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By Ray Hamill — The McKinleyville Panthers have hired a new head coach with eyes on reestablishing a program that has been dormant for the past few years.

Washington Vera takes over this spring as the school’s new boys tennis coach and will also coach the Mack girls team in the fall.

And he’s hoping to rebuild a program that has not competed in the H-DNL since 2021.

Vera was busy in his new position this week recruiting players for the upcoming season, with four players signing up.

He’s hoping to add several more between now and the start of the season in late February.

“We’re off and running,” he said. “We’re shooting for 12 kids. I’m not sure we’ll get that, but that’s what we’re shooting for.”

The new coach will have his hands full matching an Arcata program that has dominated in the H-DNL more than any other local sports team in recent years.

But Vera, who has 25 years experience in the sport, is taking it one step at a time.

“This year is just about reviving the sport at the school,” he said. “That would be the first thing.”

Vera has been reaching out to some of the school’s athletes, including some cross country and track and field athletes, and he will host a second sign-up table at the high school on Thursday.

Vera also will hold tryouts on Feb. 5, which is the first official day of practice for the spring season, with the 2024 campaign set to begin on Feb. 21.

“We’re not expecting prodigies to show up,” he said with a chuckle, before adding “But we want to invite school kids to join the team.”

Whether or not the Panthers can begin to match the success of nearby Arcata High in the future remains to be seen, but for Vera, who has played recreationally with some of the Tigers players, it’s about more than wins and losses.

“The Arcata kids all seem like best friends,” he said. “And here I’m in a position to create something like that at McKinleyville High School.”

The Panthers, who have one of the nicest tennis facilities in the H-DNL, open the season at Eureka on Feb. 24 before playing St. Bernard’s in their home openers on Feb. 27.