Scouting DuPage County boys tennis
Top local teams: Neuqua Valley, Wheaton Warrenville South, Wheaton Academy, Hinsdale Central, Naperville Central.
Top players: Eddie Neuman, Neuqua Valley, jr.; Aayush Patel, Lake Park, sr.; Kevin Kruzel, Glenbard East; Ben Paoni, Benet, so.; Paul Choi, Wheaton Warrenville South, so.; Phasu Sirinit, Wheaton Warrenville South, jr.; Joseph Li, Naperville Central, jr.; Sam Liu, Naperville North, sr.; Vittal Harith, Metea Valley, so.; Elliott Dam, Waubonsie Valley, fr.; Sean Boland, Glenbard North, sr.; Kevin Li, Wheaton North; Alex Bergendorf, Glenbard South; Jeff Andrews, Fenton, sr.; Joe Daw, Hinsdale Central, sr.; Griffin Foster, Glenbard West, sr.; Roy Southworth, Downers Grove North, so.; Austin Taylor, York, sr.; Matt Garcia, Downers Grove South, sr.; Joris Bizys, Hinsdale South; Ben Cavka, Willowbrook, jr.; Danny Vale, St. Francis, sr.; Jack Rhiner, Timothy Christian, sr.; David Batka, Montini, jr.; Owen Setran, Wheaton Academy, jr.; Carlos Hinejorh, West Chicago, jr.
Scouting report: Though they are young, with only two seniors, it should be another banner season for Neuqua Valley. The Wildcats lost one-half of both their No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams but should be in good shape with junior Alex Neuman and sophomore Jack Considine at No. 1, along with sophomores Tyler Beck and Chris Smith at No. 2. No. 3 doubles will be the team's only seniors, Jared Bennick and Rohan Sanjay. "We've lost a lot of leadership and the seniors will have to step up," coach Trudy Bennorth said. "Both of these seniors will be four-year players." Singles will be led by Eddie Neuman (with brother Alex, two-thirds of the Neuman triplets; the other is sister Hannah, who plays on the school's girls team). As for the DuPage Valley Conference, Bennorth said Naperville Central and Naperville North will be the traditional tough outs. "Our conference is tiny but mighty," she said.
Naperville Central will be one of the teams that will try to muscle down on Neuqua Valley in the DVC. The Redhawks lost three of their top six players from a year ago to graduation, including No. 1 singles player Ryan Roegner and Martin Matob at No. 1 doubles. Junior Joseph Li will step in a No. 1 singles this season. Senior Ammaar Saeed and sophomore Naveen Ramakrishnan likely will play No. 1 doubles. Freshman Blake Roegner could play singles or doubles and could be the guy everyone is talking about by the end of the season. "He's a really good athlete, and given the fact that he will be playing tennis six days a week and will have match-play experience, I see him improving a lot," coach Dan Brown said.
Heather Henricksen, the Naperville North coach, said to be on the lookout for senior Sam Liu. He's a two-time state qualifier in doubles, finishing in the top 16 last season with Kevin Zhang. Liu will pivot to No. 1 singles this season. "Very athletic, effortless game with great instincts and truly just loves the game and playing with his teammates," Henricksen said. Backing up Liu at No. 2 singles will be a freshman, Zach Slade. "Don't be fooled by his size," Henricksen said. "This kid can play. He has raw talent with confidence to learn, be challenged and compete."
Metea Valley has a solid 1-2 punch at singles with Alex Schroeder and Vittal Harith. Schroeder played No. 1 doubles a year ago with the graduated Ian Doyle but wanted to play singles this season. Harith, a sophomore, is "just a young solid player. He definitely got a lot better. He could be a No. 1 on other teams as well," coach Kole Clousing said. As far as season goals and expectations, Clousing said finishing in the top two in DuPage Valley Conference is a goal, but that will be a challenge considering the talents of both Neuqua Valley and Naperville Central. "Honestly, I believe we can qualify all four spots, in singles and doubles," he said.
