Tennis team wins CJ III opener
By: Justin Feil
The oft-injured Anaheim Angels baseball team hasn’t had as many lineup changes as the Princeton High boys’ tennis team.
But just like the first-place Angels, the Little Tigers have found a way to put together an impressive record, and they head through the state tournament with one thought in mind returning to the Group III final.
PHS, the No. 2 seed and two-time defending champion in Central Jersey Group III, had an easy time in its opener, a 5-0 win over No. 10 Northern Burlington on Tuesday. In CJ IV, West Windsor-Plainsboro South beat South Brunswick, 3-2, Tuesday and in North 2, Group III, Montgomery beat West Morris Mendham, 4-1, Monday and was scheduled to face Millburn on Thursday.
Thursday, the Little Tigers were scheduled to face No. 6 West Windsor-Plainsboro North, which avenged its 5-0 regular-season loss to Hightstown with a 4-1 win in its state opener Tuesday.
PHS defeated WW-P North, 5-0, in the regular season, and with another win could face top-seed Hopewell Valley on Tuesday for the CJ III crown. PHS also beat Hopewell Valley, even without first singles’ Ilia Shatashvili.
"You play them all," said PHS first-doubles’ Brent Willig, a 6-1, 6-0 winner with Joey Wu on Tuesday. "You go out and do your thing and get it done."
Next to Shatashvili and second singles’ Chris Hoeland, the pair which was put together a week before the Mercer County Tournament is as close to a longstanding pairing as the Little Tigers have. Having been put together too late to qualify for the state doubles tournament, the senior duo has just a Colonial Valley Conference Valley crown and a state title to aim for before graduation.
"This is it," said Willig who will enter Michigan next fall. "Even if we were in the state tournament, this is what we’re here for. We lost the Mercer Counties and that was a disappointment, but this is all that matters. Hopefully we’ll make it to the Meet of Champions. I’m pretty sure that’s what the rest of the team wants."
With Shatashvili and Hoeland posting a combined 42-1 record, the Little Tigers expect two singles points going into every match. It’s the third point that has caused such turnover in the lineup and will continue to be the goal of the rest of the team.
"Ilia and Chris will do their thing," said Wu, who will attend Carnegie Mellon. "That’s a pretty sure thing. Any other help we’ll give to them. We’re pretty confident with the other teams. Whoever gets the third point, that’s fine."
Willig and Wu were the first point Tuesday while improving to 12-4 this season, but were scheduled for a decidedly tougher match Thursday. WW-PN’s Doug Robl and Chris Hopkins, who also had just four losses, won a three-set match over Hightstown, a team that Willig and Wu lost to in the regular season. For Willig and Wu, Tuesday’s match was their first state tournament appearance in their high school careers, but they played like seniors not first-timers.
"I’ve got five seniors," said PHS head coach Stuart Woody after his team improved to 17-6 Tuesday. "Even though David (Westerberg, the PHS’ second doubles player) and Brent and Joey played JV last year, they’ve been in the system. They’re no longer rookies. It’s worked out real lucky with having four seniors in doubles.
"Having Nate (Abraham, Westerberg’s partner) and Brent separated, they’re going to lead their teams. And Aaron (Maltby, PHS’ third singles) has stepped up his game so we can compete at all five positions."
Willig and Wu have continued to improve with each week, though their improvement hasn’t come the conventional practice route due to weeks that are now filled with make-up matches.
"We haven’t had a practice together," Willig said. "We just play the matches.
"Before we didn’t know how our doubles team would work. We’re still working out the kinks."
PHS hopes that will eliminate the inconsistencies that have seen them lose to Hightstown but beat Hun in three sets.
"Compared to our first matches," Wu said, "we’re a lot better. We’re still improving.
"Now it’s all about executing," he added. "We know our plans. They usually work if we’re playing solidly."
Like any effective doubles team, it’s a combination of their strengths that makes them difficult to beat on their best days. It’s a combination that worked better than past PHS doubles teams this season.
"Me and Nate didn’t really mesh very well," said Willig, who was 3-2 with Abraham after going 4-0 in limited action together last year. "I looked at Joey’s game and the players on our team, and I was very happy to be put with him."
Wu has worked as the set-up man for the tandem, while Willig, whose brother was a big finisher at first singles four years ago, is the finisher in the pairing. Both have strong service games.
"I really like the 1-2 punch," Willig said. "He really gets the ball deep or away from them, and even if they return it in, I’m there to close it. It’s really just good teamwork."
Said Wu: "We’re confident with our team. It’s who you’re comfortable with that you’re good with."
So far so good for Joey Wu and Brent Willig, just one of the changes that the PHS boys’ tennis team hopes will carry it back to the Group III final.
"If we end up going to states, if we got to Groups," Woody said, "the change was a good change."