WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP — Pleasant Valley went into Zephyr Stadium looking for a chance to prove itself against Whitehall.

The Bears nearly came away with much more.

Pleasant Valley traded blows with the Zephyrs throughout a back-and-forth second half, taking the lead three different times before Whitehall scored late to pull out a 36-33 victory Friday night.

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

Pleasant Valley struck first when quarterback Brandt Wines connected with Sean Cobb for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Ethan Duran added the extra point to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.

After Whitehall cut the deficit to 7-3 on a 29-yard field goal by Milley, Wines found William Breuer for a 21-yard touchdown to extend Pleasant Valley’s advantage.

“We ran the ball very well, and when we run the ball very well, it’s going to create open guys in the passing game, and Brandt had a really nice day,” Saeger said.

The PV defense kept the Zephyrs out of the end zone for most of the first half.

Late in the second quarter, Whitehall’s Jeziah Gregory fumbled deep in Pleasant Valley territory. On the ensuing possession, Cobb broke a 70-yard run that took the Bears just short of the end zone, and Chris Ward finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 21-3.

Whitehall answered before halftime, with Gregory scoring on a 16-yard run to cut Pleasant Valley’s lead to 21-10.

The Zephyrs carried that momentum into the third quarter.

Gregory returned the opening kickoff to the Pleasant Valley 35, and Tanner Dogmanits connected with Henry Shultz for a 35-yard touchdown pass as Whitehall quickly pulled within 21-16.

“I thought it was very fast,” Saeger said with a laugh. “It was a play that we were expecting, and it’s a very difficult play to stop. As soon as we saw it, we had to adjust a lot, and it took us out of some of the things we wanted to do.”

Gregory later scored on a 2-yard run to give Whitehall its first lead, 22-21, after the 2-point attempt failed.

From there, the lead continued to change hands.

Pleasant Valley regained it early in the fourth quarter when 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.

Facing third-and-7, Wines broke free for a 16-yard touchdown run that gave the Bears a 33-28 advantage. Another unsuccessful 2-point attempt kept the margin at five.

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

By then, the physical game had taken a toll on the Bears.

“We started to break down at the end, healthwise,” Saeger said. “We lost Jacob (George), and Jacob is so important to us. Cole (Vanderah) got hurt early, and Max (Vasquez) could only go one way. It was a physical, physical Lehigh Valley football game, and I’m just proud to be part of it.”

Whitehall took advantage of its final opportunity. A Dogmanits completion to Shultz helped set up Gregory’s 4-yard touchdown run, which put the Zephyrs ahead. Dogmanits added the 2-point conversion for a 36-33 lead that held up as the final margin.

The loss left PV with little to show in the standings for an effort Saeger believed showed plenty about his team.

“I told my team that this is my proudest moment, not my happiest because it’s a loss, but it’s my number one proudest moment as coach of this team in eight years,” Saeger said. “To not only compete, but to be better in spots, and to be that close and that competitive with a team that good.

“They’re fantastic, and we were right there with them. It wasn’t a fluke. It’s not like they had seven turnovers. We were physically right there with them. If we can play like that, we’re going to be all right the rest of the year. We lost to an awesome team. No shame. I love my kids for the fight they had.”

Whitehall 36, Pleasant Valley 33

Pleasant Valley 7 14 0 12 - 33

Whitehall 3 7 12 14 - 36

PV - Cobb 17 pass from Wines (Duran kick)

W - Milley 29 FG

PV - Breuer 21 pass from Wines (Duran kick)

PV - Ward 3 run (Duran kick)

W - Gregory 16 run (Milley kick)

W - Shultz 35 pass from Dogmanits (kick failed)

W - Gregory 2 run (2-point attempt failed)

PV - Ward 11 run (2-point attempt failed)

W - Fonzone 32 pass from Dogmanits (2-point attempt failed)

PV - Wines 16 run (2-point attempt failed)

W - Gregory 4 run (Dogmanits 2-point conversion)