The sounds of another basketball season remain the same at Eau Claire North, but the sight of this year's batch of Huskies is anything but familiar.

"Coach Sippel was with the program for so long and did so many wonderful things with this program, " said Eau Claire North head coach Michelle Peplinski. "I think the girls, they were a little nervous to start the season because he's been in the gym every year for as long as they can remember."

Michelle Peplinski is closing out her first week of practice with a North team that, like her, is transitioning. As Peplinski replaces long-time coach Dan Sippel, the Huskies are without four starters from back-to-back teams that made trips to the sectional finals.

"People are maybe looking to us as a rebuilding year, but we feel like we have a lot of girls who've had court experience, just not always in that starting role," Peplinski said. "We're feeling good about where we're sitting."

"We're getting back in the groove a lot faster than we normally do, and we're implementing a lot of new plays this year," said Huskies senior forward Laura Van Es. "I think it will be fun to just see how everything turns out."

There's also a fresh face calling the shots at Eau Claire Memorial. Former UW-Eau Claire standout Jessie Maas is taking over for Steve Smith for her first season as coach of the Old Abes.

"Throughout the day, kids would poke their head in my room and say, 'Alright, we'll see you in a few hours,' or 'It's almost time to go. It's finally here,'" Maas said. "I think we're all really, really excited."

Like their counterparts across town, Maas and the Abes are facing their own challenges. After falling one game shy of state in 2007, Memorial bowed out last season in the regional semifinals.

Still, the Old Abes remain a confident bunch early this season.

"We have just as much opportunity as any other team," said Old Abes senior guard Maureen Turner. "We are a young team, but I feel like other teams are doing the same thing, so hopefully we'll be right with them."

"We have two seniors and a lot of young kids that with a new system, new things, new coach, we're going to have to put a lot of new things into play," Maas said. "We have a lot of learning and growing, but I'm really, really blessed to have a great group of kids who are going to work really, really hard."

Eau Claire North opens their season Friday, Nov. 27 at La Crosse Logan. Eau Claire Memorial also begins their season the same day in La Crosse against La Crosse Central.