That's why not much will change this year, as the Hawks embark on their fifth season since 2000 as the defending state champions in Div. IV.  Ten players will still play in the first quarter.  Players who would start on just about any other team will come off the bench.  Everyone will be expected to fill their role.

It's the way it is.  Late in the second decade of coach Dave Schlabach's tenure on the bench the system and theory are in place.

And they work.

"We're going to be quite a bit similar to what we've been," Schlabach said.  "We're going to play a lot of kids and play them early.  We'll press quite a bit and we have some decent shooters.  Our three leading rebounders from last year are gone, so there are some question marks there.  We're guard heavy, but we need post scoring.  Kate's (Katelyn Stuckey) improved a lot, but we're going to need someone else in there to help out.  I have to know who else I can count on."

Stuckey might have the most crucial role on the team, but there's going to be a lot of thought going into what can be done to keep Hiland the state's best small school team.

For instance, while six of the players on this year's roster -- Stuckey, state title game spark Hilary Weaver, state semifinal spark Karli Mast, Jessica Stutzman, Mykeila Mast and West Holmes transfer Noelle Yoder -- all have significant experience in big games, there are still five players gone from the state title team whose contributions were significant.

While there's clearly no Jena Stutzman on this team, the rest of the class that walked out of Hiland after graduation did things that Schlabach liked.  The contributions from that class are things the new team hasn't shown yet.

"We have a lot back from last year, but we also lost a lot," Schlabach said.  "We found out this summer that we really miss that senior class.  They handled themselves wonderfully and did all the things we needed.  This group we have now has been through a lot and is really competitive.  These kids have a great work ethic, that's one of the things I appreciate about this group.  We're pretty guard dominated.  The key is going to be to mesh as a team."

The one senior on the team, Tiffin recruit Karli Mast has shown clutch ability in key moments and might need it again this year.  An emotional spark in whatever role she played for the Hawks a year ago, the heroine of the state semifinal win over New Riegel will take on the enhanced role of senior leader on a team with a loaded junior class and freshmen that will be the envy of most in Div. IV.

"The great thing about Karli is that she does everything you need a player to do," Schlabach said.  "She's not blessed with great athletic ability and isn't the quickest kid on the floor.  But she's a great player because she's worked hard at getting better every day.  It makes it easy as a coach when your best player is as coachable and works as hard as Karli.  That can't help but show up in the younger kids."

The younger kids might help define the success of this team.  The juniors are established players who, with the exception of Yoder, have been in the program enough to understand the team's Princeton offense well enough to run it in their sleep.  Because the team's theory revolves around having 10 players who can contribute and doing so as to not have any drop-off when they rotate, rookies are going to be essential.

To that vein, the Hawks have a talented group of freshmen, headlined by McKenzie Miller and Meagan Hall, who might step in and play from day one.  Sophomores Ashley Weaver and Arrianna Schrock will also see their minutes increase in the rotation.

"All six of our veterans are going to see time not starting," Schlabach said.  "We've talked about it and they know the situation.  We're going to start three upperclassmen and we'll probably start two freshman.  We're going to rotate.  We found in the summer that when we started five upperclassmen, it didn't work.  We had a drop in our play.  We want to stay consistent."

The Inter-Valley Conference race has been a two-team sprint for awhile now, with archrivals Hiland and Garaway dueling for the crown.  Strasburg could involve itself in the process this year as well.  Beyond that, Hiland's goal always stays the same.

"I have no idea whether or not we can end the season in Columbus, but that's always the goal," Schlabach said.  "It's going to take a lot of good things happening, but the goal never changes.  We lost a lot and we found that out in the summer and scrimmages."