It was a difficult season last year for area boys’ basketball teams, as neither the Highland Huskies nor the Marlboro Iron Dukes put together enough wins to qualify for the Section 9 tournament.

The Iron Dukes entered last season short on experience and struggled to a 3-17 overall record in the final year under longtime coach Mike Koehler.

This year, Ryan Brooks takes over on the Iron Dukes’ bench looking to turn the Iron Dukes’ fortunes around.

Last year’s seniors Prince Owens, Devin Dirago, Tamir Bass, Seth Torres and Jason Price graduated off last year’s team; Miles Brooks, Christopher DeNatale, Matthew Ciarimboli and Tom Benfer return from last year’s team.

“Our goal is to be in contention to win our division and make the sectional playoffs,” Brooks said. “We want to build great team chemistry and play as a unit on both ends of the floor.”

The sectional landscape is going to look different as the New York State Public High School Athletic Association will advance to six classifications this year, putting the Iron Dukes in the new Class A.

The Highland Huskies, however, will remain in Class B under the new alignment, and they will enter the season with a young core, and with 23rd-year coach Mike Milliman closing in on 200 wins.

The Huskies have lost Jeremy Angelone, Dylan Durandis, Davien Leath, Jakob Bishop and Matt Dubois. Returning are juniors Reid Berean, senior Josh Bishop and sophomore Michael Koehler.

New to the team this year will be juniors Rafiq Reid, Leland Dubois, Aden Goudreau and Michael Forzano; and sophomores Nick Forzano, J.J. Eliassaint, Michael Grant and Sam Ellis.

Milliman said the team’s young nucleus will look to improve each day, working on the fundamentals, hustling and teamwork.

“This is an exciting situation, working with young and eager players,” Milliman said. “It’s going to be fun.”