Boys tennis: Scouting Lake County

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

CARMEL

Coach: Chris Kannenberg (fifth season)

Last season: 10-4 overall, 4-0 ESCC, second in ESCC meet, tie for sixth in Stevenson sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Jonathan Paulson, Sr. Brian Arata, Jr. Ben Burkett, Jr. Alex Colbert

Other key players: Jr. Brandon Apostal, Jr. Scott Haseman, Jr. Mitchell LoMastro, So. Johans Baladad, So. Kevin Hutchins, Fr. Nathan Schedler, Fr. Mitchell Whelan

Outlook: Led by seniors Jonathan Paulson and Brian Arata, the Corsairs have good experience on their side and look again to be competitive in the East Suburban Catholic. Ben Burkett and Alex Colbert lead a strong contingent of juniors along with Brandon Apostal, Scott Haseman and Mitchell LoMastro. Carmel also boasts talented sophomores (Johans Baladad, Kevin Hutchins) and freshman (Nathan Schedler, Mitchell Whelan). The switch to Class 1A should also bode well this spring. "Having been placed in 1A by the IHSA gives us a chance to send more players to the state tournament and to have an impact," coach Chris Kannenberg said. "We're excited to have a competitive year in our conference and regular season matches." The Corsairs open the season with a home nonconference match against Wheeling on April 5.

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

ANTIOCH

Coach: Jamie D'Andrea (third season)

Last season: 6-5 overall, 4-2 NSC Prairie Division, eighth in NSC tournament, second in Lakes sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Brandon Sorensen, Jr. Kyle Boudreau, Sr. Adam Bouker

Outlook: There are big shoes to fill with the graduation of Braden Ward, who was a four-time state qualifier. The season looks promising, though, with returning state-qualifiers Brandon Sorenson and Kyle Boudreau. "People might believe our program is going to take a hit this season with the loss of Ward, and it will to some degree," coach Jamie D'Andrea. "But Boudreau is willing and able to fill the No. 1 singles position. D'Andrea also said Sorenson has gotten a lot stronger since last year and Adam Bouker, who has played two of the last three seasons, has put in a lot of time on his game and has improved significantly. D'Andrea is excited about the IHSA's new two-class system for the state tournament. Antioch will be in Class IA. "With the move to the two-class system, I am confident that we will be able to qualify multiple players/(doubles) teams for the state tournament for the second season in a row," she said. "We'll have a learning curve, but we have natural athletes and they should develop the necessary skills to be competitive and successful."

GRANT

Coach: Curt Sheets (third season)

Last season: 5-12, 12th in NSC tournament, tie for eighth in Lakes sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Steven Palacious, Sr. J.P. Vanoverbeke, Jr. Evan Viscioni, Jr. Azam Syed

Notable additions: Billy Friedman, Jr. Kyle Packard

Outlook: The Bulldogs have experience with Steven Palacious and J.P. Vanoverbeke returning for their senior campaigns. Newcomers Billy Friedman and Kyle Packard will contribute needed depth. "We have some notable new players that will shore up our singles play and returning players that have played doubles for us the past few years," coach Curt Sheets said. "This team continues to rebuild and improve every year. ... We plan on giving every team (in the NLCC) a great match. I also believe we can do well in the conference and possibly the state series with the improvements the players have made."

GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL

Coach: Chuck Lawson (12th season)

Last season: 8-6 overall, sixth in Fox Valley Conference, fifth in Lakes sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Vance Dayola, Sr. Steven Sohn, Sr. Carson Cerquone, Sr. Chase Stabird, Jr. Chintu Chatterjee, Jr. Kyle Judge, Jr. Jacob Zboril

Other key players: Jr. Jordan Ramsey, Jr. Mike Patriucelli, Jr. Greg Madjarov, So. Matt Murdy

Outlook: Road matches won't be as long now, as the Rams have left the Fox Valley Conference to join fellow Lake County schools in the new NLCC. Vance Dayola, Steven Sohn, Carson Cerquone, Chase Stabird and Chintu Chatterjee lead a strong contingent of seniors. "I expect to finish close to the top in our new conference," coach Chuck Lawson said. "We should be competitive in all positions, but our first doubles should be the strongest." The Rams open their season when they host Palatine in a nonconference match on April 3.

