Friday night. The Blue Eagles opened the season with a convincing 46-7 victory over Hazleton.

ZEPHYR ZINGERS: Wilkes-Barre defeated Whitehall, 27-10 last season ... Dogmanits completed 12 of 17 passes with a touchdown and an interception against Wilkes-Barre Area ... Older brother Talon caught four passes for 83 yards with a touchdown ... Bryce Medina led the Zephyrs with six catches for 81 yards ... Nazareth beat Whitehall, 34-6, last season ... Justin Hussett led Whitehall with eight tackles and an interception, and Benjamin Gil recorded three sacks. Jacob Hannis, Aiden Hannis and Henry Shultz also had interceptions ... Against Nazareth last season, Whitehall suffered a 34-6 defeat ... Tanner Dogmanits completed 10-18 for 169 yards with two interceptions against the Blue Eagles ... In their opening win over Hazleton, Nazareth quarterback and Auburn commit Peyton Falzone threw for 247 yards with three touchdowns, and he ran for 100 yards with two touchdowns ... Lance Zuerchers caught three passes for 42 yards, and Luke Dipietro caught three balls for 29 yards for the Blue Eagles ... Nazareth has won the last six meetings against Whitehall. In those meetings, Nazareth has outscored Whitehall, 249-72 ... The Zephyrs last win was in 2017 in a 51-49 shootout during their 9-4 season. In that game, Dez Boykin ran for 113 yards and quarterback Ethan Parvel threw for 223 yards with three touchdowns. The Zephyrs’ defense held current Eagles’ wider receiver Johan Dotson to 49 yards rushing and to two catches for 16 yards ... Whitehall then hosts defending Class 5A champs East Stroudsburg South – Whitehall lost, 22-17, to them last year.

PREDICTION (Season Record 1-0): The Zephyrs get a true litmus test by trying to contain Falzone and Nazareth’s high-powered offense. Whitehall will need to rely heavily on its run game, and Gregory will be the key to try and play keep away. Zephyrs certainly have an upbeat attitude, and they can’t afford to get behind to Nazareth. Would like the Zephyrs more if they were at home. However, Whitehall will hang with Nazareth, but the Zephyrs will eventually lose the battle of attrition ... Cross Country head coach Brandon Hampton can pick me up a large cheesesteak with ketchup from SMP Mini-Mart ... NAZARETH 35-24.