With Sparta having welcomed back all five of its starters from last season's 18-win outfit, the Trojans appear primed for a banner season.
But they're not sure if fans outside of eastern Christian County have taken notice.
"Honestly, I don't think so," center Jacob Lafferty said. "You don't see us in the state rankings. They're sleeping on us. But we know we're really good."
"We're not necessarily worried about who is talking about us or who is not," coach Derec Link said.
The Trojans can capture plenty of attention by winning the championship of the Strafford Tournament on Saturday. They will meet the host Indians in the final at 5 p.m.
Sparta downed Cassville 58-44 in a semifinal Thursday.
Sparta (3-0) will also have the opportunity to attract the spotlight later this month while competing in the Blue & Gold Tournament for the first time in recent seasons. The Blue & Gold has taken the place of the Walnut Grove Tournament on the Trojans’ schedule.
“We've been on the (waiting) list for a while and we got an invite,” Link said. “The Walnut Grove Tournament was a great tournament, too. We had a choice we had to make. I asked some of our kids what they wanted to do and they said they wanted to play in the Blue & Gold. So I said, 'All right, let's go do it.' It's going to be fun.
“It will be a fun opportunity for our kids to make some memories,” he added. “As a coach, that's what you want for your kids. Playing in the Blue & Gold will allow us to do that. When I was in high school (at Fair Grove) a lot of my most fond memories were playing in the Blue & Gold.”
Lafferty is looking forward to a possible scenario that would have Sparta matched up with a Class 6 schools the likes of Ozark, Nixa or Republic.
"We will be able to show we can play with good teams and I like playing bigger schools, so people will know we can play,” he said. “It will get us more of a pop on the radar."
Sparta has also upgraded its schedule with the addition of games against Springfield Catholic and Hollister.
"We want to play teams that are going to challenge us," Link said.
