BUTLER TWP — There is good news and bad news surrounding the Butler High School boys tennis team this spring.

Good news: The Golden Tornado graduated only two seniors from last season.

Bad news: Those two seniors — Devin Fitz and Cam Sedwick — were its two best players.

Good news: Butler's lineup should be improved overall this season.

Bad news: North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Moon and Hampton return all of their top players — and only four teams from the section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs.

“That's the dilemma we're facing,” 12th-year Tornado coach Dave Hartzell said. “We've got a good crop of underclassmen who will likely be our starters, but this section will be difficult.”

Butler is coming off an 8-5 season that ended in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Three juniors comprise Butler's singles lineup. Matt McMaster was .500 at No. 3 singles a year ago and now bumps up to No. 1. Nate Errington teamed with Elijah Errington at No. 1 doubles last spring and will now play No's. 2 and 3 singles.

Sophomores Tyler and Trevor Bell, 8-3 at No. 2 doubles last season, are now at No. 1. Junior Reed Kruger and sophomores Jake Zangas and Kyle Pfabe are vying for action at No. 2 doubles.

“We're hoping to build some momentum this season. What happens, happens,” Hartzell said.

[naviga:h3]Seneca Valley[/naviga:h3]

Eric Grove is in his 18th year with the Raiders. He graduated two seniors from last year, including Corey Setter, now playing at Grove City College.

Jeremy O'Connor, a junior, returns at No. 1 singles for SV. He was 7-9 a year ago “while facing everyone's best as a sophomore,” Grove pointed out.

Seniors Jake Yankel (11-6 at No. 3 singles in 2016) and Alex Garczynski (9-8 at No. 2) round out the starting singles. Luke Peffer and Stephen Vandrak — at No. 2 doubles last year — move up to No. 1.

Jarrett Johnston and Josh Weltner will be the No. 2 doubles unit.

“Our singles should be a strength,” Grove said. “As a team, we usually find ourselves battling for the third or fourth playoff spot in our section. I can see that happening again.”

[naviga:h3]Knoch[/naviga:h3]

The Knights struggled last year, winning no more than four matches. Keith Miller takes over as head coach and inherits a team that lost seven seniors from a year ago.

Adam Neigh, a senior, looks to be at No. 1 singles for the Knights. Patrick Smith, a junior, is slotting in at No. 2 while junior Simon Sudano, a first-year player, may have the upper hand at No. 3.

“We're trying to match up our doubles units,” Miller said. “Eli Keller, Henry Palmer, Ethan Bartos and Will Marcus are all in the mix there.”

Miller was a volunteer assistant for Knoch the past two seasons,.

“We were triple-A last year and had trouble competing with state champion North Allegheny, Butler, Pine-Richland ... Those programs had more experience and a deeper talent pool than us.

“Now we're down in double-A and will face teams like Valley, Burrell, Highlands, teams on a par with us. We expect to be much improved.”

[naviga:h3]Mars[/naviga:h3]

Chris Knauff returns for his fifth season and the Planets are in a rebuilding mode after losing in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs last year.

Drew Ellis, a senior, moves up from No. 2 singles to No. 1 this spring. Juniors Graham Strano and Zach Greene, a doubles tandem, a year ago, will play singles this season.

“Doubles, we're still working on,” Knauff said. “We've got some kinks to iron out, but I'm excited to see where everything goes. We've still got high hopes here.”

[naviga:h3]Grove City[/naviga:h3]

Shawn Sowers is in his eighth year with the Eagles after taking a year's sabbatical following back surgery.

Three players — sophomore Jasper Franken, juniors Will Kemeny and Will Rastatter — are vying for the No. 1 singles role. The other two will likely round out the singles lineup.

“The two Wills were undefeated for us at No. 1 doubles last year,” Sowers said. “It's tough to break them up. I'm still a little tempted to keep them at doubles.”

Jeff Biddle and Charlie Nesbit will be one doubles unit. Three juniors — Peter Birmingham, Mason Wise and Max Boshaw — are also looking to crack the doubles lineup.

“Hickory and Greenville have been our stumbling blocks,” Sowers said. “We were 8-4 two years ago with all four losses coming to them.

“We were 10-4 the year before that, 14-2 before that, still losing to them. We'll see how we stack up this year.”