Editor’s note: The boys fell to Pocono Mt. West in the semifinals. The game came after Press deadlines.

It may be safe to say that the Whitehall boys’ basketball team is peaking at the right time.

With a recent 49-34 win over Parkland in the EPC tournament, Whitehall (18-5) won its 15th game over their last 18, including an eight–game winning streak. They began the season with a 2-2 mark.

It also marked Whitehall getting the upper hand in a longtime rivalry between the schools, one in which that has been dominated by Parkland.

From there, the Zephyrs were scheduled to meet top-seeded Pocono Mountain West in an EPC semifinal Tuesday night at Allentown’s PPL Center. The Panthers beat Freedom, 58-34, in their EPC quarterfinal.

Against Parkland, Whitehall’s A.J. Hines had 18 points and nine rebounds. Hines, a senior center, has been the Zephyrs’ leading scorer all season.

Whitehall head coach Jeff Jones decided to take a page from 2014 Whitehall grad and Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley’s stern work ethic on the court when he played. Jones also is well aware of the Parkland stigma hanging over the program.

During the season, Whitehall split with Parkland, winning 55-41 on Dec. 10 and losing 57-42 on Jan. 24. They held Parkland to 19 points over the first three quarters.

“We talked in preparation for Parkland what it meant to be Zephyr Tough,” reflected Jones. “With Saquon getting all the attention, we discussed how he competes and pays attention to details.

“Our preparation for this game and our attention to details was as good as it’s been all year. We got up on their shooters and knew who we could back off. AJ had 18 points, but may have actually been better on defense blocking and changing shots. We switched defenses during the game a few times, and we felt kept them off balance.”

The Parkland victory certainly fueled the Zephyrs heading into the EPC semifinal. The Panthers (20-2) ended their regular season with a 10-game winning streak, and the two teams didn’t meet in the regular season.

Pocono Mountain West defeated Whitehall in the District 11 Class 5A title game last year.

For Jones and his players, there is no lack of confidence. Northampton will meet Liberty in the other semifinal (the Kids won).

“We feel very confident going into the game,” stressed Jones. “However, we know at this point West is going to be the favorite to win the championship. We will relish that underdog role and compete as hard as we have all year. They have a great team as their record shows, but we have been pretty good all year, too. The Northampton-Liberty game I think is a tossup.”