When the scoreboard clock at the Bank of America Arena on the University of Washington campus showed all zeros on Saturday, March 8, it signaled the end of John F. Kennedy's Cinderella-like season in a toughly fought 48-40 Class 3A state girls championship game loss to Auburn Riverside.

"I told them to remember how it feels, because next year we're going to be back," declared first year Kennedy head coach Tom Mummert. "It was a great season."

Although the tears flowed for some Lancer players, Yasmine Fuller stepped up to put a proper perspective on the total accomplishment.

"Nobody expected us to be here," she recalled. "We got second place and got to be proud of that. But next year, nobody's going to be able to play against us."

With Auburn Riverside moving up to Class 4A next season, the Lancers proved that in the championship game they're now the top gunslingers to beat in the Class 3A upper tier of teams despite perennial power Prairie from the Vancouver area sliding back down to 3A and a host of state teams that return solid cores of starters next year.

Potential abounds as Fuller and junior stand out Daidra Brown can return to lead a now state experienced team that graduates one player and has all starters eligible to return.

From the beginning of the season, Kennedy had three freshmen, two sophomores, six juniors and one senior to coordinate blazing speed due to lack of overall height. The team rapidly gained momentum throughout the season as it blistered Seamount League opposition for a14-0 record before sweeping through all other opposition except Auburn Riverside.

In mid-February, Riverside defeated Kennedy 63-48 in subdistrict before the Lancers were within five points with two minutes remaining in a 66-56 loss to the Ravens in bi-district.

At state, the lightning Lancers opened with a 46-32 win against Lakeside. Next came a 73-51 demolition of Kamiakin. The following night, Kennedy expended all it had to defeat a pugnacious Hanford Falcon team 54-49, prompting a compliment from the Hanford coach.

"It's tough when you get about that close to being in the finals," Falcon coach Evan Woodward related, indicating a thumb and finger about an eighth of an inch apart. "But I'll tell you what. Kennedy hasn't been one of the best teams in the state for no reason. They are really good."

Following the Saturday defeat at the hands of Auburn Riverside, a key Raven player said it best.

"Kennedy is a great team," tournament Most Valuable Player Katie Grad testified. "They're athletic. They're quick. They're fast."

An experienced girls coach observed that the Lancer performance deserved amazing accolades and more.

"Kennedy is the preseason No. 1, no question," forecasted Lakeside coach Sandy Schneider, who has coached her teams to five state titles in 25 seasons.

With that target on the collective Kennedy backs, the JFK coach expressed confidence to answer the challenge.

"That's going to make us work that much harder," said a determined Mummert. "Next year, we're going to be back."