It will be trial by fire for the Oakville Tigers boys basketball team this season.

After an 8-19 campaign last year, the Tigers are staring at a daunting schedule for this season.

“We always expect to compete at the highest level, but we know this season with a tough schedule, many of these boys will get a baptism by fire,” Oakville head coach Nicholas Traxler said

Andrew Eckhard returns for his second varsity season. Eckhard, a sophomore, saw extensive minutes at the varsity level last season, averaging nearly 4 points per game.

Junior DJ McDonald will return for his third year at the varsity level. He averaged just over 4 points per game last season.

“We look for him to take a big leadership step this season and be a solid contributor,” Traxler said.

Other players who will be looking to contribute include Pierce Bauman, Isaac Kraft, Josh Williams and Logan Scholz.

Even though the Tigers are young, there is reason to be optimistic, according to Traxler.

“As underclassmen, all three classes had successful years,” he said. “Now, we will look for that to translate to varsity success as the year progresses.”

The Tigers opened the season with a 65-55 loss to Affton on Nov. 27, but were able to rebound with a 73-15 win over Hancock. Scholz is leading the way, averaging 16 points per game.