It was a transition season for the Whitehall football team as a lot of new players received their first taste of varsity action this year.

After losing the bulk of their starting lineup to graduation, the Zephyrs entered the year with a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball. That was most prominent on offense as quarterback Gianni Sinatore was the lone returning starter.

While fielding such a young team was a challenge, head coach Brian Gilbert knew that it meant opportunities for a lot of players. They opened the season 2-1, but once they got into the EPC South portion of their schedule they hit a few bumps along the way, dropping their next four games until they beat Nazareth on Oct. 23.

They finished the season 4-6 and narrowly missed getting to the Eastern Conference playoffs.

But a deeper look inside some of those losses reveals how competitive they were with that young team. They were in the Parkland game until late in the fourth quarter, lost to Emmaus on the final play of the game, and battled Freedom for three quarters until the Pates pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Gilbert saw steady improvement throughout the whole season, and that wasn’t just limited to the underclassmen. It also included a number of seniors who were starting for the first time this season. That list included Nick Kovalchick, Phil Reeves, Bryce Crum and Brandon Jones.

“By the end of the season, they were all playing well,” said Gilbert. “We definitely improved from game one to game ten.”

Gilbert also saw a team that came in every Monday ready to work, whether it was after a win or a loss. He said they never hung their heads or felt sorry for themselves; they just came prepared to work.

“That says a lot about those guys,” said Gilbert.

The biggest loss will be at quarterback. Gianni Sinatore departs after etching his name in the record books, becoming the second leading passer all-time in Whitehall history with 3,678 yards. He was a dual threat, a player who could hurt a team with his running and passing. He proved that again this year, finishing with 1,838 yards through the air and 780 yards on the ground.

“He had a tremendous year,” said Gilbert.

Sinatore’s experience helped stabilize their offense which featured new players at every other position.

“Thank goodness we had him this year,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert felt Sinatore’s play this season was worthy of an all-star nod, but realized the competition this season was tough in this so-called “Year of the Quarterback.” Still, he said that would choose his senior quarterback over those others to go to battle with in the EPC.

The heir apparent will be Zachary Gilbert who brings a different skill set to the offense. Brian Gilbert said he’ll be more of a pocket passer who will lean on their running game to help steer the offense.

“He’s excited; everyone’s excited,” said Gilbert.

Up front in the trenches is where they had the biggest youth movement. By the end of the season they were starting four sophomores and a junior on the offensive line. Gilbert said that was another area that improved, especially in the second half of the season. That group helped the Zephs gain 1,575 yards on the ground this season.

Those players all return, with Mike Smith, Bret Legath, Jacob Hudak, Tyler Meyers and Markes Cruz poised to build on the experience they gained this season.

They’ll also have tight ends Devin Martinez and Jacob Snyder back in the fold, with both players doubling as impact defenders this season.

They also return Desmond Boykin. Boykin was a second team EPC South all-star selection at wide receiver and as a Special Teams performer which is aligned with the defensive honors. Boykin finished the season with 44 catches for 660 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 249 return yards this season which included punts and kickoffs.

In the backfield the Zephs will return second-leading rusher Tavion George who amassed 324 yards on the ground last season. Also returning will be Braxton Marrero who had ran for 83 yards, while Boykin also got some carries, finishing with 143 yards.

In the passing game, Jacob Buskirk, who was second in the team in receptions (19 catches for 214 yards), will return, along with Devin Castro (13 receptions for 197 yards) and Martinez (10 receptions for 152 yards).

On the defensive side, Buskirk returns as the leading tackler (72), while Kevon Allen, Boykin, Ryan Klaugh, Martinez and Snyder who were all among the top 10 in tackles return as well.

Gilbert believed that both Klaugh, who finished the season with six interceptions. and Buskirk with all those tackles from his safety position, should have been on the all-star team as well.

Additionally, they’ll lose kicker Connor Ilgenfritz. Ilgenfritz has been a reliable kicker for two seasons, finishing this season 6-9 in field goals and 24-26 in extra points. He handled all of the kicking chores for the Zephs and his graduation leaves a void.

Gilbert said that his productivity will be hard to replace, and that right now he doesn’t have a kicker on the roster and is actively seeking anyone who has that skill set to come and try out.

Finally, Gilbert believes they’ll have some revenge on their minds as they look ahead to next season. They took some lumps this season and they’ll be ready to turn the tables.

“Moving forward, our guys will play with a chip on their shoulders and get us where we’ll need to be,” he said.