Scouting DuPage County boys tennis
Top teams: Benet, Downers Grove South, Glenbard South, Hinsdale Central, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley
Top players: Benet: Andrew Caniglia, so.; Phil Denys, sr.; Bobby Martin, jr.;Matthew Rurka, jr.; Michael Schutt, sr. Downers Grove South: Jon Artus, so.; Cody Freischlag, so., Connor Harmon, jr., Joey Leto, jr. so.; Glenbard North: Matt Krzyzaniak, so.; Glenbard South: Sam Hughes, sr.; Will Lear, jr.; Nolan Tharp, sr.; Dan Ziegler, sr. Glenbard West: Matt Hirsh, jr., Philip Pacyna, jr.; Hinsdale Central: Sam Bloom, jr., Rafe Mosetick, jr.; Hinsdale South: George Alex, jr.; John Lynch, sr.; Lake Park: Jon Housour, jr.; Taishi Minami, jr.; Metea Valley: George Lin, jr.; Rishab Sharma, so. Montini: Oliver Jaimes, jr.; Naperville Central: Danny Alberts, so., Gautham Bala, sr.; Michael Mihailescu, sr., Sid Swami, so.; Naperville North: Kevin Huang, sr.; Steven Nguyen, so.; Gordon Zhang, jr.; Neuqua Valley: Michael Baiocchi, jr, Patrick Carpio, sr.; Brian Glavin, sr.; Tyler Wall, sr.; St. Francis: Mike Vale, sr; Waubonsie Valley: Abhi Singh, jr.; Wheaton Academy: Devin Moore, sr.; Wheaton North: Jack Lorentzen, sr.; Wheaton Warrenville South: Nick Geannopoulos, sr.; Noah Thacker, sr. YorK: Jeremy Loescher, sr.
Outlook: Defending DuPage Valley Conference champion Naperville Central was so deep last year that despite graduating five starters the Redhawks are favored to repeat. While coach Dan Brown has to rebuild his doubles lineup, his top three singles players return. Swami’s trial by fire as a freshman only made him better, and he’s bigger and stronger and eager to return to first singles. Alberts was second in the DVC at third singles and will either move up a slot or join Bala (third doubles conference champ) at first doubles, and Mihailescu, who was the conference champion at fourth singles will take his ever-improving game to second or third singles. And the players from a fine sophomore team will be getting their chances. “We have a good combination of youth and experience and the depth to win the lower positions in dual meets,” Brown said. As a team the Redhawks were undefeated in conference, won sectional and finished just outside the Top 20 at state.
Again, the Redhawks’ greatest challenge will come from their rivals at Naperville North. The Huskies, who made it into the Top 10 at state last year, also suffered heavy graduation losses. However, at the head of the lineup is Gordon Zhang, who’s maturing into one of the top players in the state. Huang and Nguyen are versatile returning starters who could make up the first doubles team, and there’s a good group of promising newcomers behind them, who had success on the JV team.
Glenbard North, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South will battle it out for the first-division spots behind the Napervilles. The Tigers must replace four-time state-qualifier Jimmy Li.
Neuqua Valley has been the sole proprietor of the No. 1 spot in the Upstate Eight Conference in recent years, and this season should be no exception. Coach Trudy Bennorth has a lot of talent, she just has to decide where the pieces fit. The Wildcats return four returning state qualifiers from a team that was eighth in state, so those are pretty good pieces to have. Carpio made himself into a fine doubles player this year, but he may be going back to singles where he will form a great 1-2 combo with Baiocchi, who made great strides and is now among the top players in the area. Glavin went to state at singles last year, but he might play doubles with Wall, another state qualifier. And there are four other starters back. Once again the Wildcats are loaded.
Waubonsie Valley will be led by Singh, who is vastly improved, and Lake Park could break into the top division with Minami and Housour leading the way. In its first year of varsity competition, Metea Valley will be heard from. Last year’s JV team featuring Sharma and Lin was solid.
Benet has a good veteran crew and expects to rule the conference again. Coach Michael Hand has great experienced depth and he has options to mix and match doubles teams. This is a court-wise group that should do well in the postseason.
Hinsdale Central didn’t win state for the first time in a while (it finished second), but that’s what the Red Devils are competing for every year. Bloom and Mosetick are stars at the top of the singles lineup, and there are plenty of other fine players who have just been waiting in the wings for their shot at making the sectional lineup. Look for a top-three finish at state.
Glenbard West’s Hirsh and Pacyna are determined to grab the second spot in the West Suburban Silver, and York will again be providing a challenge.
In the Gold, Downers Grove South is loaded. All of the above-listed players are outstanding, and there isn’t a senior among them. The key to the regular season will be how fast the second tier of players develop.
Wheaton Academy has an outstanding player in Moore and should be vying for the conference top spot, and St. Francis is always in the running for conference at the end of the year, but this year, they’ll be doing it without a Dawson for the first time in a long time.
Last year’s Western Sun Conference champ, Glenbard South, has joined the Metro Suburban Conference, and coach Mark Conrad believes they can take their third conference title in a row and do well in the postseason. Singles Hughes and Tharp and the first-doubles Lear and Ziegler, are among nine returnees, and they’re all good bets to make state.
Important dates: April 8 Naperville North at Naperville Central; April 16 Naperville North Invite; April 23 Downers Grove Invite, May 6-7 Naper Valley Tennis Invite; May 13-14 Conference Meets; May 20-21; Sectionals; May 26-28 State Tournament.
— Neil Shalin