Getting to the top of the mountain is hard enough, but getting back is often an even tougher challenge.

Last season, the Pascack Valley Girls Basketball team reached the pinnacle of success, bringing home the Group 3 state championship, its sixth such title in program history.  However, that does not change the expectations heading into the 2017-2018 campaign for the Indians.

The Indians will open up their season today at Pascack Valley High School against Teaneck at 4 p.m.

“Last year was last year. It was a great year. It was wonderful,” Pascack Valley coach Jeff Jasper said. “But that’s in my rearview mirror. I look at every team as a brand new opportunity.”

At the start of the season, the Indians are poised for another potentially historic season, as Valley will return the vast majority of their state championship team, and entering his 45th season at the helm, Jasper sits just nine wins away from 1,000 in his career.

While Pascack Valley lacks one standout superstar, the Indians do have a depth of talent on their roster, and a wealth of experience, as well. Valley has a unique ability to have a lot of moving pieces on the floor, as they have many players that can fill multiple different roles.

“I think we are very unselfish. I think we always look for each other and make the extra pass. I think fundamentally we are pretty sound,” Jasper said.

Four seniors, Kelly Petro, Kelly Smith, Brianna Wong, and Toriana Tabasco, will return as starters for the Indians. Junior Brianna Smith will round out the starting five, replacing Shannon Culloo who was lost to graduation.  In addition, seniors Lindsay Rhode, Nicole Arden, and Cerina Dunkel, and sophomores Sofia Battistia and Olivia Jones will look to be key contributors off the bench.

“They are very different personalities. They are very different players,” Jasper said. “But together, they make us formidable. And that’s really how to keep that cohesiveness there.”

Jasper had high praise for all of players, especially the starters. He “love[s] the way [Petro] plays,” praised Kelly Smith for the “great energy” and “high-octane level” that she brings to the court, admired Tabasco’s toughness and attitude, likened Brianna Smith to NBA star Stephen Curry for her shooting ability, and commended Brianna Wong’s athleticism and shooting.

The Indians clearly have the talent and experience necessary to succeed again this season. However, Jasper knows that success will not come unless his team is not complacent and has the necessary drive to get back to where they were.

“The reason why we succeeded last year and every year has less to do with skill, and more to do with kids playing for each other,” Jasper said. “So does that fire still burn to make that happen?”