Sussex Academy boys’ tennis beats Dover 4-1 in season finale

A racket is coming from the Sussex Academy boys’ tennis team. The Seahawks wrapped up their season with a 4-1 win over Dover May 6 to finish a remarkable turnaround year at 7-5.

“I've never been more proud of my team this year,” said first-singles player J.P. Eichten. “We've all grown in our skill, but also in our ability to be a team and to support each other.”

The freshman was the first player to secure a point against the Senators, taking both sets 6-0. He said both his serve and forehand were working very well.

“I felt very dominant in the match; I felt strong,” Eichten said. “Throughout the season, I kind of started off pretty slow. But as the season went on, I got more comfortable, and I've started hitting better and I've started feeling better.”

Both doubles teams for Sussex Academy picked up points, winning 2-0 each. First-doubles duo Kieran Probert and Cole Wanalista won 6-0, 6-2, while the second-doubles team of Logan Mattie and James VanPelt secured their point in a reverse of the first doubles scores. The comedic duo of Mattie and VanPelt have been a steady presence for Sussex Academy, only losing to perennial powerhouses Caesar Rodney and Archmere.

“If we’re not having fun, we do poorly,” Mattie said.

The sophomore could barely get out the sentence though because VanPelt had just said the key to their success is the power of friendship.

“It’s important to play loose, because if you’re not, you think too much about the game,” Mattie said.

Alec Dukes needed to heed such advice, as the exhibition player was bumped up to third singles to replace Matthew Perciniak who competed in second singles in place of David Wanalista.

Dukes wrapped up his first set, 6-4, but was bested in the second 7-5 to set up a first-to-10, win-by-two tiebreaker. Remaining calm, the sophomore won his first match of the year by taking the extra period 10-8. 

The win ends the Seahawks’ season at 7-5, just one year after going winless.

“We had the entire team come back this year, and I think that made a big difference,” Seahawks coach Lesley Eichten said. “Everybody worked so hard. They showed up to every single practice. They ran every drill. They were focused and consistent.”

The fellas are looking forward to the conferences scheduled for 12:30 p.m., Friday, May 10 at Cape. 

“We played better with stuff on the line this year,” VanPelt said. “We're big playoff contenders. We're definitely winning it all. If CR is reading this article - you’re cooked.”