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A young and inexperienced Whitehall tennis team will look for a way to compete in a tough league while building for the future.
“We are a very young team in a tough league,” said head coach Charlie Bascue. “I’m working with them for the future.”
Gone are Trey LeClair and Loren Martel, both of whom graduated and were two of the team’s strongest performers. The squad also lost two of its best athletes in Richard and James Tisi. That doesn’t however, mean the cupboard is bare.
Several players from last year’s team return and will provide some much-needed experience.
Dominic Gregory has flashed some athleticism and has the potential to be one of the team’s top performers if he can harness his serve.
“Dominic could be a good player for us. He needs to works on finding some consistency with his lobs during his serve,” Bascue said.
One returning player Bascue is very high on is Rachael Aubin.
“She has a beautiful stroke. Her forehand and backhand are very good,” he said.
Megan Lane and Ryan St. Claire both gained experience last year competing in doubles and will return to the team this season.
The team also has several seniors who have come out for the first time and while Bascue admits it may be difficult for them to compete against more experienced players, he plans to work with them in developing a better understanding of the sport.
“I try to encourage them to have fun,” he said.
One thing that will help the team is this spring’s unseasonably warm weather. Last year, snow covered the courts until the end of March and forced the team to hold early practices at the Rec. Center. But with little snow this year and temperatures in the 70s, that has not been a problem this year.
That could play an important role as practice time is drastically reduced when the team starts competitive play. Eight of the team’s first 10 matches are in the first month, so getting off to a strong start will be key.
The team will open its season against Warrensburg on April 2 and will host Greenwich in its home opener on April 4.
Roster
Emilee Wilbur, Sr.
Abby Conner, Sr.
Lia McKee, Sr.
Harlie Keane, Jr. ]
Faith Eaton, Jr.
Ian Rollins, Jr.
Ali LeClair, Jr.
Megan Lane, Jr.
Dominic Gregory, So.
Ryan St. Clair, So.
Rachel Aubin, Fr.
Alex Wood, Fr.
Zach Rice, Fr.
Schedule
Mon., April 2 Whitehall at Warrensburg
Wed., April 4 Greenwich at Whitehall
Mon., April 16 Whitehall at Argyle
Tues., April 17 Whitehall at Johnsburg
Fri., April 20 Whitehall at Luzerne
Mon., April 23 Whitehall at Schuylerville
Wed., April 25 Granville at Whitehall
Mon., April 30 Corinth at Whitehall
Wed., May 2 Lake George at Whitehall
Fri., May 4 North Warren at Whitehall
Mon., May 7 Adirondack League singles and doubles tournament
Tues., May 8 Adirondack League singles and doubles finals
*All matches start at 4:15 p.m.
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