OCEAN CITY – After defeating St. Augustine Prep 5-0 Thursday, the Red Raider tennis team has an 8-3 record with four matches this week before seedings are set for the South Jersey Group III tournament.
Head coach Tim Kelley believes his lineup is almost all set for the coming playoffs with the exception of a doubles challenge match. What has impressed him about his boys team this spring is their concern for each other.
“We have very positive kids who work really hard and they want each other to have success, which is huge. Even in a sport that’s partially individual and partially team, but they still have that team aspect in mind,” he said Thursday as his boys were taking on the Prep.
Kelley said when his athletes finish their individual matches, “the first thing they ask me is, ‘What does it look like?’ They want to know what the team score is. They’re all super interested in being one unit, the collective.
“They know, for the most part, if they don’t perform how they know they can perform, their teammates will help back them up,” he said.
Through the end of last week, the Red Raiders had only lost one Cape-Atlantic League match, and that was a narrow 3-2 defeat to CAL leader Mainland Regional (12-0). Their only other losses came to Pinelands and Christian Brothers Academy.
“So far we lost to Mainland in a tough one that we thought we could have won here, but they played really well and have a ton of experience,” Kelley said. Mainland’s boys tennis is especially tough – the first and second doubles teams faced each other in a three-set battle for the the CAL tournament title. The first doubles team of Joe Dib and Chris Guillen beat second doubles Jack Palaia and Aaryan Deshpande, who were first doubles last year and the 2021 CAL doubles champs.
As Kelley noted, the Mustangs basically have two first doubles teams.
Ocean City lost to Pinelands 3-2 and to Christian Brothers Academy 5-0.
“Pinelands is another really good team. They might be No. 1 in their group right now in power points,” Kelley said. “We were missing a first doubles guy so we had to mix up our lineup a little bit, but we didn’t lose it. They won. They were really good that day. They have a good team and will have a very good playoffs.”
Kelley said he was impressed with the Pinelands, CBA and Kingsway players and their tennis programs.
The four matches this week – barring rainouts – will add up to the power points determining how the Red Raiders will be seeds in the upcoming tournament.
He said Millville would be a huge match, and they have the Thunderbolts and Egg Harbor Township at home, and then travel to Haddonfield.
Ocean City 5
St. Augustine Prep 0
1st Singles: Charles DiCicco, Ocean City, def. Vincent Polistina 6-2, 6-0
2nd Singles: Kraig Redmond, Ocean City, def. Tanner Roth 4-6, 6-1, 6-0
3rd Singles: Evan Cho, Ocean City, def. Cole Polistina 7-5, 6-2
1st Doubles: Colin Bowman and Sawyer Lomax, Ocean City, def. Warren Garland and Santino Casale 6-0, 6-02nd Doubles: Jackson Barnes and Chris Ganter, Ocean City, def. Jackson Kuzma and Nathaniel Paradela 6-0, 6-0
Photos and story by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff