The Sumner High basketball girls may be young, but they have the heart and smarts to make up for age.

Coach Callie Birklid said her team has one senior and the rest are sophomores, but many of her young players were on the floor for the Spartans last year.

“We are young,” Birklid said. “But we are tall and pretty quick. This is a good group of girls.”

Birklid said the girls have been working on “seeing and reading defenses” when they have the ball. On defense the team will run man-to-man, but Birklid will add zone into the mix.

“They are young, but they get it,” Birklid said.

Senior Lisa Schouten, a 6-footer, will be in the post.

Sophomores Kaitlin King, Angie Wagar-Sanchez and Kendal Thendan will be running the floor.

Other sophomores are Dani Babcock, Tye Lubking, Ashley Delany, Laree Rommell, Reagen Wright and Erika Olsen.

The Spartans hosted Spanaway Lake High Tuesday; scores were not available.

Sumner will host Yelm at 7 p.m. Friday and host North Thurston at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Both are nonleague games.

The first South Puget Sound League 3A game for the Spartans will begin at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at home against Peninsula.

Reach Dennis Box at dbox@courierherald.com or 360-802-8209.