Sports
Defending State Champion Wildcats Ready to Hold Court
Boys tennis looks to keep the good times rolling.
The Weston boys tennis team comes storming back this spring after winning the Division 3 state championship, 4-1, over Bromfield last year.
Winning it all was quite a welcome for then-first-year Weston head coach George Conlin, who returns for his second season at the helm and also serves as tennis pro at the Longfellow Club in Wayland. While it’s too early for Conlin to know his full roster and how it will align, the Wildcats have three four-year players intact.
Senior and Dual County League All-Star Will Spector, a first singles standout, will enter the new campaign shining with his last year’s record of 14-2 in tow, his only losses to individual state champion Alex Steinroeder of Concord-Carlisle.
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Fellow senior league All-Star Matt Gorelik also returns with a strong game as does senior Jason Mazzella. Gorelik proved versatile, playing first doubles and third singles, while Mazzella shined at second singles.
Senior Kar Epker, who began last season on junior varsity, is also back after filling in at second doubles and third singles, the latter for both the second half of last season and the tournament. “He’s really strong at singles, too,” Conlin said.
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Juniors Max Legocki and Trevor Sands will add depth. Legocki and Sands played second doubles and third singles, respectively, last season.
Among the younger group, sophomore Ben Spector returns after competing strongly at third singles.
The Wildcats lost two seniors to graduation, Duncan Van Nest and David Borczuk. Van Nest, a DCL All-Star, who served as captain, teamed with Gorelik at first doubles for much of last season. Borczuk was solid at third singles. “I rotated three or four guys at third singles,” Conlin said.
Rounding out the cast so far are Greg Sanda, Akash Agawal, Kian Nowrouzi, David Westerberg, James Stranberg, Sam Rafla, and Jack Renner, who all played on junior varsity last season.
Weston’s toughest competition figures to be Concord-Carlisle, Newton South, Acton Boxborough, Boston Latin, and Westford Academy.
The Wildcats will open their 17-match regular season slate at home against Waltham on April 13.