Two newcomers should provide a lot of impact for Waubonsie Valley. The first is senior Harper Cole, a wide receiver on the football team. Coach Phil Galow said he is probably the best athlete on the team. Cole played extensively in middle school before shifting full time to football, but he decided to play tennis his senior year. The other is freshman Elliott Dam, who moved into the district from Peoria last year and will settle in at No. 1 singles. Junior Andrew Luckett will play No. 1 doubles, and his partner could be senior Tejas Saptalaar. As far as the conference, Galow said, "I think you look at the state tournament, players from our conference are playing on Saturday and Friday. Tennis in our area is very strong, alive and going well."
Wheaton Warrenville South has two of the best players in the county in No. 1 singles player Phasu Sirinit, a junior, and sophomore Paul Choi at No. 2 singles. Choi played No. 1 doubles a year ago with the graduated Jack Lillig. As for Sirinit, Tigers coach Patti Clousing said, "he's a high pick for the state tournament. He has a lot to do with the energy of the team. I haven't had a kid like him for awhile." No. 1 doubles will be the tandem of freshman Elijah Swanstrom and junior Zach Shaughnessy, who played JV last year but has come on strong. Clousing is pumped about the new DuKane Conference. "We hope to win it, but everyone has to play well," she said. "We're excited, because I think we have very strong players at the top and a very strong middle."
The most improved player for Lake Park looks to be junior Nick Guzek, according to coach Tim Martin, so he will be relied upon for much this season for the Lancers. "Nick has really worked on his game," Martin said. "I am excited to see his hard work pay off when our matches start." The Lancers had a young team last year and bring a lot of players back, including senior Aayush Patel, a state qualifier a year ago and sectional doubles champion. Another key returnee will be senior Tyler Ferengul, who has the most varsity wins of anyone on the team. "We are excited about joining the DuKane Conference this year and playing in a very balanced and competitive conference," Martin said.
According to Glenbard North coach Doug Clark, the DuKane Conference will be "very interesting … it will be loaded with talent." That includes the Panthers, who return their top two singles players - senior Sean Boland at No. 1, a position he has held throughout high school, and junior Kenneth Lim at No. 2. No. 3 singles should be manned by newcomer John Costuna, a sophomore. Also returning is the No. 2 doubles tandem of junior Cooper Kuhar and senior Vineet Virani. "My goal for this year is to place in the top half of the new conference, win most, if not all, of our nonconference matches, and qualify some of our players for the state meet," Clark said.
Another coach who finds the DuKane Conference very intriguing is Eric Laird at Wheaton North. "There are probably four to five teams that all have hopes of finishing as conference champions," Laird said. "It will be a fun, closely competitive season." The Falcons will lead off with No. 1 singles player Kevin Li, who is a three-time state qualifier, "and he looks better than ever," according to Laird. In addition to Li, Wheaton North returns seven varsity starters from a year ago, and that experience and depth, along with several quality freshmen players, should allow the team to finish among the top three in the DuKane.
The big challenge for Glenbard East will be the graduation losses of most of its doubles teams, including the No. 1 tandem of Georgi Solar and Brandon Pineda and Jon Isai and Mo Ayyad at No. 2. Replacements at doubles could be Sahil Mehta and Samir Mehta, but coach Steve Hoogerheide was quick to point out that they could play singles as well. Kevin Kruzel will be solid at No. 1 singles. "We are looking forward to our expanded Upstate Eight Conference," Hoogerheide said. "We expect to be in the mix for the conference championship. This will require our players to be committed to practice, to each other, and to daily improvement."
Two-year state qualifier Alex Bergendorf is the big returnee for Glenbard South. He was all-state a year ago and will be coach Mark Conrad's No. 1 singles player once again. He's ready. "With us moving up in conference (to the Upstate Eight), it's definitely going to be more challenging than it was in the past, which we saw in other sports," Bergendorf said. "I think we're excited for the challenge." Junior Omar Qurram is back and the one to watch this season could be singles player Deven Kinch, who's "gotten a lot better, he took it seriously" in the off-season, Conrad said. Senior basketball player Ryan Harrington at No. 1 will lead the doubles contingent.
