By Steve Bigham
By Steve Bigham
Newtown High School boysâ tennis coach Jen Huettner came across a newspaper article last week that predicted her team would contend for the league championship this year. The news was shocking to the first-year coach. She knew the Nighthawks had talent, but she didnât expect the added stress of having to chase a title when she took over for departed coach Ward Januzzi at the start of the season.
Jokingly, she charged into the office of Athletic Director Gregg Simon seeking a retraction.
âI canât live up to this pressure,â she said with a smile.
But after three-straight wins to start the season, Huettner now thinks she might be able to get used to the pressure. In fact, there hasnât even been any stress at all, so far. You see, the local tennis team has not dropped a single match this spring, jumping out to a 3-0 record overall, while compiling a total match record of 21-0.
Newtown opened the season April 12 with a 7-0 win at New Fairfield on a cold and windy day.
Singles players Zach Miller, John Perachio, Sean OâMahoney and Peter Stephenson all won in straight sets. In doubles, Bret McEvoy and Adam Ponsky were winners at first singles, Dan Golenboch and Matt Beres won easily at second doubles, and Ami Kilchevsky and Aaron Johnson rolled to victory at third doubles.
On April 13, Newtown fought off a chill in the air to beat visiting Bunnell, 7-0. Miller played one of the longer matches of the day, beating Bobby Sanford, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Freshmen Perachio (6-2, 6-2) and OâMahoney (6-3, 6-3) each won easily, while Stephenson knocked off Jeff Godden, 6-1, 0-6, 6-2.
The McEvoy/Ponsky team had to win a second-set tiebreaker to defeat Robert Pierzak and Tom Ozog. Golenbock and Beres outlasted Ryan Myers and Tom Heath in three sets, 6-1, 1-6, 7-5.
The third doubles team of Kilchevsky and Mike Burns also came out on top, 6-4, 6-3.
Newtown headed to Notre Dame of Fairfield last Friday and proceeded to punish its host, 7-0. In fact, the Nighthawks dropped a total of just 21 games, while winning 84. Miller, Perachio, OâMahoney and Stephenson were near perfect in their wins, while the doubles team faced even less of a challenge in winning all three matches.
Matches with Weston and Stratford were rained out this week, so the Nighthawks can expect a typically busy spring season of makeup matches the rest of the way. Next Monday, Newtown heads to Bethel, then comes home to host Jonathan Law on Wednesday. Next Friday, Huettnerâs netters head to Masuk in Monroe. That match will be played at Wolfe Park.