After a successful summer season that saw them win the Stellar Summer League big school championship, the Whitehall basketball team may very well embarking on Dickensian saga this year.

Call it Great Expectations.

Now, head coach Jeff Jones is quick to point out that any expectations coming from outside the program is simply newspaper fodder. However, with a senior dominated roster, he does concede that his players have an idea how they would like their season to unfold.

“They have a perception of how they want the season to go,” said Jones. “I think they’ll set some pretty lofty goals for themselves.”

While they haven’t formally sat down and discussed their goals, something Jones will get to later this week, he does believe his players will welcome the challenge this season.

In fact, last Saturday was the first day he had his full roster at his disposal since seven varsity players were still involved in PIAA playoff football.

Whitehall’s eight seniors will form the foundation of this year’s squad. Those seniors will be present at every position, with Jackson Buskirk, Kayden Walschburger and Kasai Harrison in the backcourt, Logan McGinley, Charles Hudson and Eric Johnson at the forwards, and Zach Gilbert and Devin Martinez at the five spot.

Junior Mikey Esquilin is another seasoned veteran who will figure prominently into that mix, providing scoring from both inside and out.

Jones said that he hasn’t settled on a starting five, but he has an idea who will be playing when they tip off the season later this month. However, he has a deep bench this season and he foresees getting a lot of players minutes this year.

That bench includes Walschburger who emerged as a deep threat beyond the arc last season, as well as sophomore Ethan Parvel who will see time in the backcourt, and junior Braxton Marrero who will provide some scoring pop off the bench. Additionally, sophomore Joseph Herman, a shooting guard, will provide depth off the bench, while newcomer Mike Smith, a junior, will give them some toughness inside. They’ll also feature junior Jake Lisicky who can play inside and out, as well as junior Kevin Virgo who will be another option as a reserve.

Jones said that McGinley will take a prominent role as one of the leaders this season.

“He’s kind of been the glue,” said Jones. “He kind of keeps us together.”

McGinley relies on hustle and desire to impact a game, whether it’s getting to the basket for a layup among the bigs in the EPC, or grabbing a tough rebound to begin a fast break.

The Zephyrs can score in a variety of ways, making them tough to defend. They can score off the dribble with Esquilin, Buskirk, Harrison and Hudson slashing to the basket; they can spot up from beyond the arc with Walschburger and Esquilin, Buskirk, Hudson and Gilbert all capable of draining threes, and they can score in the paint with Martinez, Gilbert, McGinley, Hudson and Johnson adept at working inside.

Jones said that Harrison could emerge as a player that can have a big impact this season. Harrison got a lot of playing time over the summer and Jones expects the senior to build on that experience.

“I’m really excited about him,” said Jones.

Harrison’s impact was evident in the Stellar championship game when his late-game steal helped turned the tide against Allen.

Jones also watched as Harrison’s role on offense increased during their playoff run in football, and believes that confidence he has right now will bode well for him once the basketball season starts.

Johnson also got a lot of playing time during the summer and he’s another player who benefited from all those minutes at Cedar Beach.

Last season the Zephs went 13-11 and made it to the district playoffs, defeating Southern Lehigh before they were ousted by Bangor.

This year their strong corps of seniors will try to lead them back to the postseason where they should compete for a title. Jones said that his players, especially his seniors, know that you only have a small window during your high school career to win a league or district championship.

They just had their first scrimmage last Saturday and Jones said that he liked their intensity. He also liked the way they way they competed against Liberty and said that a good portion of their points came in transition.

“We really rebounded the ball well and were able to score in transition,” he said.

Jones’ staff will include assistant coach Corey Frantz and junior varsity coach Jamison Barnhart.