BAXTER — It is Eric Padget’s third year as

BAXTER — It is Eric Padget’s third year as head coach of the Collins-Maxwell-Baxter girls basketball team.

And while 71 percent of last year’s scoring is gone, Padget gets to reload using players that started their high school careers with one coach.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that most of the athletes on the floor this year for the Raiders are players who simply have not logged varsity minutes.

“We need to channel the nervous energy into defensive intensity,” Padget said. “You don’t necessarily have to be taught to play defense. It is more of an attitude.”

Leading the way this year for CMB will be the three captains — seniors Abby Maher and Ashley Fricke and junior Amber Joyce. Together, they have been called the AAA Club by their coach.

“They are going to score, defend and be the coaches on the floor for us this year because they got a taste of varsity last year,” Padget said. “The rest of the team is young and will need leadership from these individuals.”

Maher is the floor leader and the team’s best athlete. She has the respect of her teammates and she can do it all on the floor. Fricke is the coach on the floor for Padget. She is tough and rarely makes mental mistakes.

“I have the best of both worlds with my seniors,” Padget said.

Besides the two seniors and Joyce — who Padget called smart and strong — the Raiders will rely heavily on some young and inexperienced players. Included in that group are juniors Leanna Smith, Zeah Peterson and Casady Myers and sophomores Sarah Galbraith, Nicole Pritchard and Emmeline Huffaker.

“We had the best summer we have had since I have been coach here,” Padget said. “The kids really took time to get better. And we’ll see that this year.”

Padget identified inexperience as a weakness and he wants to be good people and a good defensive team this year.

“When we get done with every game, I want to be able to say that the opposition thought we were good people and a good defensive team,” Padget said. “If we do that, I’ll be pretty happy.