The Powell High School Panthers will have to scratch and claw to contend for a 3A boys basketball state title.

And that’s exactly what they intend to do if their coach and senior leaders have anything to say about it.

Coach Chase Kistler will count on seniors Kalei Smith, one of the top scorers in the state in 2013-14, Carter Baxter and Zach Heny to lead the offense.

Smith and Baxter were the team’s leading points-producers last season and will surely get a lot of attention from defenses this season.

“The good thing is, there’s two of them,” Kistler said.

Heny came off the bench at the start of last season but his ability to get hot in an instant, along with his hustle and fire, moved him into the starting lineup by the end of the year.

But the second-year head coach said he wants his team to have several offensive options on the floor.

“Hopefully, we find scoring in a lot of places,” Kistler said. “I’m teaching my guys to play good team defense.”

PHS went 18-12 last year, finishing fourth at state. A bid for another state title game came up just short when leading scorer Kalei Smith’s floater at the buzzer would not drop in a semifinal contest.

Size will again be an issue. Kistler said it seems like Powell never has a big man inside.

But the team was bolstered by the return of Jacob Gallagher, a 6-2 junior who sat out last season.

The team may press on defense, depending on the match-up and who’s on the floor. Kistler had 20 boys come out for the varsity and late last week he was still sorting out who will dress and who will start.

That could continue during the season, as some players could come up from JV.

Smith, a 6-2 senior, figures to be the focus of this team. As a junior, he thrilled fans with dunks and long 3-pointers and showed fire on the court and in the huddle.

“The ultimate goal is make it to state and bring home some hardware,” Smith said. “But a 50-point game would be nice.”

He has bulked up this season, adding 10 to 15 pounds which he said will help him during the long season without costing him any lift. Smith said he is eager for a final high school season with teammates he has long shared the court with, but he is also interested to see what the newcomers on the team can do.

“The younger kids need to step up,” Smith said.

Baxter, a rugged 6-2 senior forward, was a force inside last year, ripping down rebounds. He often dashed the length of the court to score while exhibiting a soft touch around the basket.

The Panthers lost some size inside, Baxter said, but they will have “more speed and skill from the outside.”

He said contending for a state title is a very real possibility.

“As long as everybody plays the same way," Baxter said. “If we put in the effort and sell out, we’ll be a very successful team.”

Heny will start at point guard this year and he is looking forward for the opportunity to control the ball and make the Panthers purr on the court.

“I just want to try to have a good start and earn some wins early,” he said. Heny said the team needs to pick up wins as it learns how to play together.

He said while PHS may lack height, he isn’t worried about being dominated on the boards.

“I think we should do pretty good on rebounds,” Heny said. “As long as we box out.”

18-12 last season

The 2013-14 Panthers went 18-12 overall and finished third in the 3A West with a 10-3 mark. PHS struggled with injuries at times and had to adjust to a new coach.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to try to prove I was the right guy for the job,” Kistler said.

He said this year, he wants to “build a program” while teaching hoop and life lessons to his players.

“It is a game,” he said. “I want to make sure they see the bigger picture rather than just winning or losing a basketball game. Winning and losing is not all that matters.”

The 2013-14 Panthers were a talented, entertaining team that scored more than all but one other 3A squad, putting 1,737 points on the board. However, defense was a problem all season, as they allowed 1,648 points, far more than all other schools.

The Panthers have claimed three state titles in the past 50 years, winning the crown in 1966, 1985 and 1998. They are being picked as contenders once again this year, but Kistler said he feels defending state champ and arch-rival Cody, as well as Glenrock, which finished second in the state tourney, deserve to be the favorites.

The Panthers open the season against Newcastle at 3 p.m. Friday at the East/West Classic in Buffalo. They will take on Wheatland at 8 a.m. and Rawlins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Buffalo then comes to Powell for the first home game of the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. Sheridan will be in the Panther Gym at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. Powell will host eight games this season.

The team will then have a long break before it resumes action at Worland on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, for the Big Horn Classic.

Regional action is set for Thursday through Saturday, March 5-7, at Lander High School. The state tourney will be played Thursday through Saturday, March 12-14, at the Casper Events Center.