After being eliminated by Apple Valley in their opening Sections match, senior captain Oscar Laing said the boys’ tennis team underwent multiple feelings.

“There were mixed emotions,” Laing said. “Some were pretty happy to be done but others were more let down by the performance, they didn’t feel they performed well enough.”

Head coach David Breitenbucher said although disappointing, the team competed well throughout their final match.

“(Apple Valley) was the higher seed, so we had to go to Apple Valley. We went there and lost 6-1. It was actually competitive,” Breitenbucher said. “6-1 sounds like it wasn’t, but it was competitive throughout.”

Junior and varsity player Collin Perkins said the team looks to progress following their Sections loss.

“(There were) mixed emotions, some wanted to move on and others were upset,” Perkins said. “A one-and-done loss was upsetting and there’s some sad feeling, but in general we just wanted to keep moving (forward).”

According to Breitenbucher, assistant coach Tyler Foley reported the matches were very competitive and unpredictable until the very end.

“I was on the way to Chicago, and I kept getting calls from Tyler who was updating me on the situation. He told me at one point, ‘Coach it could go either way,’” Breitenbucher said. “I wasn’t there for reactions (after the match) but towards the end of the year, I was really happy with how our guys were competing.”

Perkins said the loss gave the team an idea of how to prepare for next season.

“I think it was a wake up call, we have to just start hitting in the offseason more and any time we can. I think we have to believe in ourselves more, we have the skill,” Perkins said. “For me, we go into a match and I’m intimidated by other teams, it can be hard to stay positive. Our skill is there, we just have to believe in ourselves.”

The team finished the season with a 4-10-0 record, placing third in the West Metro Conference behind Chaska and Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Juniors Adam Johnson and Haim Lyubeznik were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the individual Sections tournament.