When the basketball season tips off for the Salisbury High School boys basketball team this winter, head coach Jason Weaver will have an almost entirely different starting five from last season.

Senior Kyle Artis is the only returning starter, averaging almost eight points per game last year, and he led the team in three-pointers made.

Weaver will most likely look to Chase Fenstermaker, who played a lot as a junior last season and averaged 4.5 points per game, Tyson Utesch, Hunter Bleam and Jackson Lopez to fill some of the void left by the graduates. They all saw varsity minutes as juniors last year.

Outside of those five seniors, most of the rest of the roster needs to gain experience at the varsity level basketball.

Josiah Day is a 6-foot-3 junior who played JV last year. He is in the mix in the frontcourt for varsity time this year and, according to Weaver, has had a great preseason so far. Jack Foley, Andrew Grejda, Jake Zellin, Thomas Lovelidge and Jairo Suarez are all sophomores who are competing for varsity minutes as well.

“Our strength is having five seniors who have played together since middle school and who are working hard and play very well together,” said Weaver, now in his 14th season at the helm. “We have some quickness and good inside/out balance as well.

“Our biggest weakness is our lack of varsity experience beyond the five seniors. We only have two juniors in the program and a number of sophomores are going to have to step up to help at the varsity level.”

The Falcons are looking to qualify for the Colonial League and District 11 playoffs once again this year. Competition within the league will be fierce in 2021.

“I think we can be very competitive in the league, however we need to step up to compete with the Notre Dames, Southern Lehighs, Bangors and Palmertons of the league,” Weaver said. “I’m excited to coach our senior group who have been in the program for three years and now have a chance to compete as a group at the varsity level and also having nine sophomores in the program who are working hard to continue to learn the game and to improve.”

Salisbury opens up its season on Saturday, Dec. 11, at Oley Valley. Colonial League competition begins on Dec. 14, against Moravian Academy.