If you're a friend of Jenna Hayes, it pays to stay on your toes.

Hayes, a standout senior on the Niwot soccer team, has a mischievous streak, and she's not above playing practical jokes on those around her.

One of her good friends found out the hard way last year when her car was given a makeover, complete with frosting, Fig Newtons and applesauce by Hayes and a couple of cohorts while the friend was busy taking CSAPs.

Teams unfortunate enough to face Hayes on the soccer pitch should remain on their toes as well, as they will be dealing with one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the state.

During the past two seasons, Hayes has found the back of the net 43 times and assisted on 26 goals. It's no coincidence that during that stretch, the Cougars have reached the Class 4A state semifinals twice and the championship game once, losing to Cheyenne Mountain 1-0 in 2005.

Hayes said coming so close but failing to reach the summit only has increased her desire to raise the championship hardware. But the Cougars have some roadblocks to overcome, including a league that features defending state champion Broomfield, a new coach (Chad Eisentrager, who led the Northglenn boys to the No. 2 ranking in Class 5A in the fall) and Hayes' own health.

In September, Hayes suffered a herniated disk in her back after going to the ground while making a crossing pass.

"I couldn't play for two months," she said. "It would flare up pretty bad, and it was too painful to walk or stand."

Although Hayes said there is no way to totally correct the condition, she has been receiving chiropractic treatments two or three times a week to help strengthen her back.

She said the injury is worrisome, though, because there's no way to know when it could flare up again.

And although she already has accepted a scholarship to play for Texas Christian, she realizes the condition could force her to quit playing soccer.

"If it eventually gets to the point where I can't handle the pain, I'll have to stop playing," Hayes said. "It could happen at any time. It's definitely scary."

Fortunately for the Cougars, the condition hasn't seemed to affect Hayes' speed, which she calls her greatest asset.

And if Hayes can't get past them on the pitch, she can always pull off one of her trademark pranks. She admits she has been on the other end of a few practical jokes, too.

"Last year, someone TP'd my room with 72 rolls of toilet paper," Hayes said. "It really didn't take that long to clean up. . . . But that was a pretty good one."

NOTEBOOK

The repeat bid of defending state champion Broomfield took a hit when all-state forward Amanda Foulk tore up her knee in the offseason. Foulk, who has signed to play college soccer at Colorado, had to have surgery but is expected to be back after spring break.

With Foulk shelved to start the season, the Eagles might have to rely on their defense to carry them, but that could be the strength of the team anyway. Broomfield is anchored in back by four-year starters in Denise Cavalli and University of Cincinnati-bound Kalli Goldberg. In addition, Foulk's younger sister Natalie started every game as a freshman.

Sophomore Danielle Birdsall, who scored the winner in the state title game, could pick up the scoring slack until Foulk returns.

Nevertheless, expect Broomfield to still be a factor in the extremely tough Northern League and to be bolstered whenever Foulk gets back on the pitch.

• Broomfield showed it knows how to win close games last season, as the Eagles won their final three playoff games by identical 1-0 scores, including the state title game against Ralston Valley.

• There are plenty of teams lining up to knock off Broomfield in the Northern League, including Niwot, with high-scoring senior Jenna Hayes, and Silver Creek.

The Raptors return 10 starters from a team that went 13-3-2, including junior midfielder Kate Russell, who has made a verbal commitment to CU.

Hayes not only is Niwot's leading scorer on the pitch, but she also was the Cougars' top scorer in basketball.

• Much like last season, Liberty will play one of the toughest nonleague schedules in the state.

In addition to the Colorado Springs Metro League, which includes No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain, the Lancers will battle perennial power Greeley West, 5A No. 1 Mullen and Grandview, which enters the season ranked No. 4 in 5A. While that schedule might leave Liberty with some lumps, the Lancers hope it pays off in the postseason.

• Montezuma-Cortez has made the playoffs only once in school history, but the Panthers believe they could match that feat this season. They return all 11 starters, including standouts Jamie Love-Nichols and Bonny Fetterman.

If Montezuma-Cortez is to make the playoffs, it will have to learn how to win close games. Last season, the Panthers finished with two ties, and five of their seven losses came by one goal.

• Two first-year schools join the Skyline League, as Prairie View in Henderson and Mountain Range in Westminster will participate in the league.

In addition, after competing in 5A during the regular season, Regis and Rock Canyon qualify for regionals through the Skyline League.

• Battle Mountain senior Kelsey Sanders will have a busy spring. In addition to playing forward for the Huskies, Sanders also runs track. On the pitch, Sanders led the team in scoring last season with 30 goals (46 career goals). She combines with fellow senior Julia Burnett (28 goals last season) to give Battle Mountain one of the most potent offenses on the Western Slope.

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