Four varsity players return from last season for West Chicago. That includes No. 1 singles player Carlos Hinejorh and four-year starter Angel Flores at No. 2 singles. Also back is the No. 1 doubles tandem of seniors Eduardo Espino and Jose Hinejorh. "Carlos will have a really good season at No. 1 singles," coach Fred Toms said. "He played No. 3 singles last year, and he has improved very much." No. 2 doubles will be hosted by a pair of sophomores, Coen Garling and Gabe Lamperis. "I've got a small group of kids, very willing and very much looking forward to the season," Toms said. "We're only playing five positions, but with our lineup, we'll finish up somewhere in the middle of the conference."
Senior state qualifier Jeff Andrews will lead Fenton this spring and will play either No. 1 singles or doubles. Depending on what happens there, senior Jacob Jarmolinski will take the other spot. If Jarmolinski plays doubles, Fabian Cavello will be his partner. Perhaps the most intriguing player on coach Jeff Portos' roster is Kyle Cacioppo, the Bison football quarterback last fall. "He can cause a lot of problems for people," Portos said. "He's a guy nobody has seen before. I wouldn't say he's tremendous, but he's good. He's really fast and really strong and athletic and can hit the ball." Portos said he sees no reason why his squad can't advance one singles or doubles team to state. The Metro Suburban Conference could be a tougher task than the sectional, he added.
What more can you say about Hinsdale Central? The Red Devils easily won the Class 2A title a year ago but graduated Class 2A singles champion Zack Elliott and doubles champion Trevor Hamilton and Andrew Buhelos. Nevertheless, coach John Naisbitt said, "goals are simple - always win the state championship. No other goals and no other expectations." Hinsdale Centrai will attempt to repeat behind senior captain Joe Daw, who finished fourth in state in doubles a year ago. He's as serious as Naisbitt is about winning it all. "I think our expectations are to just lock down another state title," he said. "That's the standard we have at Hinsdale Central." Keep an eye out for sophomore Daniel Schmelka, who will play No. 1 singles this year.
There are a bevy of returnees for Glenbard West, which means the Hilltoppers have a good chance of finishing in the top three in the West Suburban Silver. The returnees include all-staters Griffin Foster, Alex Kernagis and Christo Maltby, plus multi-year varsity contributors Joey Kent, Cole Jenkins and Tommy Vondruska. All are seniors. But three freshman are sure to provide depth - Sully Monteith, J.T. Gialluisi, and Jordan Jenkins. "Though our conference is always one of the toughest, we are two-time defending sectional champions, so that is our goal again," coach Tad Keely said. "We would love to have a full sectional lineup qualify for state and try to improve on our finish from last season."
Coach Dana Graczyk's two best players return for Downers Grove North, which is good news for the Trojans. Sophomore Roy Southworth will team up with junior Scravan Lingaredygari at No. 1 doubles. "We're going to put them together as a doubles team and hopefully do some really good things," Graczyk said. One player everyone should be talking about by the end of the season is junior River Gray at No. 2 doubles. As it is every year, though, the big challenge for the Trojans will be the West Suburban Silver, which is arguably the best boys tennis conference in the state, with Hinsdale Central, Lyons Twp., Glenbard West and Oak Park-River Forest. "Those are some of the top contenders in state, not just the conference," she said.
A major confidence boost is the story so far for York and coach Courtney Bison, in her second year. "We were a younger team last year and their confidence has grown tremendously," Bison said. "Last year was my first year and I was getting to know them and they were getting to know me." For the second year in a row, senior Austin Taylor will play No. 1 singles, while junior Max Damewood will check in at No. 2. No. 1 doubles will consist of senior Luke Brigman and sophomore Gage Burkhardt, who started this season 5-1, while senior Jalen Macatangay and junior Leander Grassmeier, a foreign exchange student from Germany, will handle No. 2.
The good news for Downers Grove South is that senior Matt Garcia is back. "Matt is a returning captain and sets the tone for the team in practice and matches," coach Josh Forst said. "His state experience getting (tied for) 17th place in Class 2A doubles last season will be a great asset to the program." Also back is senior Mitch Ludewig, who played No. 1 singles a year ago, and junior Tanuj Singh at No. 2 singles. All three will rotate across the top singles and doubles spots this year, Forst said. Downers South should be in competition for the West Suburban Conference Gold title, along with rival Hinsdale South and Willowbrook.
