Whitehall head boys basketball coach Jeff Jones has set the bar high for his team this season, and he doesn’t see any other way.

“I think this year can be special,” said the veteran coach. “I really like this team, and they have been through the grind. We got off to a good start last year, but we got content. We can’t be that way this year.

“We got off to a good start, and then we fizzled a little bit. We need to stay consistent this season.”

Last season, the Zephyrs began the season by winning seven of their fist nine games, but they sputtered down the stretch and finished with an overall 12-12 record, their season ending with a loss to Pocono Mountain West in a second-round district playoff game.

Jones is highly optimistic with the return of senior guard Luke Keppel, who averaged nearly 16 points per game, and was a third-team East Penn Conference (EPC) choice. Keppel and returning 6-7 junior center A.J. Hines began to provide an effective inside-outside presence for the Zephyrs last season.

“Those two are a big key for us,” noted Jones. “They both have been starting since they were freshmen. They really started to mesh together halfway through last season.”

Along with Keppel and Hines, fellow seniors Gavin Roberts, Ethan Longenberger and Seth Orechena round out an experienced starting five.

Jones will also look to Seth Hoderewski and Talon Dogmanits, who both have productive summers and will log some meaningful minutes. Trey Dogmanits and Braden Bashore joined after the football season, and Evan Kovalchik will also be in the mix.

Mason Roberts and Dom Gonzalez are also expected to be regular contributors.

Junior Joey Groller, who has been battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia, has been looking good, and is expected to be in the rotation.

Depth will not be a problem, but working out a rotation will be a priority.

“I’m not sure how it is going to look at this point,” said Jones, a few days after the opening practices. “It is not always the first five who are on the floor, but sometimes it is about the last five on the floor.

“We like what our possibilities can be.”

Jones stated his team plays in arguably the toughest division in the EPC, and his team has to stay on track.

“We can’t afford to have the clunkers like we did last year,” he said. “We did bounce back from them, but we need to stay focused. You will always win some games you don’t think you can win and vice versa.”

The Zephyrs will have scrimmages against Northern Lehigh and Easton before they open the season with Hazleton Dec. 1.

“Hazleton will be a good test for us,” added Jones. “We like what we have, and we’ll see how it is on the floor.”