POULSBO — With the postseason falling out of focus for many of the North Kitsap Vikings on the tennis court, a win over cross-county rival South Kitsap would’ve been a fitting end to a subdued season.

However, the Wolves came to Poulsbo with a fire in their rackets and pulled out just enough stops to pick up a 3-2 victory.

With one match remaining in the regular season — North hosts Olympia at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 10 — head coach Jay DeVries is taking improvement inventory on the season and finding both strides and shortcomings.

“This is the nicest bunch that I’ve had in six years (as head coach). They are average tennis players, but lots of fun,” he said of the 2006 tennis core. “If you are going to be successful, you’ve got to learn how to win.”

The biggest improvements for the Vikings came in that category, especially on the No. 3 doubles court as Tyler Seth and TJ French have stepped up both their court knowledge and their drive to win over the course of the season. Tuesday, against SK, the duo blitzed a 6-1, 6-3 performance to pick up one of two of the Vikings’ wins on the afternoon.

North’s No. 2 doubles team — Jerol Bird and Connor Gallagher — snagged the other Viking victory over SK’s Jacob Hardwick and Ryan Boyett by counts of 6-1, 6-4.  

“The 2s and 3s doubles played great, they played exactly how they had to win,” DeVries said. “When you play together all year, you learn about each other and you know what to expect from each other.”

On the No. 1 doubles court, South Kitsap’s duo — still learning from each other after fusing their previous No. 1 singles player Mike Vaas with their top doubles player Kramer Mott — defeated NK’s Jordan Tucker and Joe McBurney in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.

While DeVries is holding out little hope for any doubles break-through wins against Olympia Oct. 10, each of North’s doubles teams will have a fighting chance at the Narrows League prelims which will be Oct. 16 in South Kitsap.

As will North’s No. 1 and 2 singles players Kevin Joines and Andrew Kilpatrick, so long as they are having fun, DeVries noted.

“I hope that the kids walk away with a feeling that is fun to be out there,” he said. “If they can say that, then we have done our job.”

Against the Wolves Tuesday, neither Vikings singles player left the court in fun as Dalton Vavra defeated Joines 6-1, 6-3 and Mike Lyman defeated Kilpatrick 6-4, 6-5.

With the exception of Joines — North’s only senior in 2006 — the Viking elite will be back next year, more experienced and hopefully more savvy DeVries said.

“We’re at the point where they have to choose to improve,” he noted. “Is it going to be an 8-month layoff or are you gonna get better?”