With 12 state championships in the last 13 years, Westminster has been a dominant force in boys’ tennis in this century.

A third consecutive Class AA championship is what the Wildcats have their eyes on as they get the 2013 season underway.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have top-notch tennis players and also really great leadership from our seniors and team unity,” Westminster coach Wade Boggs said. “The team has really worked hard over the years and we have enjoyed a lot of success. We’re hoping that will continue, but we know we have to work hard to make it happen again.”

Westminster’s quest for a third straight state title is off to a strong start with win in their first four matches.

The Wildcats defeated Athens Christian 4-1 in their season opener Feb. 15, then beat Buckhead rival North Atlanta, 2-1, Feb. 21 and took 5-0 decisions over Harrison last Wednesday and St. Pius X last Thursday.

This year’s Westminster team features a strong mix of returning veterans and promising newcomers, according to Boggs.

“We’ve got a relatively young team here,” Boggs said. “But, we have two seniors who bring a lot to the doubles, specifically, but also bring great leadership to the team. So, we’ve got a pretty good combination of older, experienced players and younger, energetic, eager players.”

Junior Stephen Solms is the key returning player at No. 2 singles and he is joined by freshmen Al Hill and Josh Doman at No. 1 and No. 3 singles respectively.

Senior Spain Short and junior Will Anderson lead the way at No. 1 doubles, while senior Jimmy White and sophomore Connor Hutchins team up at No. 2 doubles.

Boggs is confident about his team’s chances of contending for another state title, but acknowledges the challenges that the Wildcats face in a competitive Region 6AA that includes archrival Lovett and other state powerhouses, such as Blessed Trinity, Greater Atlanta Christian and Wesleyan.

“I think we’re definitely contenders, but we have to see how the season unfolds,” Boggs said.

“We’re in a small, but very tough region with Lovett, GAC and Wesleyan, so the region competition will be tough. We’ll know a lot more by the end of the season, before we go to state. We’ll just have to wait and see how it unfolds.”