Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Minot High School senior Zach Renaud hits a backhand during a practice held earlier this week. The Magicians will open their season on Saturday with an 11 a.m. contest against Jamestown at Hammond Park in Minot.

As the Minot High School boys tennis team geared up for its fall campaign during the summer, head coach Scott DeLorme noted the squad’s versatility.

A group of six eighth-graders and sophomores comprise more than half of Minot’s 11-man roster. Although youth is prevalent, DeLorme remains encouraged by the young players’ past performances at the varsity level.

“They’ve been around,” he said. “They’ve kind of seen what it takes to compete at the next level. The camaraderie with them is just fantastic. They get along off the court. They get along on the court.”

Zach Diehl, Colby Opp and Sam Super are entering their junior seasons. Seniors Ridge Jaeger and Zach Renaud round out the lineup.

The upperclassmen understand the ins and outs of varsity competition, but also acknowledge the value of an all-around attack.

“Honestly, depth is everything,” Renaud said. “If you don’t win those bottom matches, the top ones don’t matter.”

Last season, the Magi finished 10-10 (5-1 WDA) and captured second place in the WDA Tournament. Diehl and Jaeger earned All-WDA honors.

According to DeLorme, Diehl will begin this year’s campaign as Minot’s No. 1 singles player.

“He’s a great athlete,” DeLorme said. “You see him on the hockey rink. He knows what he’s doing there. He’s got great hands, which translate beautifully onto the tennis court.”

In the WDA preseason poll, No. 2-ranked Minot garnered 32 points and two first-place votes. The Magi finished just three points shy of WDA champion Legacy.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no non-conference tournaments or individual matches will take place this season. Instead, WDA schools will participate in a double round robin schedule of conference duals.

“I don’t think it should really affect us that much,” Diehl said about the new structure. “As long as we’re going hard in practice and getting into it, we’ll be fine.”

Although the schedule adds a bit of a unique twist to this unprecedented season, DeLorme remains flexible in his approach.

“As the season goes along and we kind of see some strengths and weaknesses in teams, we might do a little mixing and matching,” he said.

Earlier this summer, the Minot Park District resurfaced the Hammond Park tennis courts. The Magi grew accustomed to the fresh surfaces throughout the month.

“If you look around courts in the state, many towns wouldn’t even think about resurfacing,” DeLorme said. “For them to take the time and put the money into resurfacing these, they’ve just added to it. They continue to be the nicest courts in the state.”

After participating in challenge matches during practices, the student-athletes are yearning to compete against WDA foes.

“They want to succeed,” DeLorme said. “They’re willing to work hard. We don’t have to get on them for that. The whole mentality of wanting to compete at the highest level, you kind of see it with this group. I think they’re ready to go.”

Minot will host Jamestown at 11 a.m. this Saturday. Last season, the Blue Jays defeated the Magi in a consolation semifinal match at the state tournament in Grand Forks.

“It will be a fun one to start with,” DeLorme said. “Hopefully, our boys remember that a little bit and come with a sense of urgency right from the start.”

Jimmy Lafakis covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JJLII30.