In his first year at the helm of the Northern Lehigh boys’ basketball program last winter, Bob Fahler knew he had a challenge ahead.

Fahler, who last coached at Northampton in 1994, came back into the ranks starting three freshmen, one junior and one senior.

He had an idea that it could be a long year.

The Bulldogs won their opener Dec. 1 against Hamburg, but then went 26 days before their second victory. The end result was a 2-20 season.

“At times, it was like boys playing against men,” recalled Fahler. “I can’t imagine a ninth-grader when I played starting in a varsity game.

“But these kids have spent a lot of time in the gym. You can definitely see some growth from last season.”

With four starters back, Fahler has a renewed optimism for his club. He is hopeful graduated senior Nick Buskirk’s determination and grit will carry over to his current players.

“Nick was a great team captain,” beamed Fahler. “Over his four years, he didn’t win a lot of games here. He always worked hard, and held everybody accountable.

“He was the kid every coach wanted on their team.”

Sophomore point guard Dare-Rious Smith is back to run the offense, and averaged 6.5 points last season. Fahler expects Smith to take his game to the next level.

“He’s a strong kid, and he also does MMA,” said Fahler. “He has the mindset of a warrior. He also has been able to run our transition game better, and get the ball down the floor. Dare-Rious has been better at protecting the ball.”

Senior Connor Simms is the team’s returning leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points and hit a team-high 43 three-pointers. Sophomore Kellen Bauer, who averaged 12.0 points and sank 41 three-pointers, will also be counted on for his scoring punch. Both were play in the paint.

Sophomore Colin Koretsky is the fourth returning starter, and Fahler sees him raising his game.

Others in the mix will be juniors Chayce LoPinto, who should log his share of minutes, as well as Kaydon Novicki, who will also see plenty of time. Fellow junior Zaid Salih will round out the rotation.

Fahler was anxious to see how his club would respond in scrimmages against Kutztown and Panther Valley. His squad didn’t compete in a summer league.

“We have been scrimmaging against the JVs, but most times it wasn’t as competitive as we would have liked,” stressed Fahler. “We were striving to build the cohesiveness.

“We didn’t have that much time during the summer because these kids are playing other sports. But we were in the gym two or three times each week.”

Like they did last season, Fahler will look to elevate his transition game and play pressure defense. The Bulldogs averaged 46 points and allowed 68.4.

“We want to be competitive, and not down by 20 points at halftime,” he said. “We want to be a team that is fun to watch, and get back to the success that Northern Lehigh used to have.

“The kids have been working hard, and you can see a difference.”