In terms of solidifying a spot in the postseason, Walpole Boys Tennis is one of the most consistent sports at Walpole High. The team has qualified for the state tournament for eleven straight seasons, and this year’s experienced varsity starters will strive to make the playoffs for the twelfth season in a row.
Last year, Walpole Boys Tennis went 11-8 in the regular season and won their first tournament game 5-0 as the #15 seed against the #18 seed Apponequet; however, they lost a close second round match against #2 seed Plymouth North. For the 2015 season, senior Captains Mike Bloom, Dan Frankel, Dimos Katsaros, and Scott McLean hope to go deeper into the playoffs.
“Our main goals for this season are to qualify for tournament and make it past the second round,” said McLean. “I think we have a lot of strong players, which makes us a competitive team in the Herget Division.”
A major strength of this year’s team is experience, for all of the projected starters are seniors with varsity experience. First doubles Jack Young and Scott McLean and second doubles Dimos Katsaros and Andrew Drogan all have four years of experience with the team. Returning singles starters Mike Bloom, Dan Frankel, and Joe Delaney also offer strong potential for this season, especially due to their off-season preparation.
“The strengths of this years team are experience and depth,” said Head Coach Shawn Gough. “Senior Mike Bloom has worked hard in the off-season to improve his game, as has senior Dan Frankel, who returns from number 2 singles.”
However, a preseason injury may stall the beginning of the season for Frankel, as he is not expected to recover from a knee injury until mid-April.
“One of our weaknesses will be not having Frankel at the beginning of the season due to his dislocated knee,” said Katsaros. “The hope is that he makes a fast recovery.”
With a captain unable to begin the season, the team may suffer a slow start; however, the players are still confident they will be a strong presence against certain opponents.
“Our most competitive games will be against Weymouth, Framingham, King Philip, Braintree, and Natick,” said Katsaros. “They will all be tough to beat, but I think we stand a good chance against them.”
With years of experience backing the varsity starters, Walpole Boys Tennis will strive for a twelve-year tradition of making the state tournament. Their first match of the season is scheduled for March 31, 2015 at home against Weymouth. However, the snow on the courts will most likely delay the start of the season.
