Seahawks extend winning streak to seven matches
A dual meet against Milford April 29 put a lot of eyes on the Sussex Academy boys’ tennis team, as the Seahawks won their seventh match in a row and put a bow on an undefeated month of April.
“I love all the eyes watching me,” said sophomore JP Eichten. “I feel like I play a lot better, like I have something on the line. There's a lot of cheering on my side.”
Eichten won his first set 6-0, but Aaron Parfitt put up a little more of a fight in the second set, which was won by Eichten 6-2.
“It was a good match – one of my toughest matches this season,” Eichten said. “His serve was really good, and he ran me some, so I just had to make him run. When the court opened up, I just had to trust my shot.”
The challenge was a good sharpener for the Henlopen Conference Championships, which begin at Caesar Rodney Friday, May 9.
“A strong match at the end of the season is great for a player like JP,” said coach Lesley Eichten. “We’re heading into the conference and state tournament matches, so facing a challenge helps keep his head in the game.”
Second-singles player Jack Feinstein was the first player to wrap up a point for the Seahawks, working quickly to secure duplicate 6-0 sets.
“I played probably one of the best matches of the year; I usually don’t play well from the start,” Feinstein said.
But there was no slow start for the eighth-grader April 29.
“My forehands were going in, my backhand was also pretty good, and my overall game was working well,” Feinstein said.
Fellow middle schooler Charlie Bowman battled in his first set to win 6-2, but closed out the second set unscathed 6-0.
“I’m so proud of both Jack and Charlie; they’ve handled the pressure of singles matches remarkably well,” Eichten said. “Playing eighth-graders in top spots is unusual, but those guys have played with confidence and maturity all season.”
First-doubles duo Kieran Probert and Nate VanPelt added a point with 6-0 sets, while Logan Mattie and Leo Benz secured the unanimous victory with a 6-0, 6-3 win.
Sussex Academy visited Smyrna May 1 after the Cape Gazette deadline and will look to close the season with a victory over Seaford on Senior Night at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 6.
