May 16, 2023 – Story by Ava DiCecca, photos by Joshua Ross
Boy’s tennis secured a win over Marshfield on Monday and dominated in every match, all competitors coming away with a win. All the boys put up a great fight as some managed to make it look easy while others battled until the end to clinch their wins. There is no shortage of strong competitors on this team and their depth and determination has made them quite a powerful force on the court.
These lights-out performances came from first singles Parker Schultz who swept both of his matches, second singles Ethan Warhaftig who did the same, third singles Liam Arnold who won both of his matches 6-1, and first doubles Thomas Fabrizio and Will Baker who also won in two with scores of 6-1 and 6-0. Putting up an amazing fight was the second doubles team of Ryan Chang and Evan Lynch who came up short in their first match but battled back in the second and swiftly closed out the third. All in all, these incredible showings led to a collective sweep by the Harbormen and a continuation of their commanding season so far.
Complimenting these powerful performances, was head coach Gill who spoke to the work ethic that has got them to this point as well as his plans for keeping them on this great path, “we just need to work hard, support each other, and have a positive attitude about a really successful season so far”. He specifically praised the team of Ryan Chang and Evan Lynch in their persistence in the match as they fought until the end to beat out a very competitive Marshfield duo in set three. They remained composed and worked through exhaustion to hold off Marshfield, and their teammate’s undefeated record of the day served as motivation for them to keep that incredible streak alive.
Coach Gill also spoke to how the strength and depth of his team contributes to his certainty going into each match, “we are very very deep. I am pretty confident against a lot of the schools we play, anyone number one through 21 on the team I put them out there and I’m pretty confident that they’re going to get the W.”
This group of talented competitors have proven, with their many wins this season, that nothing can shake their confidence and they will continue to dominate. It is their mindset and drive that shines through in practice that has made many of these successes possible. Coach Gill again commented, “our best matches take place in practice…we have a lot of guys and they can challenge each other.”
It is well known that you both practice how you play and play how you practice and it is evident that these boys are taking that to heart. There has yet to be a competitor that is too much for the Harbormen and that seems to be the result of them pushing each other in practice, all with the goal to improve and prepare. Having their toughest opponents be their teammates has been the key to improving on a day-to-day basis, and growing the team as a whole allowing Coach Gill to feel how he does, confident in every match and every one of his players.