Entering this season with an almost entirely new varsity squad, Arlington boys tennis coach Ben Mendro wasn’t quite sure what to expect. After the Eagles finished the regular season with an 11-5 record, Mendro can say his team has exceeded whatever expectations he had.
“Honestly, it’s been a fantastic season,” Mendro said. “I lost eight seniors off of last year’s team, so we’ve got about 10 new varsity players this season. I have six seniors who’ve provided leadership, and a lot of kids in the sophomore class spent a lot of time on their games in the offseason, and I was blown away by how much they improved.”
Arlington’s two senior captains have enjoyed productive campaigns. Conner Fochesato has been the Eagles’ No. 1 singles player, and Will Eckley is part of Arlington’s top doubles team.
“Conner isn’t a prototypical No. 1 player — he doesn’t have a big game or a big serve, but he’s dogged. I’ve never had a kid work harder or be more coachable,” Mendro said. “Will had some league experience from last year, so it was good to have him back. The biggest surprise has been a sophomore, Taras McCurdie. He’s played No. 2 (singles), and he’s stepped up. His record is well over .500.”
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