Boy's Tennis Preview

Coach:Rob Haskiell, 1st year

Last year:5-13

Key losses:Thom Schweitzer (2)

Top returning players:Chris Haskiell Sr.; Devin Carter, Jr.; Chad Schott Jr.; Preston Kemp, Jr.

Key newcomers:None mentioned

Outlook:After four years guiding the Colonels' girls' tennis team, Haskiell moves over to the boys' squad to replace Gene Lewis.

Haskiell said Lewis wanted to spend more time with his family, and that's one perk Haskiell will get now that he's coaching Wood's boys.

His son, Chris, will be the Colonels' top seed this year.

"He's in his third year of varsity tennis, and I think I've seen three of his matches," Haskiell said. "Wherever he was playing, I was usually coaching [the girls] somewhere [else]."

Carter, Schott, and Kemp fill out the rest of the top four, and Haskiell said there are five or six players vying for the final two singles' spots.

The coach said he wants to challenge his players with personal goals for each match, and he wants the Colonels to play well enough to finish in the top three in the district.

"I was telling the guys the other day that it would be nice to not have to do the play-in match at the end of the year," Haskiell said. "We'd like to get to the point where somebody else has to play in that."

Opener:James Wood lost to Loudoun Valley 7-2 on Monday.