Spanish Fork doesn't have much height -- its tallest player is 6-foot-3. The Dons have only one player who has seen any varsity time at all. In fact, coach Mark Bailey says this team is the youngest of any he's had in his five years as head coach.

But why focus on what the Dons don't havefi

Bailey is more concerned with what his team does have.

Heart, aggressiveness, intensity and a will to win.

Is that enough to winfi

We are about to find out.

Spanish Fork opened the season with an 80-53 loss to Orem at the Beat the Zuke Challenge Tournament, but then rebounded to post a convincing 90-72 win over Cottonwood.

"I'm excited. There is a lot of potential and I think we have good senior leaders," Bailey said. "They know to be successful. We have had to rely on some of our younger players and they (the seniors) have really helped them out."

Last year the Dons finished third in Region 4 and lost to Viewmont in the first round of the state 5A tournament, finishing 14-8 overall.

The players who made a playoff push for the Dons are all gone, and as a result, Bailey put in a new offense that will feature more up-tempo play.

Between graduating seniors and the opening of the new Salem Hills High School, Spanish Fork's basketball program took a hit. The program lost about two-thirds of its players.

The only player who saw even minimal minutes last year is Breck Lewis, who scored 20 points against Cottonwood and is one of two senior guards that Bailey is counting on to provide this young team with the leadership it needs.

Lewis quarterbacked Spanish Fork's football team to the playoffs and is now switching gears towards basketball.

The other senior who will be a key to the team's success is Taylor Jones. Lewis and Jones should provide Spanish Fork with much of its scoring.

The rest of the Dons are young. Gavin Els, a junior, and Ridge Perkins, a sophomore, will likely get most of the minutes at point guard.

When asked who would play the center position, Bailey smiled and said, "We don't have a center."

When the Dons matchup against bigger teams look to see Travis Still, a 6-3 sophomore, and Chase Loftin, a 6-3, junior, getting the assignment of putting a body on the opposing team's big men.

Several players could rotate in at the forward position. Adam Duke, a 6-2, junior, Max Johnson, a 6-3 sophomore, and Nate Russell, a 6-2 sophomore, figure to round out Bailey's rotation.

Considering the team's youth and the fact that Region 4 only gets three playoff spots this year, a playoff spot would have to be considered a success.

"Getting in the playoffs is still the goal. I think you will need six region wins to get in," Bailey said. "We're a whole different team. We lost 100 percent of everything. These guys will have to step it up."

Spanish Fork

Head Coach: Mark Bailey

2007-08 record: 14-8, 6-4 Region 4

Post-season: Lost to Viewmont 62-53 (OT) in first round of 5A tournament

Key losses: Matt Gardner 6-3 G (14.1), Zack Clayton 6-0 G (10.3), Dallin Naulu 5-10 G (10.0), Devin Nelson 6-5 F (8.1), Juan Vergara 6-5 C (6.5)

Key returnees: Breck Lewis 6-1 Sr., Taylor Jones 6-1 Sr., Riley Hanks 6-5 Sr., Phillip Palmer 6-5 Sr.

The Word: A senior dominant team didn't leave much experience for Bailey, so it will be untested players who will lead the Dons. Between graduating seniors and the opening of the new Salem Hills High School, Spanish Fork's basketball program took a hit. The program lost about two-thirds of its players.