Having lost just one senior from last year’s boys basketball squad, coach John Hofstrand is excited about his 2009-10 Bonney Lake Panthers.

Hofstrand will be looking for his team to improve upon last season’s 1-19 mark.

“We have four starters back and a good group of young players this season,” Hofstrand said. “A lot of kids should get plenty of playing time on the floor.”

Senior Nate Braun, a 6-foot-3 forward and the Panthers’ leading scorer last season, is back. Braun also led the team in 3-point shooting, hitting 25-of-72 attempts from beyond the arc, and was the Panthers’ leading rebounder with six boards per game.

Riley Baltazar, a 5-7 senior, returns at guard, along with 6-0 senior Chad Marquez, who averaged four rebounds per outing.

Dion Bertch, a 6-3 senior, will be a post.

Hofstrand said Lawrence Williams and Ramsey Toms also will see action for the Panthers.

Compared with the rest of the South Puget Sound League 3A, the Panthers are small, Hofstrand said.

But despite their size, Hofstrand believes his team’s experience and intelligent play is a strength.

This season, the boys game will have a 35-second clock which could be an advantage to some teams. Hofstrand said he will tinker with his offense.

“We’re going to experiment with a little bit of everything,” he said. “We had some success, but will have to adjust to the shot clock. We’re excited about having the shot clock.”

Hofstrand, like many league coaches, predicts Enumclaw and Lakes will battle it out for the league title.

After Tuesday’s nonleague opener at North Thurston, Bonney Lake opens SPSL 3A play against Enumclaw Friday at home.