The White River High Hornets made a successful soccer run a season ago, battling through the playoffs and winding up just one heartbreaking loss away from making the state tournament.

It’s a different world now that White River has dropped to the Class 2A ranks, where most of the foes will be seen for the first time.

That’s not the case on the Hornet roster, where familiar faces abound. Back for another year are players like Josh Kirk, Zach Welch, Evan Matz, Chase Butler, Zac Morris, Callum Scott and Eli Bickle. Trent Rohm is ready to take over the starting job in goal.

Even the coaching duo is well tested, as coach Russ DeFord and assistant Travis Tremblay are back for another campaign.

The Hornets only have two nonleague games on their regular-season schedule and one of those is the season opener, planned for 7 p.m. Friday against North Kitsap. The game will be played on the White River campus.