Rams get past opening round
By: Neil Hay
Credit the Hightstown tennis team with doing this year what they were unable to do in 2004 and 2005.
Get past the opening round of the NJSIAA tournament.
The 9th-seeded Rams blanked eighth-seeded host Monmouth Regional, 5-0, Thursday in Tinton Falls. The two previous springs the Rams fell in the first round, to Hopewell Valley and West Windsor-North.
Hightstown made a valiant try in its next state tournament match, but were eliminated from further play in Central Jersey Group III 3-2 by top-seeded Ocean Township in Wall. On Wednesday the Rams improved to 10-6 with a 5-0 CVC win over visiting Hamilton. The Rams yesterday played Nottingham and today face West Windsor-North with the CVC Valley Division on the line.
"We knew we had a small window of opportunity (against Ocean)," said Coach Al Lozier, who received a scouting report on Ocean from Monmouth Regional. "We knew we didn’t have much of a chance at first and second singles." When the Rams were defeated at third singles as well, it was over.
If Hightstown were to prevail in a singles match against Ocean, it would probably have to be Ryan Godbold at three singles. Godbold looked strong in winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 over Monmouth’s Robert Nowichi. But against Ocean’s Dan Kastalski he was upended 7-5, 6-1.
"As well as he played against Monmouth Regional, he didn’t have the same sharpness (Tuesday). And the others were overmatched." At one singles Mike Lampa defeated Abhilash Babu 6-0, 6-1, and at two Spencer Friedman blanked Karthik Sundaram 6-0, 6-0.
The Rams’ steady doubles duos made it respectable. At one doubles Spencer Zlatin and Ian Humphrey defeated Aaron Lipton and Matt Goldfarb 6-4, 6-4, while number two Ben Harms and Samir Patel scored a similar 6-4, 6-4 win over Jay Reddy and Ryan Singer.
Lozier called the win over Monmouth, "Top to bottom our best match of the season. I was pleased the way everybody played. We won decisively. Godbold came back in three sets, and Sundaram and Babu won in straight sets. Babu was up 5-0 and that gave everybody a confidence lift."
Babu won 6-2, 6-2 over Josh Brown, Sundaram posted a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 decision over Doug Phillips, Zlatin and Humphrey won 6-3, 6-1 over Eric Mackin and Brian Cahill, and Harms and Patel defeated Winston Reyes and Rick Stephans 6-1, 6-0.
Against Hamilton Babu won 6-1, 6-0 over Dave Miktus, Sundaram defeated Dave Wilkes 6-2, 6-1, Godbold blanked Bailey Martinez 6-0, 6-0, Zlatin and Humphrey downed Anthony Wiegand and Sean Dizon 6-1, 6-1, and Patel and Eitan Levin teamed to topple Ryan Koscak and Joveem Caintic 6-0, 6-0.
Tomorrow the Rams play West Windsor-North and the winner takes the Valley title. Earlier this season the Rams defeated North.

