BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
SCOTT PILLING staff Freehold’s Karan Kapoor unleashes a forehand during his Central Jersey Group III tournament match on May 17 in Freehold. Freehold Borough left no doubt as to which team ruled B North Division tennis.
The Colonials rolled through the division schedule with a perfect 12-0 record. Second place Red Bank Regional was 10-2, losing only to the Colonials, but those matches were not close, 5-0 and 4-1. The Colonials went to 3-2 just once and that was to Monmouth Regional on a windy day when the conditions leveled the play field.
“We had a good run,” said coach Brian Donohue. “It was all about the team for the players.”
Like any championship team, the Colonials were very balanced. They had a dependable singles lineup followed by a very good doubles team.
“We have a lot of depth,” said Donohue, who has been able to insert a lot of non-starters in the lineup from time to time, gaining them varsity experience while keeping the team on the winning track.
Third singles starter Fred Yick reached the semifinals of the Monmouth County Tournament in his flight. The first doubles tandem of Jeremy Goldman and Raj Verma qualified for the upcoming NJSIAA doubles tournament. They dropped their first match of the season and haven’t lost since, including matches against powers like Ocean Township and Rumson-Fair Haven.
Senior Karan Kapoor is the only real veteran on the team. He plays first singles, while sophomores Kevin Sun and Yick play second and third. Each brings a little something different to the tennis court.
“Karan is solid,” said Donohue. “He hits the ball hard and is very consistent.
“Kevin is very patient and likes to change the pace up. Freddy is very, very good from the baseline.”
Verma and Goldman, freshman and sophomore, who may have singles play in their future, clicked right away as a team. Their edge is the way they think alike on the court at all times, and they are never out of position.
Kevin Chou and Ilia Levy have developed into the kind of team that Verma and Goldman are, playing well together.
The Colonials wrapped up their season Thursday in the semifinals of the Central Jersey Group III tournament, falling to Princeton, 4 1/2-1/2 on Saturday. The Colonials finished their finest season in years at 17-3. There only other losses were to Ocean and Rumson.
Before falling to the Princeton, the Colonials won their quarterfinal match with Northern Burlington, 5-0, in what was their final home match of the Sean. Everyone won in straight sets, with Verma and Goldman winning 6-0, 6-0, and Yick also scoring a win without losing a game.
Kapoor won, 6-0, 6-2 and Sun, 6-0, 6-2. Levy and Chou won 6-2, 6-2.
The Colonials may be on the start of a good run within the division with just two seniors in the starting lineup.