There has been much anticipation for new Whitehall head coach Andy Marino to begin to lead Whitehall’s football program in his inaugural season.

The Zephyrs are coming off their second district Class 5A title in the past four years, and they did lose some of their key players from last year’s team. The Marino era will begin Friday night when the Zephyrs host Allen.

It has been a busy summer for the Zephyrs with several 7-on-7s, and they hosted their own tournament. Last week, Whitehall had its final preseason test when they scrimmaged Jersey Shore, whose 12-0 record last season was ended by Allentown Central Catholic in the third round of the PIAA playoffs.

Jersey Shore has been a perennial power in the state, and Marino looked forward to the opportunity.

“Jersey Shore was a great learning experience,” said Marino. “It was a long bus ride, and they have an elite program. There were some negatives and positives as always.”

Against Allen, WHS will be facing a team that has had two consecutive, one-win seasons. The Canaries are once again in a rebuild ... and many final roster spots weren’t determined yet.

However, Marino isn’t taking anything for granted. Allen had a strong showing in their scrimmage against Saucon Valley.

“We look forward to playing Allen this week,” said Marino. “They scrimmaged an excellent Saucon Valley team, and they forced five turnovers. We must take care of the football.”

PREDICTION: This matchup isn’t a common one. They last met in 2020 with Whitehall posting a 37-0 shutout. It was their first meeting since 2011 when Whitehall had a 43-6 win. The Zephyrs also registered blowouts in 2009 (46-14) and in 2008 (45-13). Allen recorded a 3-7 record in 2017 ... Marino reported that the team is healthy ... The Zephyrs were 2-3 at home last season, and they were 2-2 in 2021 ... Whitehall couldn’t have asked for a better opponent with a new head coach. They will look to open up their offense with an upgraded passing game behind quarterback Trey Dogmanits, who has shown all the signs of a banner year ahead ... Zephyrs want to get out to a solid start, and they should have a relatively good night ... Coach Marino can pick me up a cheesesteak from SMP Mini-Mart, which has been getting rave reviews. Ketchup and onions, please ... ZEPHS, 24-13.