"It'll be a challenge this year," says Jeff Jacksits when he's talking about this year's Northampton High School girls' basketball team.

The Konkrete Kids open the 2013-2014 season next Friday, Dec. 6, at home against Pleasant Valley and Jacksits expects his team to be ready for the Lehigh Valley Conference and District 11 challenges.

"We have six seniors and all of them were starters at one point or another last year," Jacksits said as he watched his team scrimmage Salisbury and Marian Catholic last week.

Among the seniors is Leandra Sterner, an LVC all-conference first teamer last year and a three-year starter in the backcourt.

Also returning are Autumn Klucsarits, Zeniyah Sanders, Erica Filipovits, Amber Farnholtz, and Kayla Csencsits, who won't be playing until after the holidays because of a foot injury.

Jacksits expects his team "to find themselves as the season goes along. We've been having good practices and there is real team chemistry among these girls."

Jacksits begins his 10th season with a 152-85 record that includes seven straight visits to the District 11 tournament highlighted by championships in 2010 and 2011.

"We have a challenge to find the combinations. This year is different in that all the girls are equally outstanding. The past two years we had seven or eight girls that were ready to go anytime. This year there are 15 girls (six seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, and two freshmen)," said Jacksits.

As for the LVC, Jacksits says, "Bethlehem Catholic is heads and tails the best in talent, but don't count out teams like Nazareth, Parkland, Emmaus, Whitehall, and of course, Central Catholic. It's a tough league and our division (with Parkland, Nazareth, and Whitehall) is the toughest of them all."

Joining the Kids' seniors on this year's roster are juniors Amber Saylor, Ali Reppert, and Giovanna Martinez, all of whom saw action last year, and sophomore Sophie Eckroth.

Other sophomores are Lauren Sterner (sidelined with a stress fracture), Lizzie Stonewall, and Megan Hemingway. Freshmen expected to see action are Asia Blount and Taylor Deutsch.

Jacksits' assistants include Ed Seidick, Greg Csencsits, Julie Maurek, Corey Turner, and Lonnie Andrews.