Boys tennis: Northwest sectional preview
At stake this weekend is a trip to next week's three-day state tennis tournament. Players need a top-four sectional finish to advance with a championship helping the resume for the state-seeding committee.
At Larkin
Who to watch: Barrington (MSL champ, defending sectional team champion).
Players to watch: Singles: Mike Williamson (Dundee-Crown, FVC champ, 22-0), Max Fetzer (Barrington, 12-7), Kevin Karande (Barrington, 14-5), Andy Schuessler (Dundee-Crown).
Doubles: Matt Barns-Alex Nemz (Barrington, MSL champ,16-3), David Martin-Greg Mulligan (18-6).
Courtside chatter: Three-time state qualifier Williamson is 58-2 the past two seasons and well on his way to a 9-16 seed at the state tournament. After that, it appears to be all Barrington at singles and doubles, where the Broncos should be able to extend the season for its top four.
"Our (players) need to refocus on the urgency of the moment and remind each of them if you win, you continue to play; if not, you go home. I don't want summer to come just yet," said Barrington coach John Roncone.
At Stevenson
Who To watch: Stevenson, St. Viator, Prospect, Fremd, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Lake Zurich.
Players to watch: Singles: Blake Bazarnik (Stevenson, 19-3), Chris Speer (Stevenson, 19-2), Jonah Schwartz (Buffalo Grove, 20-5), Andrew Rice (ESCC champ, 22-3), Tom Kujawa (MSL runner-up,17-5), Brian Piotrowski (Fremd, 10-7), Taylor Blaney (St. Viator, 21-3).
Doubles: Ross Putterman-David Packowitz, Stevenson, NSC champs, 22-2), Allen Pukshansky- Nick Stephan, Stevenson, 18-3), Carlos & Rafael Robles (Palatine, MSL runner-up, 14-10), Zack Adamovic (Prospect-Jon Kiefer), Michael Zielinski-Dean Tanlis (St. Viator, 20-6), Owen Marsden-Ryan Kries (Fremd, 9-8), Erik Wolf-Tyler Miller (Lake Zurich), Andrew Hall-Matt Bloomstrand (Fremd).
Courtside chatter: So much to watch here as a talented group at singles is easily the headline act as it goes six deep, while over at doubles, the race for the final two spots could be a photo finish when all is done Saturday. The host Patriots boast a superb singles punch, with the sophomore Bazarnik nearing peak form heading into the final two weeks. Schwartz and Rice are this close ... which makes them 3A and 3B, but neither can overlook Kujawa, Piotrowski or Blaney. It would take an upset of major proportion for it not to be an all-Stevenson final at doubles. After that, it's anyone's guess. No matter how you add it up, quality wins versus quality losses, bad losses, indirect wins, or just plain head-to-head results, the race will be on for third and fourth. Need some history? St. Viator is perfect against Palatine, Fremd (3 sets) and Lake Zurich, Fremd has split with Palatine, one a 3-setter, and Lake Zurich took 2006 state qualifier (Lakes) to 3-sets last weekend at the NSC tourney.
"There's a whole lot of 'ifs' at doubles after Stevenson, so we better be prepared," said Palatine coach Steve Pass.
At Glenbrook South
Who to watch: Glenbrook South, Glenbrook North, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg.
Players to watch: Singles: Eric Spector (GBN, 32 champ, 3rd-place state medal winner, 2006), Michael Moore (GBS, state qualifier), Joo Ho Yu (GBN), Damir Svraka (GBS), Izzi Balase (Schaumburg).
Doubles: Jake Lapping-Mitchell Schoenman (GBN), Allen Levit-Aaron Schenker (GBS), Tom McNichols-Kyle Rybal (GBS), Connor Hund-TJ Sobczek (GBS), Mark Sansait-Joe Kim (Rolling Meadows).
Courtside chatter: Can Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg find a way to break through the big two here and give the MSL one and perhaps two more to the guest list next weekend at the state tournament? That is the question. One barometer both coaching staffs at Schaumburg and Meadows will look at will be tournament history and results this season. GBN's No. 1 team defeated MSL runner-up (Palatine) 6-3, 7-5 at the Buffalo Grove Invite, while Meadows (Sansait-Kim) were straight-set winners over that same Palatine duo at the 32. Over at singles, Spector and Moore are light years ahead of the field, but for the freshman Balase, he will target the fourth and final qualifying spot.
At Deerfield
Who to watch: Highland Park, Deerfield.
Courtside chatter: A young, and inexperienced Wheeling club can only watch as state powers Highland Park and Deerfield book the first 4 places at both flights this weekend. The storyline of interest here is the continued growth of the recently paired doubles team of Ben Woldenberg-Sam Barnett at Highland Park, which two weeks ago defeated then top-rated New Trier (Brantner Jones-Robert Stineman) to win the Deerfield Invite. Given the Giants duo winning a sectional title and likely top-four seed next weekend, the scene then shifts to singles.
At Oak Park-River Forest
Who to watch: Oak Park-River Forest.
Courtside chatter: Mike Jacobs and Dan Vollman will be part of what will be a lopsided point total in favor of the host Huskies in the team race, as the talented singles duo will easily fend off any challenge by Leyden and Fenwick. The Eagles' doubles pair of Mike and Chris Schreiner will look to continue the streak of state qualifiers for coach Bob Smith.