—Messenger photo by Brandy Mills-Carver Returning letterwinners for the Fort Dodge Boys tennis team are, left to right, Jaxon Price, Drew Essman, Corban McHone, Jaxton Jones, Aidan Recker.

For the first time in four years, someone other than Micah Flaherty will be in the No. 1 position when the Fort Dodge boys tennis team takes to the court.

Flaherty, a four-time state qualifier and medalist, graduated last year, but Dodger head coach Scott Messerly has several experienced players back and a deep roster of 30 to work with.

Aidan Recker held the No. 3 position last year as a junior, claiming four victories in that spot. He is joined by varsity regulars Jaxton Jones, Corban McHone and Jaxon Price. McHone won three matches in the No. 6 spot and five overall, Jones won a match at No. 5 and Price claimed three overall wins, including one while playing the four-spot.

“We’ve been pretty blessed to have Micah, Tate (Balkenende) and Luke (Vaughan) at those top spots over the past several years,” Messerly said. “It’s a big jump to go up against the kind of No. 1 kids we see each time out.

“But I’m excited about the guys we have coming back, and really excited about the amount of depth we have out.”

Recker, Jones and Price are joined by fellow seniors Carlos Cervantes, Drew Essman, Aumon Hollins, Tytrell Mosley and Samuel Salvatore, as well as juniors include Joshua Beekman, Jacob Beekman, Tate Hodges, D’terrivs Johnson, Eli Johnson, Jenson Litwiller, Kyran McCrady, Cheyenne Myers and Jayden Stanley.

Sophomores out for Messerly include McHone, Sawyer Evans, Carson Huffman, Marcus Johnson, Bentley Jones, Elijah Mananquil, Easton Minkoff, Myles Summers, Reeve Wood, as freshmen Jonathan Casciato, Samuel Klein, Jake Pingel and Tayden Taylor round out the roster.

“We might surprise people just because we don’t even know what we have right now with several of these kids,” Messerly said. “Many of them are multi-sport athletes, so that is exciting, but at the same time, they are relatively new to the game of tennis.

“We’ve got to teach them the basics and let them grow from there. It’s a good group and they really seem to be enjoying it right now.”

Fort Dodge opens the season at Iowa Alliance Conference North division rival Marshalltown on Tuesday before hosting Des Moines North on Thursday.

The Dodgers will play five of their first eight duals on the road before closing with four straight at home.

Messerly will be assisted by Ross DeArmoun this season.

2026 FORT DODGE BOYS TENNIS

Roster

Seniors — Carlos Cervantes, Drew Essman, Aumon Hollins, Jaxton Jones, Tytrell Mosley, Jaxon Price, Aidan Recker, Samuel Salvatore.

Juniors — Joshua Beekman, Jacob Beekman, Tate Hodges, D’terrivs Johnson, Eli Johnson, Jenson Litwiller, Kyran McCrady, Cheyenne Myers, Jayden Stanley.

Sophomores — Sawyer Evans, Carson Huffman, Marcus Johnson, Bentley Jones, Elijah Mananquil, Corban McHone, Easton Minkoff, Myles Summers, Reeve Wood.

Freshmen — Jonathan Casciato, Samuel Klein, Jake Pingel, Tayden Taylor.

Schedule

March 31 — at Marshalltown.

April 2 — Des Moines North; 6 — at Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Spencer; 7 — at Mason City; 9 — Des Moines Roosevelt; 14 — at Des Moines East; 16 — Ames; 21 — at Des Moines Hoover; 27 — Nevada, Boone.

May 7 — Clear Lake; 11 — Des Moines Lincoln.