Over the last three years, Ethan Ringenberger has seen the Whitehall basketball program hit its share of peaks and valleys, and he has been a big part of it in the process.

Despite the Zephyrs getting off to an impressive 7-2 start, Ringenberger and his teammates are still taking a cautiously optimistic approach.

“This season has gotten off to a great start,” stated Ringenberger after nine games. “We’re not playing our best basketball right now, but it’s good enough to win games.

“As the season progresses, we will continue to get better, and eventually we will be playing our best.”

Head coach Jeff Jones has been appreciative of Ringenberger’s steady contributions. He has averaged nearly eight points a game this season, after nine games.

“Ethan has been a big part of our system,” said Jones. “He has been a major contributor on both sides of the ball, and he brings a lot of experience into the lineup.

“He worked hard during the summer and has raised the level of his game.”

Ringenberger sees a constant flow of scorers in the Zephyr lineup besides leading scorers Luke Keppel and A.J. Hines. He certainly has made his presence felt.

“We do have a pretty balanced lineup with our scoring,” he said. “That has been a big key for us so far this season.

“We don’t have only one person scoring all of our points. Luke Keppel and A.J. Hines are doing a great job with that this season, and we have a number of guys who have stepped up.”

Ringenberger credited the influence of his father, Jim, JV coach Eric Dogmanits, AAU coach Scott Kolumber, and assistant coach Tom Keppel.

“They all have helped me tremendously over the years,” stressed Ringenberger. “They have helped me be a better player, but more importantly a better person.”

Ringenberger also sees a cohesive bond among his teammates.

“There is definitely a stronger bond this year than last year,” noted Ringenberger. “We have gotten a lot closer as a team. Some of the guys who I am playing with now I have played with since I was five. That’s when I started playing organized basketball.

“It has really helped with our team bonding, and it also has been a big part of our success so far.”