In the inaugural season of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, the Whitehall boys basketball team had a chance to make a little bit of history.

They can become the first basketball team to become league champions in the newly-minted EPC, something that didn't seem possible a week ago. However, they managed to win the games necessary to secure the final wildcard berth into the EPC tourney, finishing the season at 8-8. Their ticket was punched once Northampton lost to Nazareth last Friday night, gaining entry via the league's power rankings.

While Northampton, Pocono Mountain West and Whitehall shared an 8-8 EPC record, the three teams didn't play one another the same amount of times which meant that the final spot was going to be decided by the conference's power rankings.

The power rankings compile the strength of each opponent played during the season. By that criteria, Whitehall got the nod with a .6651 mark, with Northampton (. 6533) and PMW (. 6394) missing the cut.

With the K-Kids needing just one win in their final two games, it appeared that their Skyline Division counterparts would get the final spot. But they lost those two games, and Whitehall won a tough road game at Emmaus, putting them back in the hunt. Even with their loss to Parkland to close out the season, and despite being beaten by the Kids twice during the season, the Zephs earned the final spot, giving them the opportunity to chase that championship trophy.

It was made official once the Allen versus Dieruff game was final on Saturday, with the Canaries defeating the Huskies to nail down the fourth seed. The Zephs will open as the eighth seed, tipping off against Parkland, who occupies the top spot, in the opening round Feb. 9 at the Trojans home court.

It's the first appearance for the Zephs in a league championship since 2010 when they lost in the Lehigh Valley Conference semifinals to William Allen High School. And the opportunity to claim a championship is a goal this team has had since practice began in November.

It also meant back-to-back games against Parkland, a team that's ranked among the best 4A squads in the state. That quick turnaround means that the Zephs won't try and reinvent the wheel once the whistle blows to begin the game.

"There's nothing major you change at this point," said head coach Jeff Jones. "It's a little tweaking here and there."

Jones said they'll most likely try and get some open looks by setting more ball screens, helping their perimeter players against a quick Trojan defense.

The Zephs are led by Brett Radocha who's averaging a shade under 14 points this season. Radocha is a threat both inside and out, hitting on 14 treys this season.

Guard Jake Meyers can fill it up outside as well, connecting on 27 threes while averaging almost 8 points per game this season, while the rest of their strong senior corps that includes Chad Rex, Saquon Barkley, Nick Hassler and Jacob Buskirk can hurt an opponent from the floor as well

"We have to share the ball to be successful," said Jones. "We can't be relying solely on Brett. Some of that burden has to be relieved off him.

Freshman guard Mikey Esquilin has proved that he's not afraid of big games, and his 8.2 ppg will give the Zephs another option. He's also not afraid to mix it up inside, often grabbing boards among much bigger players.

However, it will be at the defensive end where the Zephs needed to seize control.

In their first meeting, they held the Trojans to 53 points, while Friday's game saw Parkland erupt for 65. Jones knows they needed to keep the game in the 50s since they've only gone over 60 points twice this year.

One strategy will be to get more help defending the point as they look to neutralize guard Devante Cross' playmaking ability. Cross is a player who can hurt a team both from beyond the arc, as well as driving to the basket. Jones hopes that by sliding another defender toward him, that will limit the damage by Cross.

Jones said they also want to get to the foul line more, noting they didn't have many opportunities from the stripe in Friday's loss, with just four points the entire game.

"That's something we hope we can do against them," he said.

Finally, the Zephs want to slow the pace down. The Trojans are a team who can really fill it up, averaging 65 ppg this season. Jones said that once they get possession, they'll try and run a few things early, and if those options aren't open, they want to keep the ball moving until they get a good look. And if that eats into the clock, that's a bonus.

"We want to make them play defense longer than they want to," said Jones. "That will hopefully get them frustrated and will play to our advantage."