NHS Tennis—

Winning (And Even Losing) Ways Breed Confidence For Hawks

By Andy Hutchison

The Newtown High School boys’ tennis team is off to a solid start through the first two weeks of action. The Nighthawks won each of their first three matches by 5-2 scores before losing their first competition of the season, 6-1 to Pomperaug at home last Thursday, April 10.

Even in that defeat, the Hawks were able to walk away with some confidence.

Although the Hawks won only one of the seven matches, most were very close. Head Coach Marty Margulies pointed out that had some of the shots been an inch or two higher or wider, the result would have been much different.

No. 3 singles player Adam Wenick lost a tough three-setter. Pomperaug’s Ken Westerman got past Wenick 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. Pomperaug’s No. 4 player, Connor Widman, overcame Peter Manos 6-4, 7-5 (8-6). In doubles action, No. 1 NHS players Casey Tenney and Timo Roehrs lost a three-set match and the No. 2 duo of Joe Cappiello and Connor Howell lost in a couple of close sets. Newtown’s No. 3 tandem of Dan Cassidy and Colin Jacob, meanwhile, won a three-setter.

“We proved that we’re on their level, that we can challenge them,” Margulies said.

Pomperaug improved to 4-0 overall (2-0 in the South-West Conference) and Newtown stands at 3-1 (1-1 in the SWC).

“We could very well face these guys in the playoffs and I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a different outcome,” Margulies said.

That is only an option, obviously, if the Nighthawks qualify for the playoffs. Last year, Newtown finished fifth in the SWC and just missed qualifying for the conference tournament. It may still be early, but based on the start the boys have had, Margulies is confident it will be a different story this year.

“I’d say we’re very well positioned to qualify for the postseason,” the coach said.

Certainly Newtown could not have asked for a better start, beating New Milford twice and Masuk once to kick off the campaign.

“The wins were against capable opponents, too,” Margulies said. “The schools that we’ve beaten so far are among the stronger conference schools.”

Although not on the same level as the top team, Weston, he added. NHS will face Weston, assuming Mother Nature cooperates, on May 1 at home.

Before then, the Nighthawks are slated to play three matches, beginning with this coming Monday’s visit to Stratford as they look to build off of the success they have had thus far.

New Milford’s Taylor Loeb defeated Newtown’s No. 2 singles player, Evan Batzer 6-7 (7-1), 7-5, 6-3 in the first go-around, on April 2. In the second meeting, on April 7, Batzer bounced back won in two sets, 6-2, 6-4.

“It’s a great feeling to come back and beat the player you lost to previously,” Batzer said.

The No. 2 player said the they were matched pretty evenly and that the first battle could have gone either way. So what was the secret to success in the second go around?

“I played more consistently, took some pace off the ball and made sure he was out of position before I tried to put him away,” Batzer said.

Margulies was impressed with Batzer’s ability to rebound from the defeat and added that everyone on the team has kept their cool, something that is essential to success in the game of tennis.

“All of our kids have excellent temperaments. They stay calm, they don’t get flustered — or if they do get flustered, they manage to suppress and control it,” the coach said.

Wenick won each of his first three matches of the campaign and Manos won his first two. The four singles players, led by No. 1 player Mario Roehrs, have held their positions in the lineup throughout the start of the spring campaign. In doubles play, meanwhile, the lineup has been shuffled based on performances and different players have earned their ways into the starting group.

Tinney and Roehrs have played No. 1 doubles in each of the first four matches. Cappiello and Howell have been paired in three of the four matches in the No. 2 slot. Against Masuk on April 8, Howell teamed with Cassidy. Newtown’s No. 1 and 2 doubles teams, regardless of the combinations, were perfect before Thursday’s setback to Pomperaug.

The No. 3 doubles position featured the duo of Cassidy and Jacob in the first match of the season. Kyle Kearney and Eric Sippin filled in at that position in the second meeting with New Milford. Jacob and Rich Andreotta were paired in the Masuk match.

Whatever the combination, the Nighthawks can expect to at least put in a fight on any given day.

The players are battling hard for playing time in practice and earning their spots in the lineup. When it comes to matches, they are fighting with opponents to try to earn a spot in the SWC playoffs.

“As long as everyone focuses and plays like they know how to play we should have a real good shot at making it,” Mario Roehrs said.