By Steve Bigham

The Newtown High School boys’ tennis team opened the season in fine fashion this week with easy wins over both Bunnell and Notre Dame.

The Nighthawks swept both matches, playing against some of the league’s lesser competition.

On Monday, it opened up with a 7-0 win at Bunnell in Stratford, then came home on Tuesday to defeat Notre Dame of Fairfield, who arrived at the NHS courts with a co-ed roster. In fact, Notre Dame’s number one singles player is a girl, Pam Piello, a talented player who fell to Newtown’s Zack Miller, 6-0, 6-1.

Against Notre Dame, the Nighthawks lost just eight total games, while winning 84.

The results were pretty much the same against Bunnell in the season opener, although the Bulldogs did manage to put up more of a battle, actually winning a set. At third singles, Newtown’s Sean O’Mahoney lost the first set 6-0, then rebounded to win the second and third sets, 6-3, 6-4, respectively.

For first-year coach Marty Margulies, the strong start has been pleasing, but he knows the schedule will only get tougher, particularly with Weston on the schedule next week, smack dab in the middle of spring break.

“We’ll be missing a couple of our key players,” Margulies said.

Newtown was slated to host New Fairfield on Wednesday of this week, then has a week-long layoff before traveling to Weston next Wednesday, April 18. It heads to Stratford next Friday, April 20.

 

Newtown 7, Notre Dame 0

 

Singles: Zack Miller (N) def. Pam Piello, 6-0- 6-1; Jon Perachio (N) def. PJ Agosto, 6-1 6-0; Sean O’Mahoney (N) def. Marc Dennis 6-0 6-0; Matt Beres (N) def. Delmar Pereira 6-0 6-1. Doubles: Peter Stephenson/Matt McFadden (N) def. Jaime Santos/Meghen Welter 6-2 6-2; Steve Danyew/Jason Garbarino (N) def. Gino Cardello/Brian Kahrig 6-1 6-0; Aaron Johnson/Mark Stephenson (N) def. Kendra Brea/Lee Jaqwayn 6-0 6-0.

Newtown 7, Bunnell 0

 

Singles: Zack Miller (N) def. Tom Hoyt, 6-1 6-3; Jon Perachio (N) def. Steve Pires, 6-0 6-1; Sean O’Mahoney (N) def. Jeff Goddu 0-6, 6-3, 6-4; Matt Beres (N) def. Tom Heath 7-5 6-2. Doubles: Peter Stephenson/Matt McFadden (N) def. Ryan Myers/Bob Pierali 6-2 6-3; Steve Danyew/Jason Garbarino (N) def. Ed Mulrenan/Paul Giaquinto 6-0 6-4; Aaron Johnson/Mark Stephenson (N) def. Jon Pochowicz/David Howard 6-4 7-6 (8-6).