Junior wide receiver Talon Dogmanits and his younger brother sophomore quarterback Tanner Dogmanits both have quickly realized that they and their teammates have to put a 41-10 loss to Northampton in the annual Cement Bowl behind them.

Northampton rallied for 27 fourth-quarter points after trailing early and then holding a slim 14-10 advantage.

If the Zephyrs (1-4) are to make a run at the District 11 Class 5 A title as two-time defending champions, their home game against Dieruff (4-1) Friday is a crucial one. Dieruff, which surprisingly began the season with four consecutive victories, was blown out by Liberty, 42-0, last week.

Whitehall also has Emmaus, Parkland, and Allentown Central Catholic on their calendar.

Talon Dogmanits is well aware of the severity of this week. He had a team-high eight catches for 71 yards last week.

“In the Northampton game, we just couldn’t get it going in the second half and some of the calls weren’t the best, but that wasn’t everything,” offered Talon. “The Dieruff game is huge because it’s a very winnable game and hopefully can get our confidence up again especially since we have a tough opponent in Emmaus coming up.

“We’re not looking ahead but I think some of the guys can use a confidence boost so we can start playing our best ball going into the final stretch.”

Tanner, who completed 16 of 26 passes for 172 yards and ran for 99 yards for 16 carries with a touchdown, sees a similar situation.

“In the Northampton game, we played well and had a good effort. Then there were some questionable calls that didn’t help us.

“With Dieruff, we are looking to come out strong and finish all the way through the fourth quarter. We have to have a good week of practice and then it will show on Friday night.”

Zephyrs’ senior running back Carter Troxell, who returned to the lineup against Northampton after an injury, is cautiously optimistic.

“Dieruff is a good opponent and a good challenge for us,” he said. “We will hopefully be able to bounce back and get the win.

Whitehall head coach Andy Marino also is staying the course.

“Northampton played better football later in the game,” he said. “Dieruff is 4-1, and we look forward to having another good week of practice and playing them at our place.”

PREDICTION: The two teams last met in 2020 with Whitehall posting a convincing 49-7 victory ... Tanner Dogmanits has completed 59 of 101 attempts for 630 yards with seven interceptions and no touchdown. He also had rushed for a team-high 186 yards on 39 carries ... Talon Dogmanits has caught 26 passes for 417 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Brandon Bird has a team-high 24 tackles ... Dieruff quarterback Jack Herter completed six of 16 passes for 52 yards last week. Overall, he has completed 38 of 72 attempts for 453 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Huskies’ running back Riyell Wann ran for 45 yards on 12 carries last week, and he has 391 yards on 46 carries with five touchdowns for the season ... Whitehall is in a must-win situation for the postseason against a Dieruff team that likely isn’t as good as their 4-1 record. The Huskies four wins were against teams that have a 3-17 combined record. Still, the Huskies want to prove they belong in a higher tier than they have been through the years ... Tanner Dogmanits has improved in recent weeks, and he needs a big game. Zephyrs also need to get their running game back in track, and a healthy Troxell will be a big key ... Liberty’s Gabe Green ran for 118 yards on 18 carries last week against Dieruff ... Zephyrs need momentum, and head boys’ basketball coach Jeff Jones can pick me up an Italian classic at Wawa...ZEPHYRS, 24-20