State hopes on the line this weekend

Several boys tennis players have the potential to qualify for the state tournament this year.

All they have to do is get through sectional play. The 7 Tri-Cities Area teams will be split up at the West Aurora and Lake Park sectionals. Play begins today and ends Saturday afternoon.

West Aurora is hosting Aurora Central Catholic, Marmion and Batavia while Geneva, St. Charles North and St. Charles East will be heading to Roselle.

Here's a closer look on what's to come this weekend.

At West Aurora

East Aurora, IMSA, Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley will join the four area teams in Aurora.

Batavia finished second in the Western Sun Conference ahead of Geneva's third place. Neuqua Valley won the Upstate Eight title for the eighth consecutive year.

Marmion placed second in the Suburban Catholic Conference, West Aurora did not score at the DuPage Valley Conference meet and Waubonsie Valley took third and East Aurora last in the UEC.

"I expect this to be a very challenging experience for my players," Batavia coach Bob Kummer said. "I know Neuqua Valley is a strong team, having won the Upstate Eight, and Waubonsie is always competitive. They matched up well with the competition we've had."

Batavia finished 13-8 in dual meets this year. Jordan Broadway is at No. 1 singles, Alex Haizman is No. 2 singles and the No. 1 doubles team is Colin Bohr and Jimmy White.

"(Broadway) knows what he has to do," Kummer said. "(Bohr and White) are two seniors who have never qualified for state. They know this is their last chance. We have to get the job done, bottom line."

As for Marmion, No. 1 singles Tom Weiler is 14-4 in his fourth year on varsity. No. 2 singles is Luke Brandt, a sophomore "coming into his own," according to coach Pat Maurer.

The No. 1 doubles team of freshman Bubba Weiler and senior Bobby Fortier is playing, along with duo John Mason and Michael Deusel, a pair of sophomores who are 16-2.

Weiler and Fortier have played at sectionals before and the rest are all new.

"We've beaten a lot of good schools," Maurer said. "We've been busy the last few days getting the boys ready. We hope we do well."

As for the Blackhawks, they are happy to play at home.

"It's very nice," West Aurora coach Jenny McCormick said. "The boys are home on these courts, it's where they practice every day."

McCormick paired seniors John Ulven and Jared Williams, who are both strong individually and with partners.

"They played some very solid matches together during practice, and it will be interesting to see how they do during sectionals," McCormick said. "I have confidence in them they will do well."

Aurora Central coach Jim Farmer knows his team has an uphill battle with such a small squad.

"We're hopeful, but also realistic," Farmer said. "We have nine players total on our tennis team, so we don't even have a JV squad. Our team and individual goals are to have as many players as possible advance to the second round with the hope of a third round. Most of our competition comes from much larger high schools than our less-than 500 students school, so we know we have our work cut out for us."

The Chargers lineup this weekend will include first doubles team Aidan Robledo (senior) and Mark Brouch (junior), who Farmer said has a slight chance of qualifying.

Farmer also likes his second doubles team of junior Ethan Romba and sophomore Patrick Hastings.

At Lake Park

Along with the three local teams and host Lake Park, Bartlett, Glenbard North, Lake Park, South Elgin, West Chicago and Wheaton Academy are grouped in this sectional.

Wheaton Academy won the Private School League and St. Charles North placed second in the UEC, followed by Lake Park (third), Bartlett (fifth), St. Charles East (sixth) and South Elgin (10th). Glenbard North and West Chicago did not score at the DVC meet. Geneva finished third at the WSC meet.

"I expect us to do well," St. Charles North coach Tim Matacio said. "They did a good job at conference and they all are playing well now. I feel good about that."

No. 1 singles is freshman John Mittvick and No. 2 is Nikhil Mehta. Christian Hoskey and Dave Johnson form the top doubles team followed by Andrew Davis and Matt Baumann.

Johnson was the first freshman in the history of the program last year to qualify for state and Davis also qualified as a singles player.

The North Stars matched well with Bartlett and beat Lake Park, South Elgin and St. Charles East in the regular season.

St. Charles East coach Sena Drawer is hopeful the No. 1 doubles duo Sam Gunther and Kirk Nelson along with No. 1 singles Paul Reiff can advance to state. Gunther went last year as part of a doubles team.

Geneva coach Doug Ross thinks it's all up for grabs and there is no favorite.

"It's really anyone's match," Ross said. "It's going to be exciting. It's all kind of a mystery, which makes it fun. Anyone going in there knows they have to do their best."

Representing the Vikings are No. 1 singles Chris Fowler (9-13), No. 2 singles David Ta (13-8), No. 1 doubles Pat Couveney/Wes Kappel (11-12)m and the No. 2 duo of Mike Felicelli and Greg Adelman.

Fowler and Couveney are the only ones with sectional experience and no one has qualified for state.

In the regular season, the Vikings fell to Wheaton Academy but beat the North Stars and Saints.