After a successful season last year, the Knights boys tennis team will open up the new season on Monday, March 19. The team has high hopes for the upcoming season, such as going to state and having a lot of fun as a team and in matches, including their first match against Ft. Zumwalt West.

“We are just a lot stronger as a team this year, so I do think we will do a lot better than last season, especially with the team that we have and the players that we have,” senior Dev Patel said. The team starts the season with a new silver varsity team, which has brought in many new freshman players that are really good for the team.

To welcome every newcomer, the team treats any new player as they treat anyone else on the team, they bring newcomers in and make them feel like they are a part of the team. Many newcomers this year already play tennis in their freetime, so they already know how to compete and be a part for the team spirit.

“You get to connect with people you wouldn’t have known before, and even make deeper connections with the friends you have,” senior Colby Winner said.           

This season, the team will play against many schools around the Saint Charles area, and one of the strongest teams they will face will be the Francis Howell Vikings. The Vikings have gotten stronger over the years and had a very good season last year.

“We need to go in with a positive mindset, nobody should think we are gonna lose before we actually play them,” Patel said.

In their matches, the Knights support each other as much as possible, practice as hard as they can, and just have a good time during the games and practice. The team set the goal to win districts and GAC’s this year.

“We have not got so much to for actual drill and stuff, it’s more been matches, which in one aspect it’s good because it gives us preparation for an actual match play,” Patel said.   

Patel personally is looking forward to the match against Parkway South, because they have the number one player in the state and they hope to face him, and learn a lot from the matches and the season as a whole.