The Whitehall boys basketball team will get a taste of a little Colonial League atmosphere when they begin their postseason venture this Wednesday, which comes after Press deadlines.

The boys will be headed to Southern Lehigh High School to play the Spartans who earned the seventh seed in the 4A playoffs. The Spartans finished the season 18-6 and were 14-3 in the league, finishing behind Salisbury for second place in the West Division of the Colonial League.

The Spartans won six out of their last seven games before succumbing to Salisbury in the Colonial League semifinals. They feature a brand of basketball that’s averaging close to 62 points a game this season.

They also have some talented players led by senior Jacob Cassel, who was a Colonial first team all-star this season. In the team’s final regular season game against Salisbury, Cassel scored 26 points to help lift the Spartans over the Falcons. They also feature guard Lucas Hudson who’s a threat from the perimeter, knocking down 28 points in a win over Dieruff this season. He’s also a deft ballhandler, who can pose penetration problems.

Head coach Jeff Jones said that Southern Lehigh will pose some problems inside as Cassel and Jack Zamichieli are listed at 6-5 and 6-4, respectively. However, Whitehall is familiar with that role as it looks to unseat the Spartans in the tourney.

Whitehall, the district’s 10th seed, will try and neutralize that bigger lineup with their quickness. The Zephs average close to 65 points per game, and that’s due in large result to their up-tempo style this season.

“One thing that’s been good this year is our ability to get into transition,” said Jones. “It’s one thing that’s been pretty successful for us throughout the year.”

That style has also lent itself to some balanced scoring. They have three players averaging in double figures with Charles Hudson leading that group with a 12.9 average. Logan McGinley’s not far behind at 12.5 ppg, while Mikey Esquilin, a third team Eastern Pennsylvania Conference all-star selection this season, is averaging 11 points.

Their other two starters, Jackson Buskirk and Zach Gilbert, are just a shade under double digits, with Buskirk averaging 9 ppg this season and Gilbert 8 ppg.

“We’ve really had some good balance this whole run,” said Jones.

To prepare for the district tourney, the team went to Freedom High School for a scrimmage against the Patriots. The Pates defeated the Spartans earlier this season, but this was just a tuneup between two teams that find themselves in the different D-11 brackets. It allowed the Zephyrs to work off some rust after their two-week layoff.

“It was good for us,” said Jones. “We did pretty well.”

One thing Jones likes is that the Spartans are unfamiliar with the Zephs, especially their matchup zone. He said it’s one thing to watch Whitehall on film, but it’s entirely different playing against them live. They can create a lot of turnovers and then turn those into transition points.

If the Zephs advance, they’ll encounter another Colonial League team. Waiting in the wings are the second-seeded Bangor Slaters. The Slaters are a more familiar district foe, but Jones said this year’s Bangor squad is probably the best among the teams they’ve faced in the past.

But they’ll worry about that when the time comes. For now, it’s all about the Spartans.

“They’re really looking forward to the chance to play and the kids are excited,” said Jones.