GRAYSLAKE NORTH

Coach: Johnny Kent (first season)

Last season: 9-6, 6-6 in Fox Valley Conference, sixth in Lakes sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Bryce Boyd, Sr. Cristian Melgoza, Sr. James Enowmbitang, Jr. Matt Pawlowski

Other key players: Sr. Nick Koziol, Sr. Robert McNeilly, Sr. Jack Critzer

Outlook: With coach Jill Tomasello on maternity leave, Johnny Kent inherits a group of hardworking and passionate players who enjoy the game of tennis. "They have really embraced the 'all-in' attitude that I have tried to instill and have been excited about getting better each and every day," Kent said. "We have made a ton of improvement in the preseason, and I am excited to see that continue on during the season and translate into success on the court." Matt Pawlowski, a returning state qualifier in doubles, and Bryce Boyd will likely play Nos. 1 and 2 singles, while the duo of Cristian Melgoza and James Enowmbitang return after earning all-FVC honors last spring. "The switch from the FVC to the NLCC means new competition, rivals, challenges and opportunities for my guys," Kent said. "My players have made a goal to compete for a team conference championship, and I am excited to work to pursue that with them."

LAKES

Coach: Bryan Plinske (22nd season overall, 12th at Lakes)

Last season: 6-6 overall, 2-4 NSC Prairie Division, fourth in Lakes sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Jackson Hubert, Sr. Jake Gotlib, Sr. Yue Li, Sr. Sam Stoy, Jr. Matthew Mercure

Other key players: Sr. Rahul Miriyala, Sr. Joey Imhof, Jr. Adam Hagman, Jr. Collin Feustel, So. Andrew Butler

Outlook: With half of the varsity players back from a year ago and a ton of experience, this could be a magical first season for the Eagles in the new Northern Lake County Conference. "Many of the players have spent the off season playing at racket clubs in preparation for this year," coach Bryan Plinske said. "We will be strong at doubles and solid at singles, and hope to build on the success at the end of the season last year. We've also built our schedule around possible sectional opponents, as we are going to make a run at qualifying as many as we can." The team is focused and has identified team and individual goals. "Now it is a matter of getting some good weather so we can hit," Plinske said.

ROUND LAKE

Coach: Atom Davis (seventh season)

Last season: 7-5 overall, third in Lakes sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Ruben Ortiz, So. John Brown

Other key players: Jr. Rodrigo Villa, So. Danny Guzman, So. Salvador Vargas

Outlook: There are good things happening on the courts in Round Lake. Ruben Ortiz was 11-4 last year and is back for his senior season. Last spring, he became the first state qualifier for Round Lake since 1992. John Brown is also looking to have a big year. "Round Lake tennis had a very positive season last year. It has been what our program has been working toward the last few years," coach Atom Davis said. "And last year was our first winning season in a long time, and we hope to continue with that this year." Many of the varsity players from last spring have departed, but Davis is hopeful new additions will yield similar results. "We will work extremely hard to compete in our new conference."

WAUCONDA

Coach: Ryan Whitfield (second season)

Last season: 10-3-2 overall, 5-1 in NSC Prairie Division, third in Stevenson sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Connor Splingaire, Sr. Andrew Lu, Sr. Josh Nguyen, Sr. Ben Brannick, Jr. Brian Hackman, So. Dev Patel

Notable additions: Sr. Josh Castronovo, Sr. Mateus Arruda, Sr. Kelsey Robinson, Sr. Bryan Yu, Jr. Trevor Schuetz, So. Chase Hayden

