PASCO COUNTY PREP TENNIS TEAM CAPSULES

Academy At The Lakes

COACHES: Boys - Diptesh DeChoudhury (first year), Girls - Sandy Oakland (first year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Daniel Kwitko, Julian Doromal, Akansha Thaban KEY LOSSES: None OUTLOOK: First-year coach "Deep" DeChoudhury is set on building a boys tennis program that is ready for district inclusion. The Wildcats have experience at the top two seeds, with returning senior Kwitko and sophomore Doromal. The girls team is freshman-heavy, and Oakland said she will be counting on them to help carry the team. Freshman Carly Schwarz, a Tampa Prep transfer, could be the starting No. 1 player. According to her coach, Schwarz brings country club experience to a team looking for a fresh start.

Gulf

COACHES: Boys - Bret Wiest (sixth year), Girls - Steve Donaldson (third year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Jared Miller, Robert VanOrden, Stephanie Little, Tamara Simonovic, Kassie Wills KEY LOSSES: Trevor Hubbard, Miranda Gillespie OUTLOOK: Losing four-year starting No. 1 player Hubbard, Gulf's boys will need a collective effort to win matches beyond the No. 1 seed to get regular-season victories. "It has been really hard to fill the No. 1 position," Wiest said. The boys team is mostly comprised of new players, but Wiest said they have potential and are improving with each practice. The girls team got 10 wins last year, and Donaldson would like to better that. "The experience is there," Donaldson said of his returning seniors, Simonovic and Wills and junior Little. Little will have to adjust to playing with a new doubles partner, with Gillespie's departure due to injury.

Hudson

COACHES: Boys - Luigi Galati (first year), Girls - Nikki Prack (first year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Vanessa DeMauri, Danielle Bishop KEY LOSSES: Sarah Todd, Lesli Kopoian, Maria Castaneda OUTLOOK: DeMauri returns at No. 1 for the Cobras, and with her experience, look for her to better her 8-8 record from 2007. With Bishop moving to No. 2, three other vacancies in the top five were filled by players who lack match experience, according to Prack. Improving on 2007's 12-4 record will be difficult, given the high player turnover.

Land O' Lakes

COACHES: Boys - Jennifer Hischman (first year), Girls - Mary Jane Walker (11th year) KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Allison Howard, Amanda Simonton KEY LOSSES: Paula Te, Raquel Perea, Krystal Filsinger OUTLOOK: The new-look girls team is comprised of 21 players, but Howard and Simonton are the only returners from 2007's top five. Howard takes No. 1 duties from Te, and Simonton will double with her. Freshman Sofia Claesson will start at No. 3 and is "a strong player with a lot of potential," Walker said.

Mitchell

COACHES: Boys - Jason McHenry (second year), Girls - Ginger Lynn (third year) KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Stephen Skipper, Thomas Maffia, Stephen Schultz KEY LOSSES: None OUTLOOK: McHenry thinks his squad has the numbers and talent to improve on last year's 1-9 record. Skipper takes over at No. 1 and has the most experience playing tennis. There are a host of players joining the team, billowing the ranks from nine to 16. "My whole goal is to get them at a better level of play than they are at now," McHenry said.

Pasco

COACHES: Boys - Mickey Wilks (fourth year); Girls - John Zonin (third year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Thomas Mitchell, Mark Christmas, Austin Johnson, Ashley Larkin, Candace Peter, Allison Tisdale KEY LOSSES: Ryan Alston, Andrew LaRue, Patrick Weightman, Melissa Davis OUTLOOK: The boys team is in a rebuilding mode after losing its top three to graduation. "They seem to be more athletic and want to get after it more," Wilks said of his current crop of players. The talent level of the top four players, according to Wilks, might be enough to get more regular-season wins for the Pirates. The girls finished tied for fourth last year in the Sunshine Athletic Conference, and Zonin expects his team to battle for a better placing. The girls team returns a majority of its players from last year, including top seeds Larkin, Tisdale and Peter.

Ridgewood

COACHES: Boys - Mike Bua (fourth year), Girls - Joe Kelly (11th year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Kevin Dejarnette, Kevin Mills (transfer), Tamara Bustard, Aleesa Williamson, Jen Daun, Samantha Rivera KEY LOSSES: Sean Little, Michal Terranova OUTLOOK: Last year's Class 3A-District 5 champion boys team lost four of its top five to graduation and is in a rebuilding year. Dejarnette takes over at No. 1 and will lead a team that is short on experience. Bua is working with his squad on conditioning and hitting and expects the team to improve throughout the season. The girls team has plenty of talent and experience to go around. Bustard and Williamson take the top two seeds and will also play No. 1 doubles. According to Kelly, all five starters have varsity experience.

River Ridge

COACHES: Boys - Paul Scolaro (eighth year), Girls - Doug Howery (12th year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Kristin Greenup, Brittany Hahn, Erin Miller KEY LOSSES: Daniela Pontoriero, Tiffany Piscarcik OUTLOOK: The defending SAC champion Royal Knights are the team to beat. Three of last year's top five are back from a team that went 16-1. Howery said his girls spent the offseason training and playing in junior tournaments.

Sunlake

COACHES: Boys - Sam Koleduk (first year), Girls - Karen Turman (first year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Nicolai Atkinson, Garren Dial, Kaylee Canalungo, Carly Buhr KEY LOSSES: None OUTLOOK: Sunlake's brand new boys team features a freshman at No. 1, Atkinson. According to Koleduk, Atkinson is a "very strong player who trains and plays at area tennis clubs." Dial starts at No. 2 and has match experience from playing on a school team while he lived in Japan. Turman, the former Land O' Lakes boys coach, takes on the new girls team, which does not have a single player with match experience. Turman said her girls are athletic, hit the ball well and are working on their positioning and consistency.

Wesley Chapel

COACHES: Boys - Gerry Savoy (eighth year), Girls - Jim Cracchiolo (third year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: J.R. Nicolas, Chris Bird, Yuya Burkhart KEY LOSSES: Yumi Hasegawa, Cecily Gathings, Tyler Brown OUTLOOK: Nicolas assumed No. 1 duties after the abrupt departure of 2007's player of the year, Tyler Brown. The boys team does not have much experience beyond Nicolas and Byrd, and Savoy will be "working on tennis fundamentals throughout the season." The girls team suffers a huge deficit in talent losing No 1 Hasegawa and her doubles partner Gathings, who both went to state in 2007. Cracchiolo has all new players for a team that is in a rebuilding year.

Zephyrhills

COACHES: Boys - Gary Davis (ninth year), Girls - Lorraine Hinkle (second year). KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Ryan Alderman, Chelsea Smith, Caitlyn Ungerer, Amber Morganstern KEY LOSSES: Anthony Caselnova, Jordan Kimbell, Orie Padgett, Sara Haas, Sarah Hinkle OUTLOOK: The boys team lost four of its top five to graduation. They have two returning starters, but only Alderman has significant match experience. Although returning five starters with match experience, the girls team still "has a way to go to beat the top teams," according to Hinkle. Her main goal is to better 2007's 4-12 mark and if her players "concentrate on their game and keep their head in it, they will have a good season." Matthew Parke

PASCO COUNTY PREP TENNIS TEAM CAPSULES