Whitehall’s boys’ basketball season may have had a bittersweet ending, but the Zephyrs’ future has a positive note.

They finished with an overall 10-12 record and finished ninth, one slot away from the top eight teams in the District 11 6A bracket that would advance to the postseason.

“We just missed getting there this year, and our guys battled all the way,” said head coach Jeff Jones. “We had trouble within our league and in our division, which is very difficult.

“We had some close games where we were right there. They easily could have turned our way.”

The Zephyrs will lose seven seniors overall, three of them being starters.

Seniors Tommy Buskirk, Ian Werner, and Alex Derkits all logged significant minutes, and fellow senior Bryce Bashore also was a steady contributor. Derkits was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 10.2 points per game.

“The three starters really were a big part of his program the past few years,” added Jones. “Bashore also played a lot.

“I know we will miss those guys, and their leadership will be a tough thing to replace. But we feel good about our guys coming back.”

Jones will be looking to a pair of incoming juniors to help set the new pace. Sophomore Doug Keppel was among the team’s leading scorers, averaging 8.7 points, and fellow 6-5 sophomore A.J. Hines (5.7 points) will form a future nucleus.

“Keppel did a nice job for us,” stated Jones. “There aren’t too many sophomores around who did the things that he did.

“Hines really started to come into his own, and he played with more confidence as the season went on. He began to establish himself down low.

“We feel good about some of the younger guys we have coming back.”

Jones also recognized current juniors Ray Jackson and Gavin Kneller along with sophomore Gavin Roberts, all of whom can be in the rotation next season.

The veteran coach acknowledged the degree of difficulty in the East Penn Conference (EPC) this season. He knows there will be more challenges next season.

“It was just so balanced,” he said. “Look at a team like Allen that didn’t qualify for the league tournament. That speaks volumes.

“There will be a number of seniors who will graduate, but there are plenty of good players coming back. We know it won’t be easy, that’s for sure.”