By John Orrell, Contributing Writer
Northborough – With 12 wins and just pair of losses in the regular season following their 3-2 triumph over host Wachusett Regional May 18, one might wonder why the Algonquin Regional High School’s boys’ varsity tennis team is not on top in the standings of the ultra-tough Midland-A League.
Unfortunately for the team, they must compete with one of the most dominant teams not just in this region, but in the entire commonwealth – Westborough High School. The undefeated Rangers are the defending Central Mass. Division 1 champions, returning with almost the same team intact from 2014 that was in the mix for a state championship while sending players to individual state competition.
None of that should detract from the success of the Tomahawks who compete in arguably the most competitive league in Central Mass. They have defeated perennially tough opponents in Shrewsbury, Wachusett, Nashoba Regional and Marlborough, to name a few, losing only to Westborough. And with district competition looming, this team has all the makings of advancing deep with veteran players and some newcomers leading the way.
“Our captains have really set the tone for this team,” explained third-year Head Coach Gerald Cushing, who is assisted by Nick DeAngelis. “When we practice, we practice trying to improve each time out. That was our goal at the beginning of the season and a lot of kids have done that.”
Captains are Zack Gilfix and Nate Morrell, the only two seniors on a team that graduated four key players in 2014. Nonetheless, this 2015 team is blessed with veteran experience and young talent throughout.
“Our success has been a lot because of underclassmen because our first and second singles are sophomore Ian Kim and freshman Tyler Zhang,” explained Gilfix, who is bound for the University of Massachusetts – Amherst in the fall. “They both have been playing since they were really young so they’ve stepped in and done a great job for us.”
“We’ve been practicing well and we have a lot of great competition in practice,” added Morrell. “We have some great young players that have really made a difference. It’s been fun for Nate and I being the captains, but not just on the tennis court. It’s been fun being around the other players and we all have learned from each other.”
Cushing’s starting lineup has consisted of Zhang and Kim as first and second singles, respectively, followed by Morrell in the number three slot. First doubles has been the team of Gilfix and Will Koziel, while Dan Greene and Alex Daignault have performed well as number two doubles partners.
With district competitions on the horizon, all know that it will take the very best each player has to advance. Facing Westborough once more is a definite possibility.
“It’s going to take a lot of mental toughness,” said Gilfix. “You have to be able to lose a set and not give up or break down. You have to come back and win the next two. With Westborough, you have to go out and give it all you have because they’re one of the toughest teams I’ve ever seen. They’re incredible.”
“It would be an awesome win to beat them,” said Morrell, who will be attending the University of Wisconsin after graduation. “It would take everyone playing the best match of their life. We’re up for the challenge. We respect them a lot so we’ll give it our best.”
No matter the outcome, it is readily apparent that Cushing admires and respects his players for their hard work and dedication that has helped them overpower tough Midland-A competition. He knows that some wins could have gone the other way but for strong performance and mental toughness of his team.
“Teams in this league have played us real tough,” he said. “The scores don’t look as close as the matches were. We could easily be on the losing end of a 3-2 score. It’s still a strong league. We’ve had some real good consistency from our guys that have put us over the top.”
Members of the 2015 Algonquin Regional boys’ varsity tennis team are seniors Zack Gilfix and Nate Morrell along with juniors Brendan Clark, Dan Greene and Bijoy Shah. Sophomores are Ian Kim, Alex Daignault, Matas Buivydas, Ian Bourdon and Brendan Foley who join freshmen Michael Wu, Tyler Zhang, Will Koziel, Nick Ding, Jake DeMarco, Walker Haskins and Milosz Dworakowski.