HB's Sam Anthony fires a return during Monday's season opener vs. Alvirne at Longfellow Tennis Club in Nashua. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – On a raw, damp Opening Day for local high school tennis, they were the only game in town.

If the Hollis Brookline boys tennis team has its way, it will be that way for them at season’s end when the Division II finals are held.

But that’s two months away. Monday, due to the fact the Cavs don’t have courts at the school and use the Longfellow Tennis Club’s indoor courts as their home, they were able to open their season with a convincing 9-0 win over their newest local opponent, Alvirne.

Remember, the Cavs reached the semis last year, and look like they picked right up where they left off.

“It’s a testament to the work our players did in the off-season,” HB coach Celestino Eddi Sepulveda III said. “We also have returning junior players who were all starters last season. We had the semifinal finish vs. Lebanon, a great season last year and we hope to build on that.”

The Broncos, meanwhile, were 7-7 last year and lasted a round in the Division I tourney. Then why are they in two? Enrollment has dipped below 1,000, coach Colin Stone said, and they opted not to petition back up to Division I.

“The boys are excited to be in Division II,” Stone said. “I think it’s a mixed bag because they wanted to play in Division I again because they made playoffs, but our hands are tied. … When they found out we’d be in two, it’s a glass half full.”

But not a great welcome into their new surroundings.

“It’s a tough spot,” Stone said. “I think they got a look at what a top team in Division II looks like. The scoreboard reflects how good Hollis is and show that we’ve got room to grow.”

It was over early, and no one on the Broncos ladder got more than three wins in a match. In Nos. 1 through 3, HB’s Arjun Inakollu topped Bronco Sam Hergenhahn 8-3, John Torpey beat Sean Mendes 8-2, Greyson McSeveney topped Owen Suprenant 8-3. HB’s final three spots in singles all won 8-0: Ronan Finnegan, Sam Anthony and Dylan Legrow.

Doubles was pretty much the same minus the shutouts. At No. 1, Inakollu and Anthony bested Hergenhahn/ Suprenant 8-2; Torpey/McSeveney cruised 8-1 over Mendes/Cole Fitzpatrick, and Legrow/Sam Pistor beat Alvirne’s No. 3

tandem of Samanyu Kudikala/Christian Figueiredo, 8-2.

Alvirne’s Sam Hergenhahn hits a return during Monday’s season-opening match vs. Hollis Brookline at Nashua’s LongfellowTennis Club. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Not much drama – the Broncos had only three of their regular top six back – but everyone stayed dry and warm. And Inakollu set the tone for HB at No. 1.

“A very encouraging start to the season,” Sepulveda said. “Arjun this year, a significant difference in his focus. I think the experience of playing in the post-season last year and also in the state (individual) tournament was a fantastic experience for him, and we’re looking forward to even better things here.

But in a way, both teams were winners as the overall NHIAA local spring sports season is officially underway.

“We got to play indoors,” Sepulveda said smiling. “We’re really fortunate. …Obviously we’d love to have our own outdoor courts in the community, but we we were able to play on a day when it was raining in other parts of the state.”

Advantage Cavs, in more ways than one.