Boys' tennis outlook

Last spring, area teams were hoping that there was a proverbial crack in the Handley armor and maybe it was possible to end the Judges’ Northwestern District dominance.

But like it has done every season since 2012, Handley secured both the Class 4 Northwestern’s regular-season and tournament titles.

But the season didn’t extend past that for the Judges, who have won a pair of state titles under Dan Jones. Handley fell 5-0 in the Region 4C semifinals to Rock Ridge.

The district crown loses its significance this spring as winning percentage means everything in becoming one of the top four teams to make the Region 4D North quarterfinals. The North champion will face the South champion for the regional crown and only those two region finalists advance to the state tournament.

The Judges (off to a 1-1 start) have to replace their top player Nathan Thomas, who captured the district singles and doubles titles last spring.

His doubles partner Ty Dickson (No. 2 last spring) returns and opened the season at that spot. Junior Jack Boye (No. 3 last season) is playing at No. 1. Senior Carter Bessette has moved up a spot to No. 3. Junior Matthew Bosshard, who saw action last season, is playing at No. 4 and sophomore Will Brubaker is at back at No. 5.

James Wood finished runner-up against the Judges in district tournament play and also fell in the Region 4C semifinals.

The Colonels are under new leadership as former Millbrook standout Christian Hellwig takes over as coach. Hellwig will have to replace his top three from players from last season (Josh Borromeo, Ryans Stevens, Matthew Shepherd).

Sophomore Josh Lucas returns and takes over the No. 1 spot. Senior David Hutchins and sophomores Ander Pratt-Perez and Bryan Robbins will play the top four singles spots.

Sherando coach Jason Robertson lost only No. 1 player Tommy Reese, who was runner-up in the district tournament last season.

The Warriors open play with returnees Greyson Foltz, Vishan Bhagatt, Sam Brooks and Emmett Gannon in the top four singles slots. They knocked off Millbrook 8-1 in their season-opener on Tuesday.

Millbrook coach Chris Rogus returns all six of his singles starters from a year ago and five of them started in the top five singles slots against Sherando — Ben Yeager, Angel Ayad, Anthony Gelormine, Eli Kaderli and Matthew Hale.

Clarke County enters the season after making program history last spring by advancing to the state tournament for the first time in school history with a Class 2 quarterfinal berth.

Forrest Pritchard’s squad (currently 1-0) lost four starters, including No. 1 player Linus Pritchard, but return Preston Bernier (No. 2 last season) and Jack Westbrook (No. 6), who are now the top two players in the Eagles’ lineup.

The following is information on the teams provided by the coaches:

Handley

Coach: Dan Jones, ninth season

Last year: 14-4, Class 4 Northwestern District regular-season and tournament champions, Region 4C semifinalists

Key losses: Nathan Thomas, Geronimo Dib Ghys.

Key returners: Ty Dickson (Sr.), Jack Boye (Jr.), Carter Bessette (Sr.), Matthew Bosshard (Jr.), Will Brubaker (So.).

Key newcomers: Avinash Dabas (Sr.), Edward Browning (So.), Chase Swartz (Fr.), Noah Wilson (Fr.).

Jones’ expectations: “We are hoping the offseason workouts will pay big dividends and to be playing our best tennis at the end of the season. Ty Dickson and Carter Bessette have really worked hard in the offseason (on and off the court) to make their senior seasons the best possible. Their leadership will play a big role in our success.

“We are looking forward to seeing how we stand up to Region D schools and having an opportunity to play different teams during the regular season and hopefully the postseason. Our goal is to win the Northwestern District, be in the hunt for a region title and make a statement in the state tournament.”

Next match: Wednesday at Kettle Run

James Wood

Coach: Christian Hellwig, first season

Last year: 12-6, Class 4 Northwestern District runner-up, Region 4C semifinalist

Key losses: Josh Borromeo, Ryan Stevens, Scott Shepherd, Lane Pugh

Key returners: Josh Lucas (So.), David Hutchins (Sr.).

Key newcomers: Ander Pratt-Perez (So.), Bryan Robbins (So.).

