With the season getting underway this week, here’s a look at the La Salle-Peru, St. Bede, Mendota and Princeton boys tennis teams.

La Salle-Peru

Coach: Kevin Cavanaugh

Top returners: Diego Mondragon, Sr.

Key newcomers: Kevin Guo, So.; Erick Sotelo, Sr.; Carson Sellet, So.; Evan Downey, So.; Jason Lu, Sr.; Adam Molina, sr.; Isaac Adams, sr.

Worth noting: Cavanaugh takes over the Cavaliers after serving as L-P’s JV coach for nine years. He’s also coached in the Ottawa girls tennis program. “I’m honored to be taking over the program,” Cavanaugh said. “I hope to bring a strong work ethic to the program.” Mondragon is the lone returning player from last year’s varsity lineup. Guo and Sotelo and Guo were on the roster last season and will step into a larger role this spring. Sellett and Downey also will be key contributors. Lu and Molina will play singles. Mondragon and Sotelo are the No. 1 doubles team, Guo and Sellet will play No. 2 doubles and Downey and Adams will play No. 3 doubles. “Our strength, I feel, will be our depth, especially in doubles,” Cavanaugh said.

St. Bede

Coach: Eric Davy

Top returners: Noah Buck, sr.; Westin Heersink, sr.; Brax Kim, sr.; Caden Carls, sr.; Julian Villava, sr.; Maksimillian Niedzwiedz, so.; David DeLaTorre, so.; Yannis Yong, sr.

Key newcomers: Asthton Gonzales, sr.; Isaac Caracheo, so.; JT Daley, so.;Connor Holly, so.; Evan Jesiak, fr.

Worth noting: The Bruins graduated three players with significant experience, but do return six seniors this spring. “(Our strength is) senior leadership on and off the courts,” Davy said. “What we lack in experience, we hope to make up with intelligence in manufacturing points with patience during match play.” Buck and Kim will play singles with Niedzwiedz and Yong also getting opportunities. Heersink and Yong, Carls and Gonzales and Villava and Niedzwiedz will make up St. Bede’s doubles teams.

Mendota

Coach: Miguel Bermudez

Top returners: Harlan Gallagher, sr.; Trey Lee, sr.; Alex Holland, sr.

Key newcomers: Edoardo Romero, sr.; Favian Romero, jr.; Daniel Pierce, jr.

Worth noting: The Trojans have a small team with only six players on the roster. Gallagher and Favian Romero will play singles, while doubles teams will be Gallagher and Favian Romero, Lee and Holland and Pierce and Edoardo Romero. “We expect to compete with our area,” Bermudez said. “Our goal is to improve every week.”

Princeton

Coach: Connie Lind (30th season)

Top returning players: Levi Boggs, sr.; Landon Davis, sr., Landan Fairbanks, sr., Jackson Mason, sr.; Jack Orwig, sr.

Key newcomers: Kyle Chin, jr.; Philip Whited, jr.; Lincoln Frost, so.

Worth noting: Lind begins her 30th and final season as the Tigers head coach. She has also served as the PHS girls coach. Mason played No. 1 doubles last year with Asa Gartin but transitions to singles, which was always his first choice, Lind said, and “is working hard to slide into the No. 1 singles role.” Mason was 25-5 and a state qualifier with Gartin last year. Davis returns at No. 2 singles after going 24-2 last spring. Boggs and Orwig will move up from No. 2 doubles to No. 1 year and “are working hard to step up,” Lind said. Fairbanks played No. 3 doubles and moves up to No. 2 with Chin, who played JV last year. No. 3 doubles will be made up of Whited and Frost, who played on the JV team last year. “Everyone has been working hard to improve their tennis skills, Lind said.