The Oak Harbor High School tennis team was hit hard by graduation; however, the Wildcats return their top player, senior Jackson Wezeman.

Wezeman, a two-time, first-team, all-Wesco singles player, will handle the No. 1 singles slot for the third consecutive year.

The Wildcats have only two other returning lettermen, seniors Corbin Phipps and Sidney Thomas.

Phipps will most likely play doubles and Thomas is slated for fourth singles, according to coach Horace Mells.

Among the key newcomers are seniors Jordan Park and JJ Mitchell, who will play second and third singles.

Seniors Scott Erickson, Jacob Schermerhorn and Royce Abuda; juniors John Bird, Matthew Kolden and Ryan Mene; and sophomore Nathanael Thompson are top candidates to complete the doubles teams, according to Mells.

With lettermen Wezeman and Thomas playing singles, that should be the team’s strength, Mells said.

“Our weakness will be in doubles play for the first half of the season while players are developing their skills and learning doubles strategy and play,” he said.

Overall, “things are going as well as can be expected,” he added. “Our turnout numbers are lower than expected, so we are trying to increase our numbers as we prepare players for match play.”

Mells’ goals are for the team to finish in the top three of the Wesco North and for at least one singles player and one doubles team to qualify for the district tournament.

“I will consider the season successful if all the players peak and maintain their performance for the duration of the season,” he said.

Oak Harbor was 5-6 (6-7 overall) in Wesco play in 2015, good for fourth place.

The Wildcats begin this season with two 3:30 p.m. home matches, starting with Lynnwood Tuesday, Sept. 6. Anacortes visits two days later.