For the Northern Lehigh girls basketball team, it’s all about a changing of the roles in the cast.

Last season, the Bulldogs were paced by current DeSales standout and 1,000-point-plus scorer Aubrey Pollard — who was a dominant force in the middle over the previous four seasons.

In addition, fellow senior Cadence Whalen held a steady, veteran presence on the court.

Northern Lehigh advanced to the second round of the state playoffs before it was eliminated by Marian, 55-54, in a gut-wrenching classic that left it with an overall 17-11 record.

With Pollard and Whalen both gone, the Bulldogs will look to their returnees to take on leading roles.

Head coach Chris Heery knows what’s ahead for his club in the early going.

“We have a big vacuum to fill with the loss of Aubrey and Cadence,” said Heery. “We’ll have a different offensive approach instead of trying to pound the ball inside to Aubrey.

“But we feel good with our core coming back.”

Seniors Katelynn and Dekota Barthold both return to help set the pace. Katelynn, who will work the point, is the team’s leading returning scorer averaging 14.8 points per game, and Heery expects her to top the 1,000-point plateau this season.

Dekota will work up front, and also sank 31-three-pointers to help her score 7.6 points per game.

“Both of them have been key players for us the past couple of seasons,” said Heery. “We expect both of them to lead the team with their experience, and they’re ready for a big season ahead.

“Katelynn has improved her game at the point, and she can control the ball well and the game. Dekota also has improved her game in the inside and outside.”

Heery is also confident that sophomore forward Tegan Simms can take the next step. Simms averaged 10.25 points, and drilled a team-high 53 three-pointers.

“Tegan has the potential to be our leading scorer,” said Heery. “She is an offense-minded player, and can be a big contributor for us.”

Heery will also look to junior Ariana Williams, another returning starter, and senior Jackie Richards to be consistent role players. Junior Jaylene Ramos and freshman Anne Trelease both should be in the Bulldogs’ regular rotation.

“Jaylene didn’t come out her first two years, and she has been doing a great job at practice. Anne has looked good as well, and she can help us. Both of them can do some nice things for us.”

Still, Heery is taking a conservative approach to begin the season, and is cautiously optimistic that his club can find its identity early and mature along the way.

“Our numbers are better this year,” stated Heery. “We think we can develop a rotation that can be nine or 10 players deep.

“But we have a rough six-game schedule to start the season that includes Northwestern and Palmerton. It will be a challenge for us, and we’ll see how we react. It will also see how we can jell at the start of the season.”

Rest assured, it will be a different landscape for the Bulldogs this winter to remain one of the Colonial League’s constants.

“We’ll look to be more of an outside shooting team, and also get our transition game going,” said Heery. “The girls know they have to make adjustments, and we’ll see what happens.”