The summer offseason in high school basketball can be tough to field full teams. Vacations and other commitments often conflict with the busy basketball schedules.

Last weekend the Whitehall boys basketball team once again played with a shorthanded team in the Sportsfest A-Town Throwdown Tournament at Cedar Beach.

A weekend after playing in the Stellar Catch A Rising Star Showcase, the heat didn't cease, and the Zephyrs competed against some of the best talent in the state without some of their top players.

"It's been difficult this summer because we have so many guys doing different things," said head coach Jeff Jones. "Guys are playing baseball. Guys are playing football and guys are on vacation now. We really haven't had a full team all summer."

The Zephyrs were grouped with some stiff competition in their four-team pool, including last week's tournament champion (Wilson West Lawn) and a conference champion from last winter in Pocono Mountain West.

Whitehall opened on Thursday night with a 43-33 loss to Pocono Mountain West, the defending Mountain Valley Conference champs.

On Saturday, the Zephs got a forfeit win over Ben Franklin. Later in the afternoon, the Zephyrs fell to Stellar champion Wilson West Lawn, 63-44.

"We want to play good competition," said Jones. "We're not really concerned about trying to win as much as we're looking to get better individually and collectively as a group."

Some of the players that Whitehall missed were starters Brett Radocha and Chad Rex. On the positive end, this helped Jones to see some of the other talent he has at his disposal.

"We make the best of what we have," said Jones. "It's a great opportunity for those kids who maybe wouldn't normally get the minutes. They're playing hard and they've earned that right to play. Win, lose or draw, in the big scheme of things it really doesn't matter. We just want to play and get better."