Last year, when Dayton was eliminated from the Nevada 3A state playoffs by Spring Creek it didn't just mean the end of the Dust Devils' season, it also meant the end of an era. They lost six seniors including two-time Player of the Year Cory Yoder, who seemed to put fear into every player and coach in the league.
Just like that, the fear was lost.
While that impact registered largely with opposing teams, under the loss was what may have been viewed as a blip on the radar screen, if it registered anything at all.
The Dust Devils return seven players, mostly sophomores who were called up for the playoffs and could be the kog in the wheel that gets them back to the state tournament.
"I think that previous class, what they left behind, is that we expect to win out here now and be in the playoffs," Dayton coach Jay Merrell said. "So these guys just have that mindset that we're going to be there."
Dayton went 23-9 last season and posted a 17-3 record in the Northern 3A. It returns to play today against Pershing County in the Yerington tournament.
A short conversation with any player on the roster will tell you just how confident this young group is.
"It's not going to be that big," Dayton leadoff hitter Tim Doyle said. "We've got more hustle this year than we did last year. We only have one senior, but everyone on this roster hustles every practice."
Doyle, a junior who has played leadoff since his freshman season, is expected to help pick up part of the slack offensively.
"He plays like a fifth-year senior," Merrell said. "He knows the program, he knows what we expect. I expect a great season out of him (and) kind of get out of the shadow of those other guys. It's his turn."
Merrell said he doesn't expect his team to hit too many over the fence this season, something that was a norm last year.
"We've got a team of No. 2 hitters pretty much," he said. "I mean, we're solid contact (hitters) up and down the lineup, I like that. So we're not going to play that traditional four-hitter type of deal. Guys are going to come up there and make contact up and down the order."
The mound is where the real difference could be. Yoder was their ace last season and was looked up to by many of the younger players, especially Connor Oliver, who will take over his role this year.
"There's big shoes to fill after Yoder," Oliver said. "He was the MVP of the 3A for a couple years. He was awesome, he was someone to look up to ... It's hard to talk about him, I miss that guy."
The addition of Chris Padgett, cousin of former Wooster and Louisville forward David Padgett, as pitching coach should help the transition. Padgett pitched for Carson and Feather River.
"We've got a young pitching rotation, but they're going to be great," Doyle said. "We got a new pitching coach so that's going to help them a ton."
Success in any high school sport in this area is usually cyclical. Teams enjoy a few years of highs until a class or two graduate and then take a downturn, but those times may be far off for Dayton. Merrell said besides this group of sophomores, the Dust Devils have another good group of freshman playing on the junior varsity team and another group still in middle school.
If those classes continue to grow, Dayton could be among the top in the 3A for some time to come.
"It's going to be fun times for the next few years," Merrell said.