Last year’s boys’ tennis team featured no seniors. This year, nearly half the team was celebrated as eight seniors made the memorable senior walk with their family on Monday, the 28th. The ceremony followed a 6-1 victory over the Northwest Jaguars.
The eight seniors celebrated include Seyun Park, Bradley Shi, Connor Kim, Zach Amehayre, Corey Cohen, Santosh Sundar, Matthew Tan, Lucas Wander and assistant coach Brady MacBride. With many having been on the team throughout high school, the seniors’ years of hard work was celebrated in the annual tradition. The emotional rite of passage marked the last time the seniors would suit up in the green and white for a regular season match.
“It’s a majority senior-team so it’s crazy to think about what it will be like next year,” junior Vijay Kannan said. “I’ve known most of them since my freshman year when they were just sophomores so I’ve seen how each of them have developed their own style of playing.”
The seniors walked through a green rainbow of balloons, followed by a lane of their fellow teammates and concluding with handshakes with Athletic Director Larry Hurd Jr. and administration personnel.
“It meant a lot to be honored but it’s very bittersweet,” senior Bradley Shi said. “I had a great time on the team and I’m glad I could represent my team for one last time in the regular season.”
Smiles were not hard to find on the warm spring afternoon. Not only were the seniors commemorated and recognized, but the Wildcats were able to even out their final record to 0.500.
“We had a little bit of a rough stretch against some of the stronger teams in the county, but I’m glad we were able to grab the win and gain momentum going towards playoffs,” Shi said.
Seniors who normally don’t get the opportunity to play were able to put their skills to the test in the blowout victory.
“I think it’s important for the seniors to go out on a high note and it was special to share the court with people I’ve been with for so long,” Shi said.
The man who orchestrated it all, head coach Chase Reider, has put in a large effort to help build this year’s team’s chemistry and grow them together as a team. The first-year coach has repeatedly tried to make it a memorable year outside the court.
“I think he’s done a really great job as coach,” Kannan said. “He brings a lot of energy, enthusiasm and pride to the team. A lot of the new things he has brought in are really interesting and help build a stronger team.”
The team’s chemistry will be tested as the Cats now look towards the playoffs, with the seeding being announced Wednesday night. The team faces a tough regional bracket but will rely on that senior presence to guide them through.
“I think we can go really far because of the strong foundation,” Kannan said. “If we want a better playoff run than last year then we need some support so we need to make sure people show up to these playoff matches. I remember my freshmen year, everyone showed up for our playoff matches and we did well but last year no one really went. People showing up to the matches make a big difference.”
The team still has a lot of work to get done if they want to make a deep run in May. The Cats have three teams for doubles and Matthew Tan, Mo Abbassi and Martin Popa represent the team in the singles category. The first match of the playoffs is this Monday, the 5th at various locations across the county.
“We just want to keep practicing, keep working, and just stay focused,” sophomore captain Om Shah said.
