When the Whitehall boys volleyball team returns to the court in 2021, they’ll still be the reigning league and district champs, but it’s not the scenario they, or anyone else for that matter, envisioned.

It was announced recently that schools will be closed for the remainder of the year, and now the Zephyrs will have to wait a whole year for the chance to defend their titles. And when they finally take to the court next spring, their roster will be different. Gone will be seniors Dylan McGinley and Alex Haydar who won’t be able to share in that experience.

“It’s definitely rough,” said head coach George Cowitch. “That’s the reason they wanted to play this year so they could defend those titles.”

Cowitch knows that as a smaller program that’s aligned with powerhouses Emmaus and Parkland in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, the opportunities to defend a title don’t come around that often. While the Zephyrs have been among the top-tier teams the last decade or so, they were only able to win two district titles, the first in 2010 during Cowitch’s third year at the helm.

Could this have been the season where they defy the odds and wear gold once again?

“There’s going to be a lot of what-ifs,” said Cowitch about the lost opportunity to repeat as league and district champs.

While it may have been a tough road this season with some players settling into new roles, his team would have welcomed the chance to take on all comers as they mounted their title defenses. It’s what motivated them, especially the seniors, but now that will have to wait another year.

“That’s the thing that bothers them the most,” said Cowitch.

Cowitch said that he’s been in communication with his players, and they’ve expressed their disappointment about not being together working toward a common goal and how they miss one another. No longer are they participating in something they enjoy as a group, as a team; it’s all been taken away, and the void is palpable. Not only do they miss competing on the court, but the brotherhood that comes with it.

“You realize we have something special with that team thing we’ve got going,” said Cowitch. “It hits you a little bit.”

Cowitch, like the rest of his colleagues at Whitehall, are trying to navigate a new normal which includes remote learning. He’s been available via Zoom, as well as email for his students, and it’s taken some adjustment.

He may have to keep adjusting since no one knows what will happen in the future. There’s a chance that they’ll play in Catasauqua’s Summer Volleyball League run by John Yanek to shake off some of the rust from a long layoff, but even that decision could get derailed. Cowitch noted that the American Legion Baseball season has already been canceled by the state commander this week, so anything is possible. Still, if the mitigation steps put in place begin to shows signs of a strong recovery during the summer, they’ll be one of the teams looking to see some competition.

“If we get the opportunity, the kids will go play,” he said.

They also participate in winter club ball, and if those plans need to be shelved as well, it could mean a year without playing within a structured environment.

“We might run into a situation where you’re coming back with no training,” said Cowitch.

Cowitch is also an assistant coach for the Zephyr football team. That sport more than any other promotes a sense of community, bringing people together. They gather every Friday, cheering the emergence of their team as the music from the band swells with each rushing step.

“They just enjoy the community aspect of it,” said Cowitch. “I hope it’s there for them.”

It’s hard to imagine a fall without it, and Cowitch hopes people can once again come together and share something that unites them as Whitehall residents.