After bowing out to Freedom in the finals of the District 11 tennis tournament last year, there’s a feeling among Parkland players that this could be their year.

Both Nick Kshatri and Nate Lyman, the team’s numbers one and two singles players, respectively, are seniors and have been playing together for years. Both have made huge contributions throughout their high school careers.

“I think this year’s team is better than last year’s team,” Lyman said. “We only lost a couple of people from the varsity team, but we gained a lot more and everyone has had a year to improve and practice, so I think that we have a real chance to do something this year.”

Kshatri has played at the number-one spot for three seasons after playing number-two as a freshman. The team graduated number-three singles player Peter Harrison and doubles player Peter Sohn.

“I think we can win the [Eastern Pennsylvania Conference] and win districts,” said Kshatri. “Now that [Freedom High School’s] Andrew Sinai is gone, we should be able to win districts. We could make a run at states, I think this should be our year.

“My personal goal this year is to win district singles. I lost in the finals last year.”

Last season, Kshatri lost to Emmaus’ Matt FitzMaurice in the singles finals at districts.

“You never know who’s going to come out of the wood work,” said Parkland head coach Mike Hingston, who is entering his fourth season at the helm of the program. “Until proven otherwise, everybody’s tough. You think you’re good until you go out and compete and you see what happens.

“We’re looking really just in general terms of continued improvement. Practice is where you really have to work and be tested and then, the matches should take care of themselves.”

Aneesh Kapoor, who played doubles last season, moves up to the number-three singles spot, while others battle for doubles positions. Hingston says that some combination of senior Alex Wu, juniors Nick Hawk and Kishan Unjia, along with sophomore Alex Sohn, who all played doubles last year, will make up the top two doubles teams.

“That’s a real solid core of players,” Hingston said. “It’s just a matter of finding out whose games compliment the other guy’s the best.

“They’re all good and they’re so evenly matched, it’s tough to decide.”

Lyman has believed since his first day of practice as a freshman that he would be a part of some very good teams, which he has.

Parkland won its conference each of the past 11 seasons and last year was the first since 2011 that the Trojans didn’t win districts.

“I knew that we had a good team to start and had a good base when Nick and I were coming in, and I knew Nick was really good and that we could add some extra stuff to this team,” Lyman said. “So I knew that we had potential, it was just if we could execute that.”

Hingston believes that Kshatri and Lyman have both added a lot to the team over the years.

One of the added benefits of having Kshatri is his love of the game and how he truly studies the game to get better.

“I spent a lot of time when I was younger watching tennis and I would actually read articles about tennis and everything about tennis, the technique and everything,” said Kshatri.

“Now, I’m coaching at Brookside Country Club, and it sounds weird to say, but I think I do spend a lot more time than some other guys studying the game.”