AMHERST – Very few members of the Amherst Regional boys tennis team created the burden of expectations the Hurricanes carry, but they’re all happy to shoulder it.
Amherst has won two Western Massachusetts championships in a row and graduated six of its seven starters. The Hurricanes also reached the Sweet 16 of the Division 2 state tournament.
“It’s definitely going to be tough. I do think there is that sort of weight of two times back to back Western Mass. champions,” Amherst’s Woojin Kwon said. “We’re saying, ‘let’s go for it a third time.’”
Sophomore Miles Jeffries will lead the charge at No. 1 singles. He’s the only player with starting experience and has been Amherst’s No. 3 for the past two years.
“It does feel kind of weird going from being one of the youngest to being a leader or one of the top guys on the team,” Jeffries said.
He’s taking the lessons learned playing with his experienced teammates and passing it along to his younger charges. Those Hurricanes loved to have fun but also push each other with healthy competition in practice.
“We had a lot of competition between the guys during practice, so keeping that fire inside of you, always wanting to go for a win I thought was one thing we had last year that if we carry on that ambition will really help us this year,” Jeffries said.
The rest of the Hurricanes lineup is a mix of age in players like Kwon and fresh faces from Elias Katsaros at No. 3 singles and throughout the doubles team.
WEISS AS NICE – Trevor Weiss will have to bear more responsibility than the average Belchertown No. 1 singles player. None of the Orioles are tennis players first but learn enough about the game and use their athleticism to their advantage. Belchertown has reached seven straight sectional finals and won back to back titles in 2019 and 2021 (there was no tournament in 2020). Typically the No. 1 player acts as something of a sacrificial lamb facing the other teams’ best players while his teammates battle for points down the lineup.
Weiss will be counted on for much more. He’s the only returning starter from last year’s finalist team and will need to win his position consistently for the Orioles to carve out victories. The junior is 3-1 this season, and Belchertown is off to a 2-2 start.
“He’s someone who I can fully trust to handle things. He’s patient, empathetic with the younger guys who he’s trying to train them where the first time they ever picked up a racket was the first day of the spring season. He does all the little things even when I don’t ask him to,” Belchertown coach Zach Siano said. “He’s taken on a lot and to a degree it’s unfair, but he’s up to the task.”
Weiss clinched a Western Mass. title playing No. 3 singles as a freshman and provided a threat at No. 2 last season. Though Belchertown’s goals may not be as lofty due to their inexperience, Weiss understands the long game in preparing the team to win later in the season and in the following years.
“This year we have a lot of new guys coming in who have never hit the ball before. At this point in the season I didn’t expect hem to be this good. That takes some pressure off of me,” Weiss said. “There’s more responsibility, but it’s fun to teach them new things.”
WAY OF THE DRAGON – Another year older, the PVCICS boys tennis team still has a few years of calling itself young. The Dragons reached last season’s Western Massachusetts Class C final and the state Division 5 Round of 16 with no one older than a sophomore on the roster, and every regular returned this season.
Aidan Cleary and Hugo Shinn will battle for the top two single spots, while the “old man” junior Clayton English should see time at the No. 3 singles. Twins James and Teddy Scott will form a powerful No. 1 doubles combo while seventh graders – and fellow twins – Derek and Devin Ye hold down No. 2.
CAROUSEL – The Northampton girls tennis team has experienced some upheaval since reaching last year’s Western Mass Class B final. Since then, the Blue Devils have been through two coaching changes and lost their No. 1 singles player from the last two seasons when Jeanne Mei Mangan Larouche transferred.
Northampton boys soccer coach CJ Holt originally committed to coach girls tennis but instead will take over as Hampshire Regional’s athletic director after April 14. The Blue Devils turned to Karen Bradway, a South Hadley native still active in the USTA circuit.
She’ll have two of Hamp’s singles players back in Daria Warren and Summer Sorenson and strong athletes at the doubles positions.