Ken Weingartner

By: centraljersey.com
Eric Trast and Zach Shuler might not get the attention garnered by Hightstown High boys tennis standout Vinit Palayekar, but the two classmates will play key roles in the Rams’ drive to defend their Colonial Valley Conference division title this season.
Trast, who has spent his scholastic career at third singles, and Shuler, who has played doubles, join Palayekar as senior returnees on this year’s squad. Last season, Hightstown won a total of 16 matches, reached the second round of the state sectional tournament and ended Princeton’s reign at the top of the CVC Valley Division.
"I hope we can defend our banner season and hope we get a few more wins against some of the tough schools like (West Windsor-Plainsboro) North, (WW-P) South, Princeton, and Hopewell," Shuler said. "We just want to build on what we had last year, with the teamwork and spirit. It was a good season."
Shuler will likely be called upon to stabilize the doubles situation, where replacing the steady second doubles team of Ethan Freedman and Travis Virgil is the preseason’s top challenge.
"That’s going to be the key," Rams coach Bob Howland said. "Are we going to be able to get good strong doubles combinations out of the group we have here. We have some talent that can step up. We’ll see what happens."
Shuler has played doubles the past three seasons for Hightstown, at second doubles as a freshman and at first doubles since then.
"He’s tall and he loves to be at the net," Howland said. "He loves to jump in and pick off balls, so he’s the perfect doubles player for us."
With a strong serve and game built on consistency, Shuler is looking to have fun this year.
"I just love coming out here in the nice weather and playing tennis," said Shuler, who has been playing the game for six years. "It’s fun to concentrate on something that’s not as stressful as school or anything."
Consistency, too, is the hallmark of Trast’s game. He has been the Rams’ third singles player since his freshman year.
"Eric is a very steady player," Howland said. "He’s like a human backboard; he gets to everything. He’s matured as a player. In the past he didn’t recognize when he had an opportunity to be more aggressive and finish points, but he’s really learned how to do that now. That makes him a really tough No. 3 for us. He can just frustrate the heck out of people."
Trast, who has been playing tennis since he was 6, views his role as more than a player on this season’s team.
"I definitely view it as being a leader, along with Zach and Vinit," Trast said. "Being able to lead the team and get the freshmen introduced and working. Basically, getting everyone started. We have some good freshmen coming up, so we’ll see what happens.
"We have a great group of guys that really work well together. We have great chemistry."
Trast enjoys the camaraderie, even beyond the bond with his teammates.
"Tennis is competitive, but most of the people you play are very friendly," he said. "It’s fun. It’s a great sport and one of my favorite things to do."