Loaded WW-P South sweeps Dawgs

Hopewell Valley boys tennis

By: John E. Powers
   The Hopewell Valley Central High School boys tennis team and its coach Alma Quinlan ran into a pretty special team this past Monday. There was no shame in losing to unbeaten West Windsor-Plainsboro South 5-0, but Quinlan is looking to use the experience as a positive, as the Colonial Valley Conference season winds on.
   The Pirates went 21-0 last year, rolling through the CVC with a 16-0 record and taking Colonial Division and Mercer County Tournament titles. Apparently, the Pirates (6-0) are on track to do plenty again this year.
   "They really took it to us," said Quinlan, in her second year coaching the boys team. "We knew they were going to be tough, but it’s OK, it really is. They’re one of the toughest teams in the state, and they are loaded. It’s a good learning experience for Hopewell. We know we are a good team, but they are a great team. We’ll learn from it. We can’t take things for granted. We have a lot of room for improvement."
   Bulldogs’ No. 1 player Matt McGranaghan, a junior, lost the first set to WW-P South junior Shinatro Mori 6-4, but led 5-1 in the second set before Mori rallied to force a tie break and win it 7-4.
   "It was a very good game," Quinlan said. "I thought that some of the elements hit Matt at the end and affected him. There were a lot of shadows, and the wind started to pick up."
   South freshman Weland Richardson beat sophomore Aubrey Holmes 6-1, 6-2, and senior Russell Nitzberg beat sophomore Steve Deitchman 6-2, 6-0.
   "I think it was a combination of us not playing our best and South being a very good team," Quinlan said.
   Ben Cornfeld and Greg Kelley beat Peter Murr and Alex Sheidler 6-2, 6-2 and Steven Fernandez and Stewart Fernandez swept Jeff Drake and Dan McGruther 6-0, 6-0 to cap the Pirate win.
   The Bulldogs beat Pennington 5-0 last week as McGranaghan, Homes and Deitchman all won. The doubles team of Murr and Sheidler and Drake and McGruther also cruised.
   The Bulldogs, 3-1, were scheduled to play host to Steinert on Wednesday, Princeton Day on Thursday and Allentown on Friday. All home matches are played at Timberlane Middle School. The Bulldogs will play Notre Dame on Monday at Mercer County Park.
   Quinlan said that she is going to give sophomore Blake McArthur and senior co-captain Kevin Mitchell a start at second doubles Thursday at home against Princeton Day. The two beat Drake and McGruther.
   "It’s good, because we have guys who can step in and do a good job," Quinlan said.
   Princeton Day has an outstanding No. 1 singles player in David Holland, who has USTA Middle States experience. McGranaghan should have a formidable challenge.
   "That’ll be a tough match," Quinlan said.