Following a loss to Winnacunnet in the state finals last year, the Central girls basketball team hopes a little experience leads a largely young team back for a second shot at the two-time Class L champs.

This year’s Little Green team has just three returning players who earned significant court time last year, including Hooksett’s Sam Walker, but head coach Mike Wenners said those three players – and the experience they gained in 2007-08 – should prove invaluable as this season progresses.

“They’ve been there before, so they won’t panic in situations like that,” said Wenners, a Hooksett native. “It helps us as a team because they can lead the way if we get into situations like that. When we’re playing in front of big crowds, we’ll really lean on them.”

Walker, Christiana Bakolas and Keily Funk make up the Little Green’s “big three.” Walker is a junior, but it’s her third year at the varsity level. Her success stems from the highspeed level of play she brings to the court.

“The reason she’s been successful is energy and effort, and I think it goes hand in hand. She’s non-stop out there. Sometimes she almost plays too fast,” said Wenners. “There’s no one that outworks her. She’s a person that you hate to play against, because she’s always in your face.”

Wenners said the team could struggle as it learns to play together, but he’ll depend on Funk, a senior who won a state title with the soccer team, Bakolas, a junior who is already one of the state’s finest players, and Walker to keep frustration to a minimum should Central falter early.

The Little Green’s scheduled season-opener vs. Salem was postponed until Monday, Dec. 22, but Central tipped off on Tuesday, Dec. 16, winning 60-31 against Nashua North.

“We’ve talked about being just a work in progress. We expect to be competing with everyone at the end of the year,” said Wenners. “It’s one of those things that you have to understand. We’ll have bumps, particularly the first month. We have to work hard, and if we do that, some of the bumps will be ironed out.” Jen Langton, a senior, earns her first significant varsity playing time this year.

Cheyenne Jenkins could start for Wenners, who said after 6-footer Ciara Doucet, his team is lucky if its next tallest player is 5-foot-7.

“We’ll be (using) a transition offense. We’re a very small team,” said Wenners. “We have to defend very well, rebound as a team very well, and get up the floor. It’s not our game to just pound the ball into the paint. Taking care of the ball is critical. We talk about valuing every possession that we have.”