SOAP LAKE — As Soap Lake prepares for its fourth tennis season since the program returned, Head Coach Lee Leavell said this season’s players have continued to grow over the years.

“We’re growing in experience,” Leavell said. “You start off pretty rough building a program — and especially on the boys side, I’ve got a lot of returning players with a lot of experience.”

Soap Lake had a significant amount of middle schoolers practice with the program last season and are now eligible to play this season. 

“We’re definitely healthy in that department,” Leavell said. “We’re pretty heavy on sophomores and lower, as well as the middle schoolers. Not very many (upperclassmen), but it’s a good problem to have. We still have some years with them.”

Even with a younger team, the elder Eagles have started to demonstrate leadership qualities.

“It’s cool seeing a lot of the leadership qualities from some of these sophomores that I didn’t know they had,” Leavell said. “When we’re doing conditioning, they’ll go back and help out the guys; I see them coaching, they’ll stay back and coach people. One thing that stood out to me is our returning players have really taken the leadership role, and that’s just really cool to see. It makes me happy.”

Leavell said Soap Lake’s Francisco Ortega has locked down the team’s No. 1 spot this season.

“He has made some great improvements over the years, but I feel like this year, already, he’s really made some improvements,” Leavell said. 

Along with Ortega, Leavell noted Soap Lake’s Jocsan Sanchez-Cruz, Logan Northup and Xavier Gonzales as standouts through early practices.

On the girls side, Soap Lake has two players this season; Jannessa Knudson and Ximena Cerventes. 

“It’s been nice, I have a lot of kids that are really getting into it,” Leavell said.

Soap Lake opens its season on the road against Lake Roosevelt on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

“I want them to go out there and I want them to have fun,” Leavell said. “I want them to give it everything they have, and try to win, but I don’t want them to ever get down on themselves. It’s not the beginning of the season that’s too big of a deal, it’s the end of the season — if they can keep on having a growth mentality, that’s what’s important to me. Just trying to get better wee after week.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at [email protected].

Soap Lake Tennis Schedule

March 13 - at Lake Roosevelt - 4 p.m.

March 20 - vs Tonasket - 4 p.m.

March 23 - at Entiat - 11 a.m.

March 29 - at Lake Roosevelt - 4 p.m.

April 10 - vs Entiat - 4 p.m.

April 15 - at Okanogan - 4 p.m.

April 17 - at Pateros - 4 p.m.

April 22 - at Oroville - 4 p.m.

April 24 - at Liberty Bell - 4 p.m.

May 1 - vs Manson - 4 p.m.