Boys' Tennis Squad Has New-Looking Lineup And Same Winning Expectations
The losses of the top three singles players and half of the first double unit leave opportunity for players to step up on Newtown High School's boys' tennis team. Indeed, there will be a significantly new look and different feel on the courts for the Nighthawks this spring.
And with a really big freshman class - nine newcomers to the roster - there is plenty of room for development. But it's rebuilding "reschmilding" for Coach Mike Stedronsky and the Nighthawks. "It's a building year for sure," the coach concedes, but not without making clear that expectations are high.
"Our goal is always to go out and win the SWC. We train for that; we train to compete," said Stedronsky, whose team fell to Weston in last season's South-West Conference championship.
The Nighthawks will have a big hill to get over in both seven-time champion Weston and a dangerous Pomperaug of Southbury team, Stedronsky anticipates. The coach adds that Brookfield, Barlow, and his Nighthawks likely will battle for the third and fourth of the four SWC tourney spots. Then, once in the bracket, the hope for an underdog is that anything can happen.
"It has to be strive for the ideal at all times. If not, there's complacency," Stedronsky said as preseason wrapped up this past week. "The kids have been working hard and they're looking strong."
Newtown is led by a trio of captains: Jackson Dooley, Nihar Soman, and Constantine Vogiatzis.
It remains to be see who else will step up, but with the focus on immediate success, it's hard not to keep an eye on the future.
"It's great to have a huge group of freshmen out here," Stedronsky said.
The HawksÃÂ are scheduled to open the season on Thursday, April 5, with a visit from Pomperaug for a nonconference clash; the rivals will meet again for their SWC battle in early May. After visiting Masuk of Monroe on Monday, April 9, the Hawks host New Fairfield the next day. Barlow is on the slate for a home match on April 19. Likely the most challenging contest comes with an April 24 visit to Weston, which has captured 14 of the last 15 SWC titles (the 2014 Nighthawks put the only hiccup in that long run of success, handing the Trojans a runner-up finish that spring). All matches are scheduled for 3:45 pm.