The boys’ tennis team is off to an impressive start at 8-1. They have beaten Watkins Mill, Magruder, Walter Johnson, Sherwood, Clarksburg, Northwest, Churchill and Blair, and lost a close match to Whitman. They have beaten five of these teams 7-0 and beat Churchill 6-1.
Their starting lineup has remained the same with senior Joseph Brailovsky at singles one, sophomore Daniel Zhang at singles two, junior Nick Hunyuh at singles three and sophomore Alex Ye at singles four.
The starting lineups for doubles is freshmen Ryan Meyers and Miley Feldman at doubles one, senior Andy Xiao and sophomore Simon Hunyuh at doubles two and seniors Eric Feng and Justin Slud at doubles three.
The Patriots have been able to continue their momentum throughout the season and have been running over their opponents. Churchill and Walter Johnson are some of the better teams in the county and the Patriots were able to pull off a win in both games.
Sophomore Alex Ye said, “It was especially good to pull off two wins against these teams because they are good pretty much every year.”
The Patriots have upcoming games against B-CC, Whitman, Richard Montgomery and Poolesville, who all usually have respectable programs. The Patriots are hoping to finish off the season strong and roll right into the playoffs.
Sophomore Daniel Zhang said, “Winning these games now is good, but it is important for us to be winning our matches when it comes time for playoffs.”
The Patriots practice six days a week and also play for club teams to stay fresh and sharp. Practicing with their club teams helps them get extra practice and practice certain skills they are not able to during practice here.
Many members on the team play on the same club programs, which helps with team chemistry. Sophomore Samir Patankar said, “It is good to see my teammates not only at practice, but also at my club practice because we can help each other out.”
The team is led by social studies teacher Fevronia Cresham, who has been coaching the team for 10 years. The Patriots are known for being one of the best teams in the county and have shown this for multiple years.
They have senior leaders as well as a lot of young talent who hope to make an impact on the team and win a state championship.
Senior Joseph Brailovsky was the only member of the team to go to states last year and got his third ring in three years. Brailovsky is looking to get his fourth ring this year as well as other members are looking to get a ring of their own.
The team’s next meet is against Poolesville on April 30, too late to be covered in this issue. Coming off the loss to Whitman on April 24, the team will look to bounce back to winning ways.
Conor Walsh
Staff Writer
