Tennis Team Strives To Be In The Mix

By Andy Hutchison

With the team’s depth of talent throughout the lineup, Newtown High School’s boys’ tennis team, Coach Marty Margulies believes, will contend for a conference championship this spring.

“I think we’re strong both at the top and down toward the bottom,” Margulies said of his roster, which includes almost all of last year’s lineup from a team that posted a 10-3 overall mark and 10-2 South-West Conference record.

Weston, as always, can be expected to be a huge hurdle to overcome. Year in and year out the Trojans are tough, and 2012 is no exception, Margulies anticipates. Beyond that, it’s to be determined which schools will surface as conference title contenders once the postseason approaches — although Margulies is confident his team will be among them.

“I don’t know what other schools have, but I think we’ll at least compete for a top spot,” said Margulies, adding that he expects his Nighthawks to at the very least be competitive with Weston.

The Nighthawks will start the season without their top player. No. 1 singles standout Rob Beier, who was undefeated and captured an individual SWC championship last spring, starts the year rehabbing an injured knee. He suffered micro-tears in his quad tendon. Beier is hopeful for an early-season return, he said while somewhat gingerly moving around the court and hitting balls with Margulies in practice at Treadwell Park on Tuesday.

With or without Beier in the lineup, Margulies is optimistic his team will be good, and a contender. With Beier, the Hawks’ chances at a conference crown are that much better, of course.

Seeded second in the conference tourney a year ago, Newtown was ousted by third-seeded Pomperaug of Southbury in the semifinals. The team is only two seasons removed from its SWC title, and has plenty of experienced varsity players on the court.

Tyler Ruefenacht, Yossi Kohrman-Glaser, Sean Elliott, Nic Klein, Cam McCleary, Ricky Fuentes, Adam Oleberg, Mason West, and Keaton McCleary are all among strong players who were earning their positions on the team as the preseason unfolded this past week.

The Nighthawks were scheduled to open the season at Pomperaug on Thursday (after The Bee went to press). After visits to Stratford and New Fairfield, NHS will host Bunnell of Stratford on April 18. The Hawks visit Weston on May 7.