Hellwig’s expectations: “I expect to put up a solid fight this season. We lost four of our six starters from last season, and six more seniors on top of that, but this year’s starters have really stepped it up in the offseason and put in the work to improve their game significantly. David Hutchins has really impressed me with the way he’s been playing. You can see he’s really put the hours in, on and off the court. Even with how much he practiced over the last year, he was able to become an Eagle Scout which shows me he’s an extremely hardworking individual.

“Every team in the district has its strengths and weaknesses. It will be a challenge for sure but I know my boys are up for it. They want to win and I want to help them achieve it. The new region allows us to play new teams we haven’t faced before giving the boys the opportunity to really expand their game. I’m not sure how I feel about the new postseason format. It could help us or hurt us but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.”

Next match: Tuesday at Sherando

Sherando

Coach: Jason Robertson, second season

Last season: 10-7

Key losses: Tommy Reese

Key returners: Vishan Bhagatt (Sr.), Connor Dudley (Sr.), Justin Jensen (Sr.), Kieran Lindberg (Sr.), Emmett Gannon (Jr.), Greyson Foltz (So.), Sam Brooks (So.), Glyn Lystrup (So.).

Key newcomers: Joe Jeran (So.), Henry Fitzpatrick (So.), Alex Corl (So.), Syun Wun Lai (So.), Logan Tolbert (Fr.), Jay Sluss (Fr.), Jason Diegnan (Fr.)

Robertson’s expectations: “We are looking to play our best tennis at the end of the season and compete in the postseason tournament. I am pleased all returners put time in on the court this past offseason. Greyson Foltz and others have raised their level of play. Our new players, especially Joe Jeran, have impressed me with their games and improvement since joining our program.

“Our goal is to compete in the region and advance to the state tournament. There are several good teams in our section of the region, plus Handley is always a team to beat. We will need to continue improving our level of play during the season to have a chance at our goal.”

Next match: Friday vs. Warren County

Millbrook

Coach: Chris Rogus, third season

Last year: 3-11

Key losses: None

Key returners: Ben Yeager (Jr.), Angel Ayad (Sr.), Anthony Gelormine (So.), Eli Kaderli (Jr.), Matthew Hale (Jr.), Ethan Reger (So.)

Key newcomer: Andrew Sidlowski (So.).

Rogus’ expectations: “This season will be interesting, as I get to see all the growth we worked on last year pay off. We were very young last year. This year everyone came back playing better. Ben Yeager is our No. 1 again this year. His form has improved and I look forward to watching him compete this year. Angel Ayad has been with the team all four years and getting to watch his development as a player and as a person has been a joy. Each year he raises the bar on what I expect from a leader on the team and this final run is no different.

“I think I’ll have a better idea [about the move to Region 4D] when the season ends. I’m sure I feel the same way about the longer bus rides as the other coaches do, but change will happen. I’m more intrigued by the reformatting of the playoffs. Each match matters just a bit more, whether it’s a district match or not. I think it brings in some chaos, as the strength of the schedule now plays a bigger role.”

Next match: Wednesday at Harrisonburg

Clarke County

Coach: Forrest Pritchard, third season.

Last season: 11-6, Region 2B runner-up, Class 2 quarterfinalist

Key losses: Linus Pritchard, Jack Lucier, Ethan Ellis, Thomas Dalton, Cannon Long.

Key returners: Preston Bernier (Sr.), Jack Westbrook (Jr.), Aden Rounds (So.), Jake Pastore (So.), David Flaherty (Jr.).

Key newcomers: Pasha Holsinger (Jr.), Ryder Hamilton (Fr.), Dylan Jones (Sr.), Jack Stanley (So.), Gideon Carne (Fr.).

Pritchard’s expectations: “We’re optimistic that last year’s reserves will step up to replace a team that graduated five seniors. Our team goal is to match last season’s run to states. Preston Bernier has shown phenomenal growth. He walked on as a sophomore with no experience and has improved into a regionally-competitive No. 1 this season.

“We are a small school in a region surrounded by larger schools, and we’re grateful for the challenge. Our kids are excited for the season, and they take practices seriously. We plan to be competitive, show good sportsmanship, improve and most of all have fun.”

Next match: Wednesday at Sherando

— Contact Walt Moody at
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