The boys’ tennis team finished second in the district playoffs held at Titusville Astronaut High School on Wednesday to advance to the regional tournament Tuesday.

After an unprecedented season of success, tallying 13 victories and only one loss, the Wildcats had high hopes entering into districts.

“I expected us to win it all,” junior Ben Mechachonis said. “We were all playing very well, and the team was strong going into districts. The only school that posed a threat to us in the tournament was Merritt Island, and we knew that we could beat them, if we played to our potential.”

Despite the Wildcats’ expectations, the boys fell short to the Merritt Island Mustangs 23-22, finishing as district runner-ups.

They still maintain their sense of optimism as they enter in the regional playoffs, due to their home-court advantage and desire to avenge their  loss in the district playoffs.

“Though we’re all pretty upset about coming up short of the district title, the team is excited to enter into regionals,” senior Erich Heinricher said. “We have a good shot at advancing to states, given that regionals will be held at Hoover Middle School — courts that we practice on all of the time — so we have a home-court advantage. Our disappointing loss at districts also gives us an advantage because we are motivated to redeem ourselves of placing second, when we really should have won.”

The Lady Wildcats’ tennis team did not see as much success as the boys, as they did not move on after the district playoffs.