Outlook: The Wauconda lineup this spring will feature a mix of strong returning players at the top along with solid newcomers. "We have excellent depth that will allow for lineup flexibility," coach Ryan Whitfield said. Brian Hackman returns for his third year at the No. 1 singles position and looks to build on a sophomore season that included a second-place finish in the difficult Stevenson sectional. Hackman then won three matches in the state tournament. DEV Patel moves to No. 2 singles after a successful freshman year at No. 1 doubles. Connor Splingaire will be at No. 1 doubles for the third consecutive year, where he will be paired with fellow senior Andrew Lu. "Lu and Splingaire put in a lot of work in the off-season and look much improved from last season," Whitfield said. Josh Nguyen and Ben Brannick will play No. 2 doubles. "There will be a lot of competition for the remaining spots, and I expect some fluidity within the lineup until we find the right combinations," Whitfield said. "We hope to challenge for a conference and sectional championship this season and qualify several players for the state tournament."

NORTH SUBURBAN

LAKE ZURICH

Coach: Andrew McCurley (first season)

Last season: 8-8 overall, fifth in Stevenson sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Roberto Guagnelli, Sr. Alvin Pham, Sr. Noah Sung, Sr. Ryan Kim; Sr. Phillip Neff, Sr. Jim Weimer

Other notable players: Jr. Matt Edkins, Jr. Eli Steuer, Jr. Connor Trebac, Jr. Justin Shah, So. Adrian Ganoza

Outlook: Things look good for the Bears, who return six seniors with varsity experience. Robeto Guagnelli was 20-10 last spring and has 59 varsity wins under his belt. Ryan Kim sported a 22-8 mark a year ago and looks to add to his 35 total varsity wins. Alvin Pham, who has 26 varsity wins, serves as co-captain along with Guagnelli. The Bears also get to enjoy their new tennis courts this season. "We're just really excited to get into matches and compete in the conference," new coach Andrew McCurley. "Our varsity lineup is made up of mostly juniors and seniors. And everyone on varsity has had at least some varsity experience in previous years on the team."

LIBERTYVILLE

Coach: Dan Kiernan (16th season)

Last season: second in Stevenson sectional

Top returning players: Jr. Ken Hermann, Jr. Jack Higgins, Jr. John Scott, So. Hayden Friese, So. Bert Cao

Other notable players: Andrzej Fejklowicz, Scott Johnston, Emmett Lee, Radu Manea, Nathaniel Massa, Matthew Morettini, Nathan Valley, Lewis Wang

Outlook: The Wildcats return a trio of players who qualified for state last spring. Sophomore Bert Cao advanced in singles, while junior Kenny Herrmann and sophomore Hayden Friese earned berths in doubles.

MUNDELEIN

Coach: Shelley Majewski (second season)

Last season: 10th in NSC tournament, tie for sixth in Stevenson sectional

Key returning players: Sr. Kyle Koeller, Sr. Joseph Van Bellegham, Sr. Stephan Hatchett, Sr. Max Basso, Sr. Dustin Clegg, Jr. Colin Beisterfeld, Jr. Powell McCarthy

Notable additions: Sr. Jake Antenore, Sr. Kevon Long, Sr. Johah Emil, Jr. Henry Dumblauskas, So. Jose Ramos, So. Jesus Ramos, So. Evan Murphy, So. Michael Kim, Fr. Eric Butler

Outlook: Despite losing six quality seniors to graduation, the Mustangs return enough experience along with depth that could generate noise in the North Suburban. "We look forward to a great season. Many of the boys have continued to train during the off-season and it shows," second-year coach Shelley Majewski said. "Their attitude and spirit are incredible, and they are very excited to dive into some great matches." The Mustangs are also excited to be playing in the comforts of home once again, as last year new courts were being constructed. "After not being able to play at home last year," Majewski said, "this has improved (the players') attitude tremendously."

STEVENSON

Coach: Tom Stanhope (eighth season)

Last season: 9-5 overall, second in NSC tournament, first in Stevenson sectional, eighth in state tournament

Top returning players: Sr. Matt Harvey, Sr. Brian Weisberg, Jr. Sam Komis, So. Zachary Kim

Other notable players: So. Arjun Sheelvanth, So. Ozzie Viswanathan

Outlook: As a freshman last season, Zachary Kim earned a 17-32 seed in the state meet. He's back this season along with Matt Harvey and Brian Weisberg. Harvey and Weisberg played doubles together in the postseason and were a 9-16 seed at state. This is the first season the IHSA boys tournament will be split into two classes: 1A and 2A. Many of the best schools will now be consolidated into common sectionals. "That's going to make things tough on everybody, and only the elite schools will be getting their entire team through to the state tournament," coach Tom Stanhope said. "Good news is that we have a lot of returning and talented players who have experience in the state tournament and sectional tournament settings." Experience and talent can go a long way, as the Patriots look to better its eighth-place finish at state from a year ago. This is also the first season the NSC will be playing No. 3 singles and No. 4 doubles in the conference tournament, which "bodes well for the larger schools, as we'll be able to rely on the depth of our teams," Stanhope said. "As opposed to just being able to play our top-8 players, we can now play our top-11."

WARREN

Coach: Greg Cohen (21st season)

Last season: 10-5 overall, fourth in NSC tournament, first in Lakes sectional, 20th in state meet

Top returning players: Sr. Jacob Andersen, Sr. Caleb Gudeman, Jr. Stefan Radovic, Jr. Eric Grosskopf

Key newcomers: Jr. Sebastian Castanos, So. Cecil Mella

Other notable players: Sr. Parker Friedlander, Sr. Ray Sorge, Sr. Arjun Arun, Jr. Tim Stirrat, Jr. Clark Anderson, Jr. Zack Schiferl, Jr. Jayson Bozek, So. Alex Kuscsik, So. Nihad Mokkath

Outlook: State-qualifier Stefan Radovic returns for his junior campaign. "Even as a junior, he's the leader of this team and the program," said coach Greg Cohen, whose team graduated four state qualifiers. The Blue Devils welcome sophomore Cecil Mella to the program, a tested USTA player who should make an immediate impact. Jacob Andersen also returns and Cohen sees him being a finalist for the state's Sportsmanship Award. Cohen is also expecting Nihad Mokkath, Alex Kuscsik, Caleb Gudeman and Eric Grosskopf to become major pieces of the puzzle this spring. "This is a great group of kids again this year," Cohen said. "Their academic success and work ethic are the core of our program. Our 24 players on varsity combine for an average GPA of 3.94 this year." Sebastian Castanos is also back this year after being out the entire 2016 campaign. As for the newly aligned North Suburban Conference, the tennis outlook has not changed, according to the coach. "Lake Forest and Stevenson both look set to make a run at a state trophy. They are always loaded with great players," said Cohen. "We are hoping to be competitive in all conference matches." Warren will compete in a dual team event at Antioch and Lakes on April 1.

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

VERNON HILLS

Coach: Doug Gerber (16th season)

Last season: 7-6-3 overall, 6-3 in NSC, 6-0 in NSC Prairie Division, ninth in Stevenson sectional

Top returning players: Sr. Ankit Agrawal, Sr. Cole Guillaume, Sr. Aakash Setty, Sr. Harsha Namburi, Jr. Teddy Chen, Jr. Nikhil Mangtani, Jr. Matt Nguyen, Jr. Anmol Parande, Jr. Andrey Shor

Key newcomers: Sr. Jacob Florian, Jr. Max Rattner, Fr. Rohan Vasudeva

Outlook: The Cougars graduated six seniors but will find balance with a mixture of experienced juniors and seniors. Coach Doug Gerber is excited about freshman Rohan Vasudeva, who will play No. 1 singles. He has experience playing tournaments at the junior level," Gerber said. The doubles teams will be anchored by four returning doubles specialists in Cole Guillaume, Harsha Namburi, Matt Nguyen and Andrey Shor. "As usual, finding the right doubles tandems will be top priority at the start of the season," said Gerber. The Cougars, who begin competition in the Central Suburban North, open the spring campaign at home against Hersey on April 3. Vernon Hills will compete in Class 1A in the state tournament.