DAGSBORO — The good news for the Indian River High School boys tennis team is that the top six players from last year have returned for another season. The bad news — they are all seniors.

“We’ve seen it all, done it all,” said senior Zach Kmetz, a No. 2 singles player. “We’ve got a lot of experience and a good mix of … players. We know what to expect coming into big matches and how to prepare.”

As usual, the Henlopen Conference is expected to be dominated by Caesar Rodney, Dover and Seaford. After making a name for themselves last season, coach Patsy Cicala expects his team to compete in the conference once again.

Senior Brendon Young is the team’s No. 1 player, Cicala said, followed by Kmetz and senior Chris Conover in the singles matches.

The first doubles team of seniors Zach Izzo and Eric Linde remains the same, but will be joined by newcomers Nick Izzo and Tim Woods in the second doubles match.

Zach Izzo believes the team’s experience will be a benefit, especially when facing team’s like CR, which have new faces on the varsity squad.

“We know how to handle a match,” he said. “We’re not going to be freaked out if we are down and have to come back.”

While the team has experience on its side, a senior-heavy team doesn’t bode well for the future of the program, Cicala said. That’s why the upperclassmen have stepped up to teach their younger peers.

“That, to me, is more important than winning,” Cicala said. “It makes my job a lot easier. I have no assistant coaches, so I can only work with one or two of them at a time.”

And because they know their time is winding down, Linde said he and his teammates are giving it everything they have.

“Everyone’s definitely more serious this year,” he said. “There’s definitely a different attitude toward everything.”

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