The Whitehall boys made it all the way to the finals at the Stellar Construction “Catch A Rising Star Showcase”, fighting back from the consolation bracket to face Pocono Mountain West in Sunday’s night’s championship.

They began the tournament by defeating Kutztown on Friday evening, 55-30. Next they ran into Bishop McDevitt from Harrisburg who were 23-7 last season. They lost to the Crusaders 68-63, putting them into the consolation bracket where they would have to climb through a slew of teams in the 50-team field if they wanted to make it to Sunday’s finals.

They stayed alive by beating Nazareth, 47-31 on Saturday night. That got them to Sunday where they met Allentown Central Catholic, advancing with a 52-50 win. Following that win they faced Susquehanna Township, defeating the Indians 73-54. That win put them on a collision course with Bonner-Pendergast, and once again they continued their Sunday streak with a 54-51 victory. A rematch was now in order as they played Bishop McDevitt once again, this time winning 78-32. With the victory, they advanced to the final four.

Liberty was now the opponent standing in their way of a championship berth. They outlasted their EPC rivals in a thrilling double-overtime game, winning 51-47 to put them in the finals.

They were now in the finals against fellow EPC members Pocono Mountain West. Both teams had advanced through the consolation brackets, but Whitehall lost to the Panthers 58-50. They finished 7-2 in the tourney, reeling off six consecutive wins to make it to the finals.

Head coach Jeff Jones said that the tournament provided an opportunity for a lot of players to make an impact on the court, and that’s what really resonated during the Stellar tourney.

“We got big contributions from different guys every game.” said Jones.

One of those players was Logan McGinley. McGinley’s play throughout the tourney earned the senior forward a first team all-tournament selection.

Jones said that McGinley is their leader both on and off the court. He’s also someone who’s determination will make him successful at anything he tries, said Jones. While he may not be flashy, Jones said that his presence is undeniable.

“When you leave the gym, you always know he was there,” said Jones.

Another player who made an impact at the 21st annual Catch A Rising Star Showcase was Devin Martinez. Martinez won the sixth man award.

Martinez is another player who gets the most out of his ability. He said he focuses on the defensive end, grabbing a rebound or making a stop. Martinez said that if they want to score his team needs the ball, so he concentrates on the dirty work inside to gain possessions. Once on offense, he looks to set screens or pass the ball since their lineup is filled with players who can fill the basket.

“We have plenty of scorers on the team, so I’m looking to set screens so they can drive or stop and shoot,” said Martinez.

Martinez was one of several players who also plays football. That means his summer sports schedule often overlaps. That was the case Saturday when they attended Lehigh University’s High School Passing Camp - which they won - and then went on to play a game that night against Nazareth.

He said the next day when they reeled off all those wins was really taxing as they only had 30 minutes between games to rest. Still, while the experience was grueling, it was also rewarding.

“It was tough and fun at the same time,” said Martinez.

Martinez said that while they got down early to the Panthers, they never gave up, eventually cutting the deficit to two points in the second half. However, PMW was able to pull away for the win.

The summer has provided Whitehall with a number of good signs heading into the new school year. They’ve had contributions from the established vets as well as a lot of their bench players who may see their roles expand in the winter. Jones said that playing time will be determined by a number of factors, i.e. what defenses their playing against, them chemistry, game situations, and that will all be sorted out as they open the 2016-17 campaign.