Gone are two of the state's best - Green Hope's Jake Bowling and 4-A state champ Wesley Barrett of Apex.

But in a year where it's uncertain which teams will arise to the top, Athens Drive senior Roman Cacha appears ready to dominate.

Cacha is a two-time singles champion in the Tri-Nine. He missed last year's conference tournament for a national tournament in Alabama.

The Jaguars return five of last year's six singles starters from a team that finished sixth in the league.

Cacha's top individual challenger will be Middle Creek's Matt Stachowiak.

Green Hope (19-1) loses Bowling as well as two more senior starters from last year's team that went unbeaten in regular-season play. The Falcons' Kelly Patch and Matt Hammond will move up to the team's top seeds.

Green Hope was ranked 10th in the preseason 4-A team tennis poll.

Apex (16-3), which went 14-2 in Tri-Nine play with both losses coming to Green Hope, is led by coaching veteran Steve Spivey, whose teams won several boys and girls NCHSAA coaching titles at Broughton.

Senior Gibson Smith is expected to play as the No. 1 seed.

Fuquay-Varina (10-6), Cary (11-6) and Panther Creek (9-8) return a number of players from last year's teams that finished with winning records overall.

Cardinal Gibbons: Chris Geaslen, a senior, and Matt Daly, a junior, reached the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A doubles championship and helped the Crusaders to a 22-5 record and a berth in the 3-A dual-team finals.

Geaslen, who is committed to Elon, was 14-8 in singles, and Daly was 18-4. The team is ranked No. 1 in the N.C. High School Tennis (NCHST) 3-A poll.