Handley nets Class 4 Northwestern District boys' tennis title

WINCHESTER — At Handley, the goal in boys’ tennis is pretty specific each year — bring home the state championship.

And with two starters who helped hoist the Class 4 trophy in 2019, nothing has changed.

“On this team winning is kind of a tradition and kind of expected,” said junior Brendan Love, now the Judges’ No. 2 player. “We expect nothing less this year than prior years.”

“I feel like Handley tennis has always been Handley tennis,” added senior Daniel Botros, the Judges’ No. 1 player. “We still have that attitude that we want to come out and do our best every single day.”

The Judges took a step in the right direction Tuesday, knocking off James Wood 5-0 in the Class 4 Northwestern District final. Handley will host the runner-up from the Dulles District on Tuesday, while James Wood travels to the Dulles champion in the Region 4C semifinals.

Handley coach Dan Jones believes having a couple of players like Botros, who was No. 4 on the title team, and Love, who played No. 6, helps after having lost the 2020 season and having this spring compressed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Because not playing at all last year, we have a huge advantage on a lot of people who haven’t played a lot of matches,” Jones said. “Having that experience, being through that whole tournament and seeing what it takes to get there is an advantage for us.”

Botros, the Class 4 Northwestern District singles champion, certainly looked the part on Tuesday. He took control early and never let Josh Borromeo into the match in a 6-0, 6-0 triumph.

Botros says he’s enjoying his final season.

“It’s definitely fun being out on the court again and seeing all my friends and getting some time together before the seniors graduate,” he said. “It’s nice to have some new kids, too, because last year we didn’t get to play with the freshmen. The freshmen and the sophomores, this is their first year.”

Many of his teammates were put to the test by the Colonels, who had dropped a couple of 9-0 decisions to the Judges in the regular season. James Wood led in several sets before Handley’s players rallied.

“I’m just happy we came out here and put up a fight,” James Wood coach Matt Shepherd said. “That was our goal and we’re taking it one step at a time. We’re getting better and better as the season goes along. That’s all we could ask for today.”

At No. 2, Love trailed 4-3 against Jonah Borromeo in the opening set before rallying to win nine straight games for a 6-4, 6-0 triumph.

“My serve was definitely the big thing,” said Love, whose match was the third one completed. “I think I am tripping over my own feet on my serve. I think once I get past that it’s smooth sailing.”

No. 5 Ryan Mueller trailed 3-2 in both sets against Caedmon Reams before rallying to a 6-3, 6-3 victory. The triumph clinched the match for the Judges.

“Sometimes you don’t have your best game and I think we started a little slow and sluggish,” Jones said. “When you play somebody three times, it’s tough to get up and be ready. We better figure out how to be ready because the next couple of matches if we’re not we’re not going to be able to come back. It was good to see them respond and how they responded.”

Freshman Ty Dickson showed no jitters in a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Scott Shepherd at No. 6.

Junior Neil Parikh dominated at the net in a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Ryan Stevens.

“You can steal some easy points at the net,” Jones said. “Every time I looked, [Parikh] was winning at the net.”

Like Parikh, nearly all of the Judges moved forward to force the action.

“I think they are realizing how easier it is to get some points when you are at the net,” Jones said. “What we incorporate for doubles they are now seeing and using in singles.”

The only match that wasn’t finished was a