Whitehall’s Luke Keppel can still feel the pain from a 53-50 loss to Pocono Mountain West in the recent District 11 Class 5 A championship game, but he is looking at the big picture.

“We are very disappointed with the outcome,” said the senior guard. “We prepared all offseason and in-season to put ourselves in the position we were in. To come that close really hurt.

“We are certainly proud of how hard we played, but we are just disappointed that it wasn’t enough to get our team the recognition we felt it deserved.”

However, the Zephyrs (16-9) season will continue in the state playoffs when they host Phoenixville (18-7) Friday in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs. Whitehall is back in the state playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season when they lost to Methacton, 47-39, at Allen High School.

Head coach Jeff Jones knew his team had a tall task, but he was confident. The Zephyrs were looking for their first district title since 2005.

“They are a very good team, and they were 21-4 for a reason,” reflected Jones. “The kids were hungry, and it was disappointing for them. It was one of the hardest postgame talks I ever gave. (Adrain) Brito had 23 (points) and most of them were on offensive rebounds and putbacks. He’s tough and strong as an ox. We doubled him and did a good job on him in a half-court set.

“We were there right until the end.”

Phoenixville, the number three seed from District 1, routed Sun Valley, 53-29, in the District 1 consolation game to grab the final state spot. The Phantoms lost to Unionville, 69-44, in the semifinals, but they did win the Pioneer Athletic Division (PAC) Frontier Division title. Dawson Bronw has been their leading scorer, averaging roughly 15 points per game, and Max Lebisky has averaged around 10.

Keppel is averaging 15 points per game and junior center A.J. Hines is contributing 11 points per contest.

Whatever the outcome, Jones will lose seven seniors from this year’s squad. Keppel, Gavin Roberts, Sebastian Orechena, and Ethan Ringenberger are starters, and Trey Dogmanits, Braden Bashore, and Evan Kovalchik are bench players. Yet, Jones doesn’t easily distinguish between the two sets.

“Our starters have done everything they can,” added Jones. “But I can’t say enough about the seniors off the bench. They were invaluable and worked as hard as they could. It hasn’t been easy for them being a senior.

“Braden Bashore is a talented wide receiver, Trey Dogmanits was the school’s quarterback, and Evan Kovalchik is a very good baseball player. There is a good chance all three of them will play their sport in college. They really helped shape the chemistry on this team.”

Jones sees Phoenixville as a good matchup.

“They are a very good team,” he stressed. “We’re glad to get another home game. We get back to the gym to clean up some things, but we’re not going to reinvent the wheel.”

Keppel is optimistic that his team can take a few more steps while staying their course.

“It’s our first time in the state tournament in a while,” he said. “I’m very excited for our team, our school, and our community to have this type of opportunity. We will just keep doing what we have all year and just enjoy every moment we have together.

“Our goal is to keep this rolling as long as we can for each other. It’s really special.”