The graduation of No. 1 doubles tandem Namit Sambare and Josh Eisenschenk for Hinsdale South will hurt, but the good news is No. 1 singles player Joris Bizys is returning. The question is where he will play. "We've got a couple of really nice players, and our No. 2 doubles team from last year has made nice strides," coach Steve Snider said. "It will depend on our sectional." Zane Bisharat could play either singles or doubles and is one of four players, including Bizys, who is jockeying for position. As far as the WSC Gold, Snider said the Hornets and Downers South should joust for the title, though Willowbrook and even Morton will be tough outs.
In 10 years of coaching, this is the deepest Willowbrook team Ed Delacruz has had. Start with junior Ben Cavka at No. 1 singles. He has grown a solid 4 inches in the off-season and is up to 6-foot-1. Then there is No. 2 singles player Mark Lobdell, a senior who is committed to play at College of DuPage next year. He's the team's best volleyer. Lobdell and Drake Delvalle will float between No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles. Those two, along with Cavka, will be captains. Abdullah Osmani, who played No. 1 doubles on JV a year ago, could pair with Delvalle at No. 1 doubles. "We were third in conference the last four years years," Delacruz said. "We're deep, we're talented. I guess you could say we're going for it this year, because teams like this don't come around too often."
St. Francis graduated a whopping 18 seniors last spring, so it's rebuilding time, according to coach Tom Castronovo. The two key returnees for the Spartans should be senior Danny Vale at No. 1 singles and sophomore Matt Kazmirak at No. 2 doubles, but look out for freshman Kory Carlson. "These three will be battling for the top positions as they form the nucleus of our team and have significant match experience," Castronovo said. Other contributors should be another promising freshman, Liam Galbraith, and sophomore Evan Senall. The schedule will be tough for the Class 1A Spartans. They will play Class 2A powers Wheaton Warrenville South, Wheaton North and Glenbard West.
The Metro Suburban Conference has merged its two boys tennis divisions into one, which provides new challenges for Timothy Christian and coach Keith Mills. "We will have six seniors in the top eight, so I expect a strong year," Mills said. "Not many lineup issues, and we can build from the onset quickly." Mills will do that with senior Jack Rhiner, a three-year varsity starter who played No. 1 singles and doubles last year. Newcomers include freshman Winston Chen, who should check in at No. 1 singles, and senior James Shervheim, who took a year off but should be in the top four. Mills said, "Wheaton Academy will run away with conference," but he expects his crew to battle St. Francis for the runner up.
Speaking of Wheaton Academy, the Warriors graduated four-year state qualifier Ty Krill, who played No. 1 singles. But that should be offset by the return of five state qualifiers from a year ago - juniors Owen Setran, Devin Greeno, Graham Shelton and Tristan Hilson, along with sophomore Jacob Williams. "Wheaton Academy finished fourth in state last year and have the goal of improving upon that finish," coach Chip Dykema said. "With a great year a state title is a goal and within reach." As far as the Metro Suburban goes, Dykema hopes his crew can defend as league champion but admits there should be good competition to handle.
Danny Smith, the East Suburban Catholic Conference champion at No. 2 singles, has graduated for Benet, but the antidote for that loss should be sophomore Ben Paoni. Freshman John Yairo is a "strong player, great enthusiasm, loves to play the game," according to coach Michael Hand. If you're seeing a pattern here, you're astute - the Redwings will be young this season but will have some upperclass punch with senior Luke Gerkin at No. 2 doubles and junior Danny McGuigan at No. 1 doubles. With regard to an always-tough ESCC, "we should be very competitive," Hand said. "With the inexperience we need to improve and play at our level."
Over at Montini four-year starter Thomas Batka has graduated, along with three-year starters Ben Gruthoff and Jake Ream. Those are big losses, but the good news is that Batka's brother, David, a junior, returns and will play No. 1 singles this season. He and his brother played doubles last year and finished third in state. As a freshman, David Batka made it to the round of 16 in the state tournament, and Montini coach Don Krystof anticipates a return to that status once again. "Due to the senior losses, the team has a lot of holes to fill and our goal this year is to be competitive in our matches," Krystof said. "Our success will hinge on how well our younger players perform when they are shifted up to No. 1 and No. 2 singles or doubles."
- Gregg Voss