STROUDSBURG – Back in September, the Cavaliers beat Whitehall 38-7. Coach Matt Walters knew this would be a much tougher game this time.
It was. Trailing at halftime, East Stroudsburg South (10-2) came out of halftime down 10-3. Charles Capers Jr. rushed for almost 200 yards in the second half and two touchdowns to lead the Cavaliers to a 22-17 win Thursday night against Whitehall for the District 11 5A title.
“Playing in the EPC Monroe you almost feel disrespected in some aspect,” said Walters. “We always hear we can’t play with Lehigh Valley schools and our kids hear that. We have a chip on our shoulder.” This is South’s second title in four years.
The game started well for the Cavaliers’ defense. Whitehall had to punt on their first possession and from there, South drove right down the field.
The combination of Capers and Laubach and their running set up the game’s first score. Harrison Aillet’s 25-yard field goal gave South a 3-0 lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter.
The Zephyrs’ running game kicked it into high gear on their next possession. They would eat most of the clock the first half.
Whitehall capped off the 11-play drive when Tanner Dogmantis powered into the end zone. Cole Richards’ kick put the Zephyrs up 7-3 with 11:02 left in the first half.
Whitehall’s defense forced a punt and their offense took over on their 33. Another long drive and a crucial fourth down conversion led to more points for the Zephyrs. Cole Richards added a 28-yard field goal which put Whitehall up 10-3 with 1:16 remaining in the first half.
The half ended with a fumble on the 39-yard field goal attempt by South. We headed into halftime with Whitehall leading by seven.
“The first half you have to credit Whitehall. They came out swinging,” said Walters. “They controlled the line of scrimmage.”
The second half was a different story for the South. Their defense came up with big stop after big stop and Capers was a man on a mission.
“We made adjustments at halftime,” said Walters. “Hats off to our kids. They didn’t quit and understood it was a 48-minute mission.”
They didn’t waste any time. South marched down the field and Capers scored from the wildcat formation from 11 yards out. We were tied at ten with 10:01 left in the third quarter.
The big play of the game came with 3:16 left in the third quarter. Dogmantis fumbled the ball and Alex Perez scooped it up. He rumbled 78 yards for the Cavalier touchdown. The score was 16-10 South.
A fake punt failed by Whitehall with 1:42 to go in the third quarter. South took over on the Zephyrs’ 30. But South gave the ball back to Whitehall. A fumble by Capers and Justin Hussett recovered the ball on their 17 with 11:16 remaining in the game.
Whitehall couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, however, and had to punt the ball back to South.
South drove 83 yards. It was fitting that Capers capped off the drive with a four-yard run. The two-point conversion was no good and it was 22-10 Cavaliers, with 6:37 remaining in the game.
“I think the whole stadium would have booed me if I didn’t give Capers the ball on that play,” said Walters. “You have to give Charles Capers the ball in that spot.”
The Zephyrs wasted no time on their next possession, marching right down the field. Brandon Bird’s two-yard touchdown run cut into South’s lead making it 22-17.
A crucial third and seven throw by Ivan Laubach for eight yards gave the Cavaliers a first down with 2:39 remaining in the game. Then it was Capers’ turn. His big run for the first down kept the clock running.
With 1:20 remaining and South facing a third down and four, Capers came up big again. His first down run from the wildcat sealed the win and a District 11 5A title.
“This means a lot to me and my team,” said Capers. “We came out and proved we can do this.
Capers finished the night with 237 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Now, they wait for the winner of the District 12 title game between Frankford (10-1) and Roman Catholic (7-4).
Scoring Summary:
| Thursday, November 7, 2024 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Final |
| Whitehall | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 | |
| East Stroudsburg South | 3 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 22 |
1st Quarter:
ESS – Harrison Aillet 25-yard field goal 6:56
2nd Quarter:
WH – Tanner Dogmantis 3-yard touchdown run (Cole Richards kick good) 11:02
WH – Cole Richards 28-yard field goal good 1:16
3rd Quarter:
ESS – Charles Capers 11-yard touchdown run (Harrison Aillet kick good) 10:01
ESS – Alex Perez 78-yard fumble return 3:16
4th Quarter:
ESS – Charles Capers 4-yard touchdown run (2-point no good) 6:37
WH – Brandon Bird 2-yard touchdown run (Cole Richards kick good) 5:05
