COLUMBIA -- Sure, Jackson High's girls basketball team started three seniors during Saturday's Class 4A state championship game loss to Gateway Tech of St. Louis.

But for teams in Southeast Missouri that have been thumped by Jackson over the past several years -- the Lady Indians have a phenomenal 155-15 record over the last six seasons -- don't start rejoicing just yet.

No doubt, it will be extremely difficult for the Lady Indians to be quite as good next year as they've been the last few years. After all, appearing in the Class 4A Final Four three consecutive seasons is some kind of accomplishment.

But the cupboard will be far from bare for veteran coach Ron Cook and his Lady Indians, who next season will be gunning for their seventh district title in the last eight years in the extremely competitive Class 4A, District 1 that annually includes very strong Poplar Bluff and Cape Central squads.

Those three senior starters -- returning all-staters from last year Michele Millham and Shannon Perry, along with Mindy Myers -- have been mainstays for Jackson all season long.

"We're really going to miss the seniors," said Cook in stating the obvious. "They've meant so much to our program."

But Jackson will return a considerable amount of talent, led by its two junior starters from this year: point guard Christa Millham, who averaged 11 points per game and led the squad in assists; and fellow guard Dana Eakins, the team's top 3-point shooter.

In addition, the Lady Indians will return several promising young inside players who saw key minutes off the bench this year, including 6-foot junior Amanda Ellis and four sophomores: 5-10 Melissa Palmer, 6-foot Dana Littlepage, 5-9 Jamie Heitz and 5-9 Chrissi Glastetter.

"We'll be all right next year," said Cook. "It's going to be really hard to match what we've had the last few years, but we should be pretty good again."

Poplar Bluff, which had a young team this year and still pushed Jackson to overtime in the 4A, District 1 Tournament championship game, will probably assume the role of district favorite next season.

But the Lady Indians figure to once again be right in the thick of things.

* According to the Missouri State High School Activities Association official program, Jackson's only state championship in basketball -- boys or girls -- took place way back in 1934.

That season, when there was just one classification, Jackson's boys team beat Kansas City Southwest 17-11 to capture the state crown.

Jackson's boys were also second in the state in Class B in 1934 while Jackson's girls have finished second in Class 4A the past two seasons.