Season Preview: Fox Lane Tennis

A year ago the Fox Lane High School tennis team  didn't know what to expect.

 The Foxes were moved up to the top division where they played the best tennis programs in Section 1 – Scarsdale, Byram Hills, Horace Greeley and New Rochelle. It was a difficult transition for the team and they finished 2-6.

"Last year when we played in that division and it was a real eye-opener for a lot of the kids," Fox Lane Coach Jason Spector said. "Our top players were able to play against top-level athletes. Our doubles teams struggled against some of those teams because we lacked the depth, but in order to call yourself a top team you have to compete and beat those teams."

Even though the Foxes struggled within their division, the team still managed to have one player named all-conference (Jesse Silverman) and two players named all-section (Cameron Silverman and Charlie Ghriskey).

Cameron Silverman will be looked on to continue his strong singles play. The senior is entering his sixth season on the team and has not lost a singles match in the section in two years. Ghriskey is Fox Lane's No. 2 singles player and Cameron's twin brother, Jesse, is No. 3.

This season will be a little different for the Foxes. Budget constraints within the section have forced the divisions to realign based on geography and not prior performance, forcing Fox Lane into a lower division.

"Being in a new division, there's an unknown," Spector said. "You don't know what the other teams hold – they're unfamiliar to us."

But the goal for Fox Lane remains the same: win the division and get Cameron Silverman and Ghriskey into the state tournament.

Even though the Foxes are playing in a weaker division, the team still plans on playing against some of the top teams in the section. Spector wants his team to succeed, but he also wants to prepare them for the sectional and state tournaments.

"We still have matches lined up with Horace Greeley and Byram Hills," Spector said. "It's important to win, but also to be challenged. At Fox Lane we're one of the top tennis teams in the section. A few years ago we won the conference four years in a row and it became boring. It's important for the guys to be challenged. When they win, I want them to know they beat the best players whether it's in or out of our division."