With the Colonial League following suit this week and suspending league basketball games until mid-January, it puts Whitehall’s December games in limbo at the moment.

The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference announced last week that they would suspend their league season until Jan. 15, and Tuesday morning’s vote by the Colonial League will also delay winter sports for about a month.

Head Coach Jeff Jones learned of the news shortly after their decision, and now he’s not sure what will transpire after the Colonial League’s vote came in favor of suspending the season until January 11. They have games scheduled with Northwestern Lehigh on Dec. 18, followed by Southern Lehigh on Dec. 23.

Since Southern Lehigh was one of the schools that voted to suspend the league season, Jones doesn’t believe that they’ll be meeting the Spartans on Dec. 23. However, he’s operating under the assumption that their game against the Tigers will still be played. Northwestern Lehigh was one of six schools voting against the delay. Southern Lehigh joined the majority in a 7-6 vote in favor of the delay.

Jones said that his team has been in the gym for 10 days, and they’ve been practicing under the guidelines that are in place because of the pandemic. Foremost among those is the wearing of masks during all aspects of their activities, whether it’s during practice or in games. Jones said that it’s not ideal, but it’s in place to keep the kids safe while competing.

“It’s a little bit different, to say the least,” said Jones.

Wearing a face covering is something they’ve gotten used to this past year, and even though it’s on the basketball court, it’s something they’ve come to accept.

They’ve also had to make social distancing adjustments. Jones said that they have a small locker room, and that means only a handful of players can be in the room at the same time. He also said that their pregame and halftime gatherings would most likely be moved to a nearby classroom that offers more space. It’s just another aspect of how they’re going to have to navigate through this unparalleled season.

Steps to ensure everyone’s safety are taken before the players step into the gym. Jones said that they’re required to scan a Quick Response (QR) code where they must answer a series of questions that go to the training staff. Their responses determine if they’re eligible to compete in practice. It’s another tool that schools are employing to keep their players and staff safe.

They’re also bringing their own water bottles, and staying spaced out when

While that’s become the new norm, Jones said that it’s still about teaching basketball once they step onto the court. That hasn’t changed. And he’s excited about this year’s team. They will have a strong senior class to lean on led by Zack Hartman, Luke Gilbert, Matt Snyder and Matt Lisicky.

With their first game not until Dec. 18, James said that they’ll be holding intrasquad scrimmages since no outside scrimmages will take place. Jones said that they’ll scrimmage Tuesdays and Fridays to replicate their normal game schedule as they ramp up to the upcoming season.

“That way we keep practices competitive,” said Jones.