HIGH SCHOOL
2010 Season Summary
A big difference this season was the development at our #1 singles position. James Forster played some great matches this year, going toe-to-toe with some of New Englands finest. James finished tied for the best singles record on the team, with a tally of 9 wins, seven defeats. That allowed some of our younger players to slide into lower positions in the ladder and grow into their roles. Brendan finished with a singles record of 8-6. He also paired up with Forster as our #1 doubles team. For this crew, winning the doubles point was always an important step and the combination of Forster/Conry and Silva/Cottrell served as the anchors for our doubles lineups.
This season saw Avon qualify three players for the New England Prep School Invitational Championships Forster for singles and the team of Conry and Silva for doubles. This is the second consecutive year of having Winged Beavers represent the school at the tournament.
The team had a clear-cut MVP this season: #1 James Forster. Far and away our best player, James has worked incredibly hard to be a force at the top of the ladder. Last year, James played at the #4 spot. To ask him to step up and lead the team was a tall order, but he was up to the task. Some of his highlights include a tiebreak victory over perennial power Taft to kick off the season, a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Trinity-Pawling, and a clinical 6-2, 6-1 win over Choate. Not only this, but James was also asked to lead the team as its lone captain which he did admirably. James ability to play different styles helped him throughout the season. Possessing a big serve, big baseline strokes, but also a deft touch at the net, James was a difficult player to face.
2010 Season
In singles, Forster demolished his opponent 6-2, 6-1, earning Avon's lone point on the day. Brendan Conry battle at the #3 spot, but could not find a way to exploit a very consistent opponent.
The good news, however, is that Avon will be sending Forster '11 to the New England Championship tournament for singles and a doubles of team of Brendan Conry '13 and Sebastian Silva '10 have qualified for the doubles brackets.
They will travel back to Choate Saturday morning to compete. The coaches and the rest of the team wish them the best of luck!!!
2009 Season Summary
The varsity tennis team had an extremely successful season. Matching last year's win total with an overall record of 6-9, the Avon squad steadily improved over the course of the year. The team was well-balanced in terms of chemistry; featuring only seniors and sophomores, the blend of veteran leadership and youthful enthusiasm proved to be a winning formula in many of the team's matches.
As far as the players, we knew that we had a fair amount of depth and there was not much difference between our #1 and #6 players. We also knew that we did not have anybody at the top of the lineup with a great deal of experience. In other words, our wins would predominantly be determined by how our bottom players fared. It became imperative for our team to take the doubles point and have the bottom half of the ladder win their singles matches for Avon to earn the victory. Most schools have ranked players at the top of their lineups, and we would therefore struggle at the top. Captain Ford St. John, captain Doug Margison, James "Fitness" Forster, and Dash Flach were all locked into our singles lineup.
Our doubles teams were a real strength this season. The #2 team was a boon to the Avon squad, featuring the terrific duo of sophomores James Forster and Dash Flach. They played some inspired tennis throughout the season, helping to nail down the doubles point.
The varsity team worked and played together, improving over the season. Coaches Coons and Cugell would like to thank the seniors for their service to the squad and are looking for the younger players to continue match play through the summer and come back next season looking to build on the solid advancement of this year's team.
The team's Most Improved Player this year went to James Forster. Last year, James helped fill the bottom slots of the roster and was not guaranteed match play. This year he returned as a more aggressive and calculating player. Indeed, he wrestled the #4 singles spot away from the rest of the team and locked it down for himself. James was a major contributor this season. In fact, every match that Avon won this year, James won his singles match to aid the cause. If he continues to improve, gain match experience, and develop the necessary conditioning, James has a chance to do some special things for the Avon tennis program and really lead the team over the next two years.
