Third place has been the story for three years, but this season could be different.

As sports return, the tennis team is preparing to contend for the district title. With an older, experienced team they are ready for the challenge to place 1st after three years of placing 3rd.

The team played its first match Saturday, beating Brennan 17-3 at the Dominion. But coach Jason LaLonde called it just a “tune-up” for district play.

While the COVID-19 crisis swept the world, tennis players still worked at their sport at a socially safe distance.

“It looks like the varsity team really went out and worked quite a bit, and they came back looking really sharp,” LaLonde said. “It’s just hard with the idea that even when we are back we have to still wear masks.”

LaLonde is very hopeful that it will be a great year, and can see how much his team improved over the break.

“It’s gonna be our year,” he said.

With the roster deeper than it has ever been, on the boys and girls side, he believes they can win district.

“We are very hopeful,” LaLonde said. “Expectations [are] very high. We hope to be first in district and win the district title. The competition is crazy hard, but hopefully we can win a few rounds in regionals after winning district.”

As tough as the district is, it will be hard to win the district, with New Braunfels and Clemens being thorns in the team’s side for the past couple of years.

  “We can’t overlook anyone,” Lalonde said. “But we certainly say that we really need to look forward to New Braunfels and Clemens [because] they have been the two big thorns in our sides for the last couple of years… We play New Braunfels Sept. 15 and that will be a tight match right out the gate.”

The team will play New Braunfels Tuesday night at 4:00 p.m.