After having Billy Hallman at the helm for six seasons, the Northwestern Lehigh Tigers enter the 2021-2022 season with their third coach in three seasons after the sudden departure of Jerry Lloyd, who took over the team from Hallman last season.

Stepping in is Lloyd’s assistant, Cory Cesare, who embarks on his first jaunt as a varsity head coach after coaching the JV squad last season.

“It was definitely a whirlwind, it happened very fast,” said Cesare of the move to being the team’s head coach. “I like to think it’s something that I’ve been preparing for my whole life and something that I have definitely dreamed of doing in being a head coach. I’ve developed relationships with people here and we’ve started to work together very well because we’re all reaching for the same goals.”

Cesare takes over a team that finished 14-6 overall and went to the semifinals of the District 11 tournament in the postseason. Gone are graduating seniors Andres Garrido, Nick Henry and Jared Stitzel, and the team suffered another loss when current senior Justin Holmes opted out of the 21-22 basketball season.

Holmes, who serves as the quarterback on the football team, broke his finger in the final district championship game and will focus on getting healthy and preparing to play college football at Kent State next fall.

“As of now, he’s not playing,” said Cesare of Holmes’ status. “I totally respect that decision. I understand that he has big things ahead of him and things that he wants to achieve, and I respect that. We’re going to miss him, but obviously, it’s next man up and we have to fill that hole and it’s an opportunity for someone else to step up.”

The approach for this season is a continuation of a theme that started last year. Cesare is focusing on paying attention to minor details that can add up and result either in some big wins or agonizing defeats.

“We got better every game last year and we started to perfect things as the season went on. We perfected our rotations, we perfected how we need to time our plays,” said Cesare. “Those little things add up. In high school basketball and especially in the Colonial League, there aren’t many LeBron James’ out there, so a lot of times it comes down to who makes an extra pass on a possession or who gets back on defense on another possession. It’s those little moments in a game that can change things.”

Senior Dylan Witkowski has emerged as a team leader after putting together some late game heroics last season for the Tigers, and classmate Josh Heilman also returns. Cayden Fitch took over as the team’s point guard and had some early growing pains but regrouped nicely and put together a strong season, and another junior, Cade Christopher, is also back.

With Holmes gone, Ethan Lazarus may be the go-to guy in the post for Northwestern Lehigh.

“Dylan is always the last guy to leave the gym and he’s the loudest guy on the floor, especially on defense, he’s always talking to his teammates,” Cesare noted. “Cayden is a year older and a year better. We’re emphasizing scoring a little more this year and to attack the paint a little more. I’m of the belief that nobody is a finished product, and we all have room to grow, and I think guys like Dylan and Cayden realize that.”

The Tigers open their season Dec. 14 at home against Pen Argyl and then play four of their next six games on the road to open the season. The schedule evens out with Northwestern playing host for five of its final six games.

“Coach (Jerry) Radocha and I were looking at the schedule the other day and it’s kind of quirky,” said Cesare. “We have six in the beginning that are almost game after game after game. We’ve been talking a lot about what our goals are to get through those six and then reevaluate from there because we don’t really have anything over Christmas, so that’s a time when we can nail things down.”

Cesare has been involved in sports throughout his life, having played basketball and football at Whitehall High School and then going on to play football at Wilkes University.

He has retained coaches Jerry Radocha, Bob Mazziotta, and Nate Hunsicker on his staff for the upcoming season.