Following are the 2024 high school preview capsules for boys’ tennis:

ECC

Division I

Fitch

Coach: Andrew Small (6th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Andres Sardar (singles), So. Charlie Gempp (singles), Jr. Evan Whitten (singles), Sr. Mason Woodhams (singles), Sr. Morgan Fisher (doubles), Sr. Nick Sousa (doubles), So. Michael Petropoulos (doubles), So. Jason Greene (doubles).

Top newcomers: Fr. Luc Nickerson (doubles), Fr. Lawerence Balsley (doubles), So. Kenneth Guingao (doubles), Fr. Jayden Knauer (doubles), Fr. Mateo Quitiquit (doubles), Fr. Srl Harl Suresh (doubles).

Outlook: Sardar, a senior, takes over at No. 1 singles in place of two-time ECC singles champion Will Albrikes, who is now pursuing his career at a tennis academy in South Carolina. Finishing 13-5 last season, 3-3 in the division, Fitch surpassed the expectations set by its coaches, but the Falcons suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Farmington on a third-set tiebreaker in the first round of the Class L state tournament, ending their season. Returning their ECC all-star duo of Fisher and Sousa, who will play No. 1 doubles, the Falcons look to once again exceed expectations and make a run at the division title. “This group of student-athletes has been restless to get back to work on the court and start the new campaign,” Small said.

Stonington

Coach: John Adriano (9th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Matthew Turrisi, Sr. Tucker Callahan, Sr. Sam Lund, Jr. Chase Donnarummo, Jr. Peter Schoenecker, So. Brady O’Neil.

Top newcomers: So. Thomas Lyon, So. Sean Lord, Sr. Henry Sawin, Sr. Ben Mahoney.

Outlook: After winning the Class M state championship last season for the first time in program history, the Bears (19-1, 6-0) graduated five seniors, meaning Adriano will have to fill roster spots with players that have never competed at the varsity level. Stonington, does, however, return ECC singles runner-up Brady O’Neil and fellow all-conference picks in Turrisi and Callahan, with Callahan forming half of the team which won the ECC doubles championship along with the graduated Conrad Tobiassen. Adriano hopes the Bears will “hit the ground running,” in order to be successful.

Waterford

Coach: Brent Bell (4th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Ian Balfour, Sr. Quinn LeBelle, Sr. Louis Dhervilly, Sr. Alistair Haglund, Jr. Andrew Bertrand, So. Christos Matsas, So. Colton Murch, So. Jayden Campisi, So. Arthur Dhervilly, So. Adam Balfour, So. Scott DeBiasi, So. Alex Seltzer, So. Missael Urena, So. Michael Gialpis.

Top newcomers: Fr. Ethan Wang, Fr. Justin Wang.

Outlook: The ECC Division I schedule took a toll on the Lancers last season, with them finishing 7-8 overall, 0-6 in the division. But Bell looks for his team to just keep improving, making a return to the state tournament along the way. Balfour and LeBelle will serve as captains. Matsas begins the season at No. 1 singles.

(East Lyme also competes in Division I.)

Division II

Ledyard

Coach: Ding Ding (3rd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Sebastian Fieldsend (singles), Jr. Malloch Allison (singles).

Top newcomers: Jr. Tyler Mileski (doubles).

Outlook: Going unbeaten in the division at 6-0 (11-9 overall, reaching the quarterfinals of the Class M state tournament), the Colonels look to compete for another ECC title. Fieldsend and Allison combined to play No. 1 doubles last season but will make the transition to singles. “We graduated six seniors but we welcomed six new members this year,” Ding said. “We’re looking forward to another exciting season of growing and competing.”

NFA

Coach: Jay Berard (7th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Simon Chen-Ruan (singles), Jr. Jackson Houk (Singles), Jr. Kevin Wang (singles).

Top newcomers: Fr. Will Jakubowski (singles), Fr. Yakin Chowdhury (doubles).

Outlook: Berard boasts that the Wildcats (1-12, 1-5) have five promising freshmen and four brand new tennis courts. “Things are looking up for the Wildcats this year,” he said. No. 1 singles player Aydin Chowdhury, an ECC honorable mention selection, graduated, leaving Chen-Ruan to take over at the top.

(Killingly and Woodstock Academy also compete in Division II.)

Division III

Lyman Memorial

Coach: Zachary Johnson (6th season)

Key returnees: So. Aaron Rodriguez (singles), Jr. Eathon Barnes (doubles).

Top newcomers: Fr. Matthew Stotts (singles), Fr. Luke Spellman (singles).

Outlook: Losing their ECC Division III all-star, Ryan Miller, Lyman (2-12, 0-6) is left with an extremely young team. The Bulldogs look to grow their young talent and eventually compete at a high level in the division when they’re fully developed. Johnson said: “These freshmen make up a grand majority of the team and the returning players have jelled with them. With a young team, this year's focus is on growth and development.”

Montville

Coach: Nathan Holmes (2nd season)

Key returnees: Jr. Benny Wu, Jr. Nathan Dhillon, Jr. Jack Bowman, Sr. Ryan Yang, Jr. Danny Zhong, Sr. Fenlei Chen, Jr. Ryan Hochdorfer, Zach Thomas, Sr. Gabe Vogt, Jr. Adam Gallagher, Sr. Jayden Saguiped.

Top newcomers: Jr. Brishen Wu, Jr. Yomilex Ramirez, Jr. Ryann Mo.

Outlook: Following their ECC Division III regular-season title, the Wolves (10-7, 5-1) are looking for a repeat. Despite graduating three players from its singles ladder, Montville returns the all-star doubles tandems of Bowman and Dhillion and Yang and Zhong. Benny Wu is the Wolves’ preseason No. 1, with several other returnees vying for singles spots. Holmes said Montville’s players have also set some personal goals.

New London

Coach: Mike Gorton (1st season)

Key returnees: Sr. Jonathan Silva, Sr. Yamyl Zapata Gonzalez.

Top newcomers: Jr. Nico Churis.

Outlook: After finishing last season at 1-13 overall, 1-5 in ECC Division II, the Whalers move to Division III, where Gorton, in his first season, said the 22-man roster is ready to show “some serious growth over the next two months.” Said Gorton: “We have a lot of enthusiasm for the sport and a lot of new faces this year.”

St. Bernard/Wheeler

Coach: Ben Hayes (2nd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Zachary Kobyluck (singles), Jr. Wyatt Hayes (singles), Jr. Sam Cunningham (singles), Jr. Andrew Coronado (doubles), Jr. Christian Agreda (doubles), So. Andre Nopal (doubles).

Top newcomers: So. Raymond Zhang (doubles).

Outlook: Wyatt Hayes at No. 1 singles is one of several juniors returning for the Saints (4-8, 2-4), with coach Ben Hayes hoping that the upperclassmen will lead the way for their younger teammates. St. Bernard/Wheeler returns half of its No. 1 doubles team in Coronado, an ECC all-star last season.

Others

Old Lyme

Coach: Andrew Tyrol (4th season)

Key returnees: Jr. Micah Bass (singles), Jr. Andy Sicuranza (singles), Sr. Leland Hine (singles), Sr. Alis Bicic (doubles), Sr. Mason Wells (doubles), So. Ryan Miller (doubles), Sr. Lucas McMillian (doubles).

Top newcomers: Sr. Dylan Paynter (doubles), Fr. Ethan Trepanier (singles/doubles), So. James Dahlke (singles/doubles), So. Ryan Olsen (doubles).

Outlook: The Wildcats lose their top three singles players and two talented doubles players, one being two-time All-Shoreline player Griffin McGlinchey, who chose to play baseball this spring. However, the leadership of Old Lyme’s upperclassmen and the team’s new additions have Tyrol optimistic that the team can repeat its success of a year ago, when the Wildcats went 16-4 overall and won the Shoreline Conference championship. Said Tyrol: “We hope to pick up where last year's team left off. The addition of some young newcomers fresh off of their state championship in basketball will hopefully add to the success of the tennis program as we look to defend the Shoreline title.”

Williams

Coach: Monique Foster (5th season)

Key returnees: Fr. Annie Shay, Fr. Emily Smith, Fr. Sadie Rotolo, 8th-grader Jonathan Patton.

Top newcomers: 6th-grader Emilia Leeming.

Outlook: This Williams School team is in the process of rebuilding, having lost its entire singles ladder. Foster, though, appreciates the enthusiasm and the fact that every member of the team will be competing for the Blues for years to come. Said Foster: “Although a young team, we will compete and compete well.”