With the return of Mike Jacobs, Devon Jones and Alex Gebert, the OPRF tennis team looks poised for another top five or better finish at state this season.
The Huskies, who have served up back-to-back impressive runs to the IHSA State Meet, look to be as formidable this time around. Jacobs, who went 4-2 at state last year, returns to occupy the No. 1 singles spot. The nationally-ranked senior has the potential to finish in the top eight at state, according to OPRF head coach John Morlidge.
“Mike is playing great. He hasn’t let up at all from last year,” he said.
Jones, as a freshman last season, was the other half of a doubles team that went 5-2 at state. He’s likely to compete at No. 2 singles this season, said Morlidge.
Gebert, who paired with Matt Harris last year to go 4-2 at state, will continue to play doubles. He’s likely to pair up permanently with sophomore Jacob Wilson.
Others expected to make an impact this season as the Huskies try to improve on 2008’s fifth-place finish at state include Seth Sankary (No. 2 doubles), Eric Brunsfield (doubles), Andy Samuels (doubles), Andy Cowell, Mac Harris, and freshmen Tim McAdam and Luke Trinka, who is temporarily out with an injured elbow.
The Huskies will once again face steep competition in the West Suburban (Silver) Conference as defending state champ Hinsdale Central returns many of its players from last season.
Due to inclement weather during the first couple of weeks of the season, OPRF finally competed in its first match on Saturday. The team won its own Rudy Witsman Invitational with 60 points. Jacobs won the title at No. 1 singles with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Loyola’s Lawson Barterz. Jones took first at second singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Evanston’s Mike Rosenson.
Fenwick tennis
With five returning state qualifiers from last year, the Fenwick tennis team hopes to make a run at the Chicago Catholic League title.
The Friars, who finished second last year in the league with an 8-1 record, return Mike Pill, Dominic Campagna, Matt Hipskind, Tyler Kiefer and Robbie Hickey.
Pill will mostly play No. 1 singles, with Kiefer and Hickey also taking turns at the spot. Against Brother Rice on Thursday, Pill came back from a set down to win at No. 1 singles 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. At the Rudy Whitsman Invitational on Saturday, he finished fourth overall.
The Friars are also afforded the luxury of depth this season with Abbi Alemayehu, Paul Fitzgerald and newcomers Ted Bruce, Matt Stark, Jimmy Sullivan, Sean Madock, Danny Kelly, Joe Zyer and Matt Krug.
“This should be the best shot we have had at winning the CCL in several years,” said Fenwick head coach Gerard Sullivan. “That is our primary goal. It will mean getting strong results from all positions all season to earn high seeds in the tournament, then proving it then and there.
“We should get several players through our sectional again, and our second goal is to overachieve at state, which we have not done in a while. That will require improving through the season and still being hungry in late May.”
The Friars travel to Rolling Meadows for an invitational on Saturday (8 a.m.).