An experienced, tall and skilled 2011-12 Sumner High girls basketball squad finished last year’s regular season at 12-2 and proceeded to go deep into the second season, becoming eligible to participate in the Class 2A state basketball tournament for the first time in a decade.

Unfortunately, this successful path came to an end as the Lady Sparts lost to SPSL 2A foe White River for the fourth time out of five meetings with the Hornets. At the conclusion of the campaign, the Spartans said good-bye to no less than a dozen senior players.

Returning as the Spartan gals’ mentor is the patient, but very competitive Rob Thayer, who admitted the Dirty Dozen was a talented group with each possessing their own skill set and ability. Thayer refuses to acknowledge the 2011-12 must be written off as a rebuilding year and has forewarned the troops that anyone referring to the upcoming SPSL 2A tribulations as such within earshot of him will definitely be running laps after practice.

Only two varsity returners grace the purple and gold’s roster for the upcoming season, juniors Robi Long and Brenna Allsop. Thayer opined the young cagers on his contingent spent a lot of quality court time playing with each other in the Auburn Mountainview summer cage camps and leagues and enjoyed every second of getting to know one another.

“There are four freshman on our varsity team and we had some quality experience rising up from what comprised last year’s junior varsity ranks, including one transfer from the Auburn-Riverside High School program. She wasn’t eligible to play varsity for us last season, according to league regulations,” Thayer said, ” but senior, point guard Tayler Holtman is probably the most adroit pure shooter in the bunch.”

“I am going to go out on a limb and say that this faster and more athletic, albeit younger team is going to surprise some people, especially in the second round of the regular season, once they’ve fought some SPSL 2A b-ball battles together,” said Thayer, whose crew will begin a whole new chapter of Spartan basketball in the league season lid lifter Dec. 6 when the Spartans welcome Eatonville.