Abington Heights is set to defend its boys’ team tennis championship in the Lackawanna League while carving its place in the program’s storied history.

Coming off a season that concluded with a 12th straight District 2 Class 3A championship, a singles final where two teammates faced each other and a doubles final where two pairings played, the Comets are rebuilding. Still, they remain the overwhelming favorite to claim another league title as the regular season is set to begin this week.

Junior William Arp returns as the only singles starter for the Comets. He was 10-0 at No. 2 singles last season and 15-2 overall. The two-time All-Region selection has a 29-5 career record.

“I am looking forward to this a lot,” Arp said. “Last year, the guys and I were all pretty much in the same positions as the year before, and that made things a little easier for us to form a team. This year, we have a new group with really good freshmen who will be instrumental to the team’s success. We will have guys in new positions, and we will be developing a new chemistry.”

“I have been playing a lot in the offseason and with guys on the team, especially. Hopefully, playing together will help us a lot.”

Last season, Brady Comstock and Liam Farrell played at No. 1 doubles for the Comets, won the District 2 Class 3A doubles championship and finished with a 17-1 record. They will likely move into the singles lineup.

Scranton Prep has only one returning starter in Class 2A, all-star Matthew Cohen, who was 10-1 in the league at No. 2 singles. Still, the Cavaliers are expected to contend in the league and District 2 Class 2A races.

After Arp, Holy Cross senior Alex Harrison is the next top singles player returning in the league. He reached the District 2 Class 2A quarterfinals last season and was 13-4. He is a two-time All-Region selection with a career record of 24-8.

Ray Zhang, Harrison’s teammate and doubles partner in the District 2 Class 2A tournament, is a returning Lackawanna League Coaches’ Class 2A all-star at No. 2 singles.

Harrison and Zhang helped the Crusaders finish 9-2 in the league last season.

Valley View senior Nick Burak is a returning Lackawanna League Class 3A all-star. He was 6-3 at No. 1 singles to lead the Cougars, who also return starters Billy Giovagnoli and Cooper Rawlings.

Honesdale’s Lewis Smith (5-6) was also a Class 2A all-star in the league. He returns along with starters Matthew Christiansen, Michael Reiprich, and Asher Eck.

Scranton’s Tom Bergman returns as a Class 3A all-star at No. 1 singles.