Seahawks second, Vikings third at conference tennis tourney

Sussex Academy sophomore JP Eichten’s steady ascent to the top of the Henlopen ranks was completed May 12 when the Seahawks captain took first place at the conference finals at Caesar Rodney. 

“Climbing the ladder from an eighth grader who only won one match my first season, to going undefeated in conference this year has been exciting and motivating,” Eichten said. “I started my high school tennis journey with some doubt and a lot of losses, but I've learned from every one. Over time, I grew more confident, both as a player and a leader. Now I always play with pride—not just for myself, but for the team and coaches that help to support me.” 

Eichten certainly had to earn it, squaring off against a relentless Jaime Roblero-Puac from Seaford for the second time in less than a week. The sophomore said he needed to be mentally tough to win the conference title.

“It had been a long day, it was hot out, and when my opponent started playing well and winning points, I knew I had to reset,” Eichten said. “I focused on my breathing, took it one point at a time, and reminded myself to stay calm and trust my game. That mindset shift helped me settle down and play my best when it mattered most. Having my team there to cheer me on really helped, too.”

Eichten was joined in the finals by both second and third singles players, Jack Feinstein and Charlie Bowman, and the first doubles pairing of Nathan VanPelt and Kieran Probert. Second doubles, Logan Mattie and Leo Benz fell just short of the finals, but did win their third-place match. 

The 20 points earned by Sussex Academy clinched the Henlopen South for the squad and put them second in the conference overall.

All four Seahawks events that made the final did so with wins over Cape opponents, while the Vikings duo of Michael Gordon and Brody Trewartha reached their finals match with a win over Sussex Academy’s second doubles.

The pair had to settle for second place, but helped the Vikings stack up enough points to finish third overall and second in the Henlopen North. Chipping in along the way were Nathaniel Hoang and Trent Kauffman, who finished fourth in first and second singles, respectively. 

Notching third place with wins in the consolation games were third singles Sullivan Naden and first doubles Krish Prattipati and Caidan Juliano.

“I'm proud of the boys for their strong showing at the conference tournament, and their success provides them with some positive momentum heading into states this week.” coach Mike Roy said.  “The big keys for all of our guys are to stay within themselves and go in with a simple game plan that focuses on hitting consistent balls that target their opponents' weaknesses.”

Both tennis teams will head into states scorching hot, with Cape finishing the month of May undefeated and the Seahawks' last loss coming in March. The Vikings are optimistic that the strong finish will lead to even better results next year.

“The boys proved to themselves that they have a mental toughness to match their strong physical skills; they're a confident group that expects to win, and that culture should carry over to next season,” Roy said. “The conference is getting more competitive, but these guys know they can compete with anybody.” 

The first and second rounds of the tournament begin Saturday, May 17, with the singles players heading back to Caesar Rodney and the doubles trekking to Smyrna.