Doubly tough loss for Stevenson
Stevenson's boys tennis team looked to be poised to give superpowers Hinsdale Central and New Trier another run for the big trophy in late May until one of the best doubles teams around - David Packowitz and Ross Putterman - decided to forsake their junior season in favor of club tennis to help improve their USTA ranking.
Packowitz and Putterman finished second in the state last May, compiling a 32-2 record.
The move puts a dent in the Patriots' state-title hopes, but new coach Tom Stanhope still has reigning state singles champion Blake Bazarnik, who has signed a letter of intent to attend Vanderbilt.
Stevenson also welcomes the return of Richard Brej, who missed last year after a terrific sophomore season.
"We should still be pretty tough with Blake and Richard at Nos. 1-2 (singles)," Stanhope said. "We have some very good freshmen with great hands and desire and energy to help us put together a solid group at doubles for this year and in the future."
Warren will not have a superstar No. 1 for the first time in 10 years. But longtime Blue Devils coach Greg Cohen does have a talented freshman at No. 1 in Kristiyan Trukov and depth at doubles in state qualifier Paul Schlais - as well as the junior duo of Nikola Trukov/Eric Seiler (45 wins in 2 years), and plenty of tradition to help put the Blue Devils in the thick of things in the North Suburban Conference Lake Division.
"The NSC (Lake) is an incredible division for tennis, and despite not having a player like Denis Bogatov around, this current group of kids and players have worked hard, supported each other and will make this season an enjoyable year," said Cohen, who will take his club to see former Warren state champions Bogatov (Michigan State) and Dennis Nevolo (Illinois) compete in Champaign after playing in the Metamora quad near Peoria later this month.
Lake Zurich and Mundelein each suffered major losses.
Bears phenom Michael Redlicki chose not to come back after a brilliant freshman season that saw him place fourth at state. The Mustangs' Alex Golovin did the same after going 3-2 in the state tourney as a 9-16 seed.
Lake Forest, quiet for a couple of years while Stevenson stood tall, won't be overlooked this spring with the likes of doubles partners Andy Walker and Carsten Wheatley as well as Sam Winkler all returning and looking to improve on their 17-32 state seeds.
North Suburban Prairie: No team is tipping its hand, but the consensus around the league is that Antioch, Lakes and Vernon Hills are the favorites.
Antioch returns Garrett Anderson, Kyler Ward, Connor Martin and Cody England.
Lakes coach Bryan Plinske might have another state qualifying doubles team.
"Andrew (Yopp) and Randall Haylock were two-time state qualifiers (35-6 last season) and just a great doubles team for us while here," Plinske said. "But in Mike Chernetsky/Josh Rosenberg, we expect those guys to be the equal to or better than Andrew and Randall. Their reaction and touch at the net make them a dangerous pair."
Doug Gerber enters his 10th year as Vernon Hills coach with his third player - Darren - from the Hoveydai family during his tenure. He also has Ismail Kadyrov as his No. 1 and six others back from a club that went 4-2 in the division.
"Competition will be tough in the (Prairie)," Gerber said. "But we'll have (Kadyrov) who, although young can build points like a veteran player, and (No.) 1 dubs team beginning with Sam Rong, and either 2009 No. 1 (David Alvaro) or Zack Lee that will anchor a flexible lineup that just needs time to jell."
East Suburban Catholic: When the 2009 regular season ended, Carmel found itself deadlocked with Benet and Marian Catholic atop the leaderboard with identical 8-1 records, but just behind its conference rivals one week later when Benet captured its 18th team crown in the last 19 years.
The Corsairs should be right there when it's all said and done, according to Benet coach Michael Hand.
"The ESCC has been picking up in the last few years, with Carmel and St. Viator (right there) and the continued improvement from Joilet and Marian Catholic, as well as Marist," Hand said.
"Each year our team has been getting better," said Carmel coach Nancy Fehn, who guided her club to a 15-4-1 record last season, which included winning the Schaumburg Invite.
Fehn will count on Bryan Hunt at No. 1 singles, a freshman with plenty of club tournament experience, and junior Dan Park at No. 2. Park was out of the country last year.
Brothers Geoff and Chris Butler will handle things at No. 1 doubles, while seniors Billy White and Greg Hyde, ESCC runners-up at No. 2 and 3 doubles, are the Corsairs' No. 2.
Fox Valley Fox: Grayslake Central lost Mitchell Granger, who moved out of the state after earning a spot in the field of 64 at the state tournament.
But Rams coach Chuck Lawson has liked what he's seen so far from Steve Kveton and Roy Pienaar, who won a combined 7 matches recently at the Warren quad at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, respectively.
Who's next for Warren: Perhaps no other club from the Chicago suburbs outside of the New Triers, Hinsdale Centrals and other state powers has had a more astounding run of great singles players than Warren.
Since 1999, coach Greg Cohen has witnessed no fewer than nine all-state players wear the blue and white, including state champions and All-Americans Dennis Nevolo (2006) and Denis Bogatov (2008).
However, with the graduation of the three-time state medalist Bogatov, the last of the really great singles players might have moved on, leaving Cohen with a new No. 1 (Kristiyan Trukov) and a new chapter of tennis at the school.
"Every coach should be as fortunate as I have to have been able to pencil in your lineup the type of wonderful players we've had here, beginning with Sean Moran (1999), then followed by Josh (Moran), Dennis Polyakov (2003-2004), Keith Moran (2006) then Bogatov the past three seasons," said Cohen, without forgetting the dynamic state doubles team of Konrad Siczek/Igor Federov in 2008.
"But this year, although we don't have a potential state champion, we do have what I consider just a tremendous group of players who maybe in the end could help find our way to a top 20-25 place at state and maybe even better down the road."
Cohen is impressed with his guys' enthusiasm, work ethic, spirit and camaraderie they share.
"There's terrific team leadership," Cohen boasts of a 3.94 GPA (4.0 scale).
Dominant Deerfield: One team to keep a close eye on is Central Suburban League power Deerfield. The Warriors, who finished third in the state in 2007, appear ready to jump into the fray with super soph Jason Brown and junior Ben Shkylar, as well as plenty of depth at doubles and an impressive freshman in Toby Ma.