POULSBO — North Kitsap High School tennis player Kevin Joines occupies an anomalous space on the boys team this year.
The sole junior on the squad, Joines, one of the team’s best doubles players, falls between a bunch of experienced seniors and young, talented sophomores and freshman.
On the top will be Joines and partner and senior Evan Faulk, who went 13-5 a year ago at the No. 1 position. Senior Jordan Prince will likely head up North’s No. 1 singles position, a repeat from last year.
Hard work during the off season should give the three a Narrows edge, said head coach Jay DeVries.
“Our top tiered players have put a lot of time in during the off season and look to have improved their overall games,†DeVries said. “We should be very competitive in league this year.â€
Overall, the team was 9-6 a year ago and had many positive match results to look back on, namely a second-place finish at the South Kitsap Invitational.
Ben Kelch and Micah Drury are back for their senior season as well. The two often anchored the No. 2 and 3 doubles positions last year for North.
Other returners DeVries mentioned who will make a dent on the hard courts will be seniors Eric Edgren, Jacob Zarnecki, Chris Zrout and Chris Bean. There are also several talented newcomers to the team, including sophomore Jordan Tucker, who, though he was quarterback for the Poulsbo Junior High School Panthers last fall, is taking up a racquet this year. Conner Gallagher, a freshman, has previous tennis experience and looks to have plenty of time to develop his game over the next four years. Joe McBurney, a sophomore, is also an experienced player from last year.
Almost 30 players turned out for the team this year, playing at skill levels that range from “very raw to very experienced,†DeVries said.
For the team’s Narrows title hopes, the opening match of the season today versus Gig Harbor — a team which skimmed by North for the title last year — will be “ … a telltale sign as to who is going to have the upper hand in the Narrows Bridge division,†DeVries said.
