The Sumner High boys basketball squad got a small taste of postseason action last year, when the contingent was made up predominantly of juniors, breaking a 40-year state tournament draught.

The Spartans climaxed their 2010 campaign with a journey to the sweet 16, but had to travel to Tumwater and were sent packing by the tenacious Thunderbirds.

Those same cagers who went 16-8 overall last year, return to the fold this season as upperclassmen seniors, with an offseason in the weight room and development in the summer leagues.

The list of players that ultimately became better during the summer begins with one 6-foot, 5-inch guard Joey Kendall. SHS coach Brett McDaniel said the coachable Kendall improved both his strength and steamily.

“I can’t wait to see him reap the rewards of his labors this winter in game situations,” McDaniel said. “He already had the length size and the experience, but I have watched him become a more complete player.”

McDaniel said his seniors are hungry for a return to state play.

“We had an energetic first week of practice and I think these guys are going to come out of the gate strong,” he said. “This crew has a lot of potential and they have set high expectations for themselves.”

One of the strongest components will be agile 6 foot, 6 inch senior Zeb Glissmeyer, who has a good chance to finish among the top five all-time rebounders in Sumner High School history.

McDaniel maintains the South Puget Sound League 2A may be the best it has ever been.

Thus, it will take more than Glissmeyer and Kendall to survive the rigors of the league slate.

Sumner has four more seniors that should do the trick with the DeVries twins, Dan and Dave, both measuring in at 6-4 and well over 200 pounds.

Joining Kendall in the backcourt are Tyler Salisbury and freshman Austin Ford, who McDaniel hinted has an outside chance to crack the starting lineup, once he gets a bit more experience under his belt.