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Joel Reichenberger

Joel Reichenberger's column appears Sundays in the Steamboat Pilot & Today. Contact him at 871-4253 or e-mail jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com.

Steamboat Springs — Paonia coach Scott Rienks may have explained it late Friday night after his Eagles pounded Hayden in the Class 2A girls basketball state tournament semifinals, ending the Tigers' hopes of winning a state championship.

"This is Eric's first year," Rienks said, commenting on Hayden's coach, Eric Hamilton. "This is that team's first year with his style and that press. I was here last year, and that's what happened to us."

Indeed, Paonia improved under Rienks. The team made state in 2007 and 2008 without winning a game. In 2009, it stormed all the way to the state finals.

"They'll be better in the future," Rienks concluded.

That's a question that I debated all weekend as I covered Hayden's trip to state that ended with a victory in Saturday's third-place game.

Can they be this good again?

It doesn't seem possible. Or, at least, it didn't. All year long, it was seniors who led the way for Hayden. This class seemed special.

Holli Salazar was the go-to scorer. Kylee Sweetser had the chops to pick up the slack if Salazar was off, and Caitlin Mahanna had the toughness and smarts to captain the whole thing as the point guard. Elaine Cromie provided essential minutes off the bench - she played particularly well in Hayden's tournament victories.

The weekend offered evidence that maybe the Tigers can't be better in a year, but they still could be pretty darn good.

Having such dominant seniors meant many of the Hayden underclassmen were forced into lesser roles. The younger player responded when they had the opportunity.

Junior center Rachael Koehler - surely a big part of whatever Hayden will become next winter - played her best game of the tournament Saturday and scored eight points to help lift the team to third place.

Delanie VeDepo hit some of the biggest free throws she'll ever face - Saturday to put Hayden ahead in the final minute in the consolation game and Thursday to help close out the opening round win against Sanford.

Junior Jarah Woodley's experience will be crucial next year, and sophomore Kyra Rolando scored several baskets in the state tournament.

Erin Koehler, Morgan Bell and Cala Manzanares all picked up varsity minutes in the tournament and could be primed for bigger roles next season.

Let me make a comparison.

As a Kansas State basketball fan, I assumed my Wildcats were doomed after the best player in the nation last year, freshman Michael Beasley, and his classmate, Bill Walker, left for the NBA.

I didn't have a world of faith in first-year coach Frank Martin or the players returning. But, they all proved me wrong. Without its two best players, K-State almost was as good and finished fourth in the Big 12.

Can Hayden pull the same trick? I don't know. But the younger Tigers took monster steps this season, and I wouldn't bet against them.