PHS tennis takes national challenge

Little Tiger boys get early test at MCP

By: Justin Feil
   On Monday, the Princeton High School boys’ tennis team is scheduled to open the season against Hamilton. On Wednesday, it’s Trenton High.
   Things jump significantly after that as the Little Tigers have accepted an invitation to play in the National High School Coaches Association Tennis Team Invitational.
   "They do it every year," said PHS head coach Sarah Heyman. "It seemed like a big deal. They called me from California. I was surprised."
   The invitational has 32 of the top teams from around the country and they will play in three different sites. This weekend, the West Regional will be played among 16 teams in Newport Beach, Calif. On Apr. 6 and 7, Emory College in Georgia will host a field of eight teams, while Mercer County Park hosts the East Region that will also feature Holmdel, Moorestown and Cherry Hill East from New Jersey. Other teams slated to play at MCP are The Bullis School of Maryland, The Greenwich School of Connecticut, The Beacon School of New York and Saint Xavier of Kentucky.
   "It’s a neat opportunity," Heyman said. "I think it’ll help us for later in the season."
   It will certainly give the Little Tigers a taste of how they stack up against some prime competition. Executive director Tim Mang, the head coach of Corona del Mar High in California, is in his eighth year running the tournament. Mang is known for the success of his high school team, which finished fourth in last year’s invitational that was won by Torrey Pines of San Diego. This is the first year that the winners of each region will meet in Cincinnati, Ohio, Apr. 21 and 22 to determine a mythical national champion.
   "Any strong schools we face can only be good experience for the future," Heyman said. "We can use it as a building experience.
   "I think they’re excited about it. I think it’ll help once we get the lineup sorted out so we can start practicing for it. Right now, we’re still deciding where everyone belongs. It’s a little challenging because we have to figure out a different lineup for this. I have to establish two different lineups."
   PHS is still in the midst of finalizing its regular-season lineup, but will have to make adjustments to play in the national tournament. The NHSCA Tennis Team Invitational will use a format with six singles sets and three doubles sets. It’s a format that is used in the area only by The Hun School in Mid-Atlantic Prep League matches.
   With the format being different, it being early in the season and with the Little Tigers still having a team that is not laden with seniors, PHS isn’t putting much stake in the outcome of the invitational. But it’s a chance that they didn’t want to pass up.
   "It gives them a good opportunity to play tough competition right away and see where they have to go," Heyman said. "Hopefully it’ll give us a better shot in states and counties. Some of the competition we face may not be as strong as what we’ll face in the tournament."
   Certainly it will be a jump from the first week’s matches. It will be useful, however, to see just how the Little Tigers establish their lineup.
   "It’s always hard to tell at the beginning of the season," Heyman said. "Sometimes it’s hard to play people you’re friends with or people whose games you know really well. Sometimes you can’t see their best play and best competition until you’re in the season."
   For that reason, PHS is happy to have the chance for some extra competition. West Windsor-Plainsboro South was also invited, but asked to be considered again next year as the district usually objects to competing on Good Friday, which is the first day of this year’s invitational play. WW-P South was one of the four teams that PHS lost to last year, but the Little Tigers are hoping they can ride a strong invitational appearance to an even bigger year.
   "This will be the first real test for us," Heyman said. "We just want to see what we can do. I think some of the competition in the state and in the county will be a better test for us.
   "A lot of them do want to play in college. It’s a good experience, that’s why we decided to accept it."
   By accepting it, PHS puts itself in position to find out early just how its players handle themselves in a demanding situation. The Little Tigers will be going up against some of the best teams around, and that was reason enough to play in the national invitational.
   "I think they’re all pretty strong teams," Heyman said. "When you’re only picking one team from a state except New Jersey, you’re guaranteed they’ll be pretty good players. It’ll be a good opportunity and test the guys. It lets them see where they are and where they can go."