Here is a roundup of Friday night’s top Lehigh Valley high school football games in Week 7.
Whitehall 38, Emmaus 31
Emmaus struck first on the opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead, but Whitehall responded quickly. Jeziah Gregory’s touchdown run, set up by a long gain from Bryce Medina, tied the game after the first quarter. The Zephyrs seized momentum in the second quarter, with quarterback Tanner Dogmanits connecting with brother Talon for a touchdown to make it 14-7. Gregory followed with another score to extend the lead to 21-7 with just under four minutes left before halftime.
Whitehall’s defense kept the Green Hornets at bay, with sacks by James Hopkins and Benjamin Gill. Cole Richards added a 31-yard field goal before the half, giving the Zephyrs a 24-7 lead. Emmaus fought back in the second half, closing the gap to 24-17 and later 30-24 before taking a 31-30 lead in the fourth quarter. Whitehall answered with a dramatic drive featuring another long Dogmanits-to-Dogmanits connection. Gregory finished the drive with a touchdown run, and Tanner Dogmanits ran in the two-point conversion to seal a thrilling 38-31 victory for the Zephyrs.
Pocono Mountain East 30, East Stroudsburg South 7
East Stroudsburg South and Pocono Mountain East battled through a defensive struggle early, with neither team able to break through in the first quarter.
Pocono Mountain East finally struck midway through the second quarter when Amari Green powered through multiple tacklers for a 29-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good, giving the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. Ivan Laubach scored a 6-yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-7 with just over three minutes remaining in the half.
After halftime, Lucas Angst kicked a 38-yard field goal to give Pocono Mountain East a 10-7 edge. The Cardinals regained momentum when Green broke free on a 34-yard run, hurdling a fallen defender to reach the red zone. Connor Triano finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 16-7. Ceejay Cerfass scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 23-7. Green put the finishing touch on the game, scoring 60-yard touchdown run
North Schuylkill 52, Bangor 22
North Schuylkill came out firing, scoring on its first two possessions. Luke Miller rushed for 17 and 35-yard touchdowns, with quarterback Caden Mengel adding a two-point conversion on the first score to build a 14-0 lead. Mengel continued his strong performance, connecting with Landen Smith for a 64-yard touchdown and later scoring on a 15-yard run to push the lead to 22-0.
Mengel remained unstoppable in the first half, adding a 4-yard touchdown run and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Julian Nelson, along with a 55-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter. The Spartans led 46-0 at halftime and maintained control throughout the game. Bangor finally got on the board in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns, including an interception return for a score, but it was not enough to overcome the early deficit. North Schuylkill cruised to a 52-22 victory.
Blue Mountain 49, Lehighton 34
Lehighton got on the board just 18 seconds into the game, as Lucas Croizier’s kickoff return set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jayse Lawrence to Caden Meek. Blue Mountain quickly responded with a 55-yard touchdown run by Reese Miller to tie it 7-7. Lehighton regained the lead late in the first quarter on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Meek, making it 14-7.
Cohen Kirby connected with Chase Guers for a 20-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. Lehighton briefly retook the lead on a 6-yard touchdown run from Lawrence, but Blue Mountain finished the half with back-to-back scores. Brody Foose ran 15 yards for a touchdown, and Kirby later found Josh Hoover for a 25-yard touchdown, giving the Eagles a 28-21 halftime lead.
In the second half, a 7-yard touchdown run from Foose made it 35-21 Blue Mountain. Lehighton responded with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Blake Roberts to cut the deficit to 35-27, but Blue Mountain answered immediately as Sonny Amato returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards to set up another Miller touchdown run, giving the Eagles a 42-27 advantage. Lawrence and Meek connected once more for a 32-yard touchdown to make it 42-34 late in the third quarter, but Foose added a 22-yard touchdown early in the fourth to seal a 49-34 victory for Blue Mountain.
Southern Lehigh 49, Tamaqua 6
Southern Lehigh dominated from the opening drive, with Sean Steckert scoring on a 26-yard touchdown run to put the Spartans up 7-0. Quarterback Colton Sams threw a 25-yard touchdown pass, and Darius Roman returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 20-0 by halftime.
The Spartans kept the pressure in the third quarter, as Sams threw another touchdown and Steckert broke free for a 47-yard score, pushing the lead to 35-0. Tamaqua finally got on the board in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard run, but Southern Lehigh’s early dominance carried them to a decisive 49-6 victory.