CENTURY
Coach: Trey Howes, 2nd year
Last year’s record: 10-2, 10-2 county
First match: March 25 at Man Valley, 4
Key losses: Ben Brown, Luke Fetterman, John Marcellino
Key returners: Danny Arriola, junior; Kyle Kropfelder, junior; Mason Motter, senior; Nick Napolitano, senior; Nick Simon, senior
Outlook: The Knights lost their top doubles team, an all-county pair in Fetterman and Marcellino (18-2), to graduation. But Howes returns a solid duo in Kropfelder and Motter, who played together and went 11-1 a year ago. “We have a great mix of young and veteran players that will allow us to be competitive in and out of the county this season,” Howes said via email.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY
Coach: Steve French, 5th year
Last year’s record: 3-10, 2-10 county
First match: March 25 vs. Westminster, 4
Key losses: Charles French, Brad Sensabaugh, Derrick Warehime
Key returners: Brandon Bimestefer, senior; Grant Johnson, sophomore; Justin Reiger, junior
Outlook: Reiger posted a 5-5 record playing No. 2 singles for the Eagles last year, so his experience will help a squad that lost a significant numbers of starters from 2018. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to see what our current players are going to contribute this season,” French said via email.
LIBERTY
Coaches: Tim Brecker, 24th year; Barry Green, 5th year
Last year’s record: 12-0, 12-0 county
First match: March 26 vs. Winters Mill, 4
Key losses: Steven Goetz, Josh Kelly, Taylor Mendoza, Tyler Shatto, Alex Whiteman
Key returners: Reda Babas, senior; Josh Bellows, sophomore; Austin Choe, junior; Dylan Gettier, senior; Christian Harsha, senior; Nathan Murphy, sophomore; Ray Woodward, junior; Tyger Zan, senior
Outlook: Brecker said via email the No. 1 singles spot, occupied last spring by Goetz — the reigning Player of the Year — will be filled by Zan. Plus, Gettier and Woodward (15-1) are back after a first-team all-county year as doubles partners. “This year’s team will be relying on depth after graduating a strong senior class,” Brecker said.
MANCHESTER VALLEY
Coach: Matt Bien, 5th year
Last year’s record: 8-7, 6-6 county
Next match: March 25 vs. Century, 4
Key losses: Mason Castanzo, Jad Kfouri, Sean McGarry
Key returners: Caleb Boyle, senior; Chase Estes, senior; Matt Gordon, senior; Matthew Fairchild, senior; Collin Seward, senior
Outlook: Fairchild is coming off a first-team all-county junior year (14-7) in which he took second at the county tourney and fourth at the Region VII tournament. He and Estes (13-7) should give the Mavs strength in singles. “We are very excited to get started,” Bien said via email. “The numbers are good, we are deeper than ever, and the boys have been working hard to prep for the season.”
SOUTH CARROLL
Coach: Eric Klezer, 1st year
Last year’s record: 6-8, 4-8 county
First match: March 25 at Winters Mill, 4
Key losses: Logan Baker, Paul Becker, Ethan Ferguson, Steve Ioannidis
Key returner: Gavin Baker, senior
Outlook: The Cavaliers have a new coach in Klezer, and a lot of new faces on the team — only three players from last year’s varsity lineup are back, and five overall. Expect Baker to assume the top singles spot, and Klezer said via email he’s looking for positive results from junior John Daniel and sophomores EJ Klezer and Connor Skelton.
WESTMINSTER
Coach: Fran McCullin, 35th year
Last year’s record: 7-5, 7-5 county
Next match: March 25 at Francis Scott Key, 4
Key losses: Brett Farquharson, Brach Jaworski, Austin Ruddick, Max Seibel, Michael Twery
Key returners: Nic Cook, senior; Chase Fields, junior; Dylan Flater, junior; Kyle Fronheiser, senior; Adam Long, junior; Aaron Sorkin, sophomore; Evan Warren, junior
Outlook: Replacing Seibel and Twery is one of McCullin’s challenges for 2019 — the Owls’ pair earned first-team all-county honors after playing doubles together in the postseason. Westminster also lost its top singles player in Ruddick (15-5). “Returning only two starters, we are an unknown quantity to be sure,” McCullin said via email. “We will have to find our footing rather quickly, as our beginning schedule is tough.”
WINTERS MILL
Coaches: Brad Davidson, 1st year; Eric Mezsaros, 1st year
Last year’s record: 1-11, 1-11 county
First match: March 25 vs. South Carroll, 4
Key loss: Chris Fettke Von Koeckritz
Key returners: Chase Burker, Matheo Cuenca, Brian Inglis, Matt Inglis
Outlook: Davidson played his high school tennis at Manchester Valley, and joins coaching forces with Meszaros (he helped the Falcons three years ago). Burker and Cuenca played as doubles partners last spring, but are set for singles in 2019. “Our boys team is still strong with the talent returning from last year,” Davidson said via email. “While we are in transition to a new coaching staff … all of the players are excited to play this season.”