“Our goal is to get back on the board again,” White River High wrestling coach Joe Klein said after the 2009 state tournament concluded in February.

The Hornets, state champions in 1995 and runners-up in 2001, 2002 and 2003, are used to having a spot in the Top 10, so when they finished a respectable 18th a year ago, it was hard to swallow.

“Bearing the things we don’t have much control over,” Klein said this season, “and we stay healthy, it should be an interesting year. We have our goals. There’s a lot of opportunity for kids to step it up. The kids are working hard.”

The 2009-10 season mixes a large group of seniors and freshmen on the mat with a handful of juniors – about 50 total for the Hornet program.

Leading the returning lineup are seniors Chase Myers, who finished fourth at state last year, and Alec Williams, who captured sixth at state.

Junior heavyweight David Meagher, who made the trip to Mat Classic, returns.

Austin Bethel, a senior, returns to the lineup. As do Richard Geddes, Nathan Linder, Robert Kautzman, Caden Pugmire and Connor Leckman.

South Puget Sound League 3A is one of the state’s toughest with two-time defending state champion Enumclaw, sixth-place Bonney Lake; Auburn Mountainview, which finished ninth at state; Franklin Pierce was 10th and Sumner finished one spot above White River in 17th.

The Hornets will find out where they stand right out the gate when they open league action at home at 7 p.m. Thursday with Sumner and then host the annual 16-team White River Classic Saturday. This year’s Classic will feature two-time state champion Enumclaw, defending Class 1A champion Orting, Yelm, Sunnyside and others.

“It’s tough,” Klein said. “We’ll know where we stack up.”