Whitehall senior Jack Lloyd and his teammates weren’t ready for their season to end when they met Pocono Mountain East in the District 11 Class 6A consolation game.

Lloyd played his part as he responded with a game-high 19 points - 11 in the third quarter - to lift the Zephyrs to a 62-47 victory. With the win, Whitehall (13-13) will move on to the state playoffs and play at Methacton Saturday in an opening-round game.

Against Pocono Mountain East, Lloyd knew his team had to stay focused despite a 58-43 win over the Cardinals Jan. 6.

“It was a solid game,” said Lloyd. “Pocono Mountain East came ready to compete and gave us a real challenge. They weren’t the same team we faced earlier in the season, and they improved a lot. They were well coached and had some talented players.”

The Zephyrs understood what was in front of them.

“We knew what was at stake going in,” stressed Lloyd. “We had to win to lock up the third seed. Some people might say the game didn’t mean much, but every game matters. You have to treat it that way. Obviously, we would’ve preferred to be playing in the district championship, but that’s not how it worked out. I’m proud of how our guys responded and handled their business.”

Whitehall will meet Methacton (22-5), who beat Souderton 61-46, in the District 1 Class 6A consolation game after they lost to Coatesville in the semifinals.

The Warriors are led by Cole Webb, John Lett, and Mason Conrad, all of whom average in double figures. Methacton pieced together an impressive 18-game winning streak during the regular season.

Zephyrs’ head coach Jeff Jones was pleased for his club to secure a state bid, but he is well aware of their next opponent. Jones was proud of his club’s character after they dropped their first five games and seven of their first nine. The Zephyrs scrimmaged Catasauqua Wednesday.

“This is the reward for the kids who continued to fight all season after our rough start,” stated Jones. “Jack shot the ball well (against Pocono Mountain East), and our offense got going.

“Methacton plays solid man defense, and they have lots of ball movement and options offensively. They have two first-team all -league guys and a second- team all-league guy. They are a solid team.”

Senior Seth Hoderewski, who had 16 points against Pocono Mountain East, also had his mind set on getting to the state playoffs.

“Third place is better than fourth,” offered Hoderewski. “And that was our mindset. A win is a win and every game we play, we look to win. The team played a well fought game and came out on top. We feel good getting a win and being in states.

Lloyd is confident the Zephyrs’ ride can continue.

“It was a good step to build momentum heading into states,” added Lloyd. “We’ll get in a few strong practices, hopefully a scrimmage, and then get ready for our first state tournament game. From there, it’s about competing and seeing how far we can go.”