By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

LYNNFIELD — John Bakopolus is back for his third year as head coach of the Lynnfield High boys’ basketball team this winter. Last season was a tough one for the Pioneers as they finished 1-19 overall and 1-12 in the Cape Ann League.

Two seniors from that team graduated (Mekhi Peters and Dean Bey) but nine veterans return including the two senior co-captains, Alex Gentile and Camden Marengi.

Gentile, who played soccer for the Pioneers this fall but missed the basketball season last year due to a back injury, is a point guard while Marengi, also a football player, is also a guard.

The two other 12th-graders back are James Sharkey (guard- forward) and Sam Gazit (forward- center).

The lone junior back is forward- center Chris Daniels.

Lynnfield has four sophomores returning: Gavin Deluties (guard), Iain McCarthy (guard), Alex Fleming (forward) and Zach Pincus (forward).

ALEX FLEMING returns to help lead the LHS boys’ basketball team this season. The sophomore was a CAL All-Star last season. (File Photo)

Fleming was a CAL Second-Team All-Star last season as he averaged 12 points and eight rebounds.

Two new players on the roster were on the junior varsity squad last year. Those two are sophomores Kelan Cardinal (guard- forward) and Paul Breslow (guard).

Tyler Adamo is another new player as the sophomore guard is a transfer from Phillips Academy.

Lynnfield started practice on Nov. 28.

“The pre-season has been good,” said Bakopolus. “The kids are energetic and have been very productive. We have a lot of kids who have played at the varsity level and have learned a lot from last year.”

Just like last winter, the Pioneers will play a 20-game regular-season schedule. They will play the CAL Kinney Division schools twice and the CAL Baker teams once.

They also have six non-league games as they play Bishop Fenwick and Stoneham twice. The two other non-league contests are against Saugus and Essex Tech.

Lynnfield will play its lone scrimmage on Dec. 9 as they visit Malden at 5 p.m. The season opener is on Dec. 12 as they travel to Peabody to take on Bishop Fenwick with that game starting at 6:30 p.m.

“The goal, and I know it sounds cliché, is to get better each day,” said Bakopolus, who is a teacher at Minutemen Tech in Lexington.