Despite losing both of his singles players to graduation, Sumner High boys tennis coach Chris Heacox thinks his team will hold its own with anyone in their league, including last year’s state champion Washington team.

“I feel like our kids can compete with them,” Heacox said.

Heacox certainly has a large well to draw from with 26 boys turning out for tennis this fall.

“It’s the biggest (team) I’ve had in seven years,” he said.

However, despite having a large team, 18 of the players are either freshmen or sophomores, though after losing singles players Grant Fulton and Jacob Hewitt at graduation, Heacox said he expects to play freshman Zak Landers in the No. 1 singles position.

Heacox said Landers has played some club tennis and should do pretty well in the top singles slot. However, the coach said his No. 2 singles position is still up in the air, though he is leaning toward sophomore Brandon Walsh, who played on the first doubles team last season.

“He had some success at first doubles last year,” Heacox said.

The Spartans experience will come into play in the doubles matches, where Heacox plans to play three seniors in the four positions for the top two doubles teams. Heacox said Hunter Bleha, Will Mortell and Alex Landes will definitely play and he expects to round out the teams with either Walsh or junior Scott Brown.

“I definitely feel good,” Heacox said of his doubles squads, adding that Mortell played first doubles as a sophomore and all have experience.

And with a team the size of the one he has, Heacox said he has a ready supply of guys to fill in should one of his players falter.

“The exciting thing is there are a lot of kids who are pretty talented behind them,” he said, adding that there are 10 guys fighting for the final two spots on the team. “We’re a pretty deep team.”

Sumner finished third in their league last season.

The Spartan tennis team opens their season today, Wednesday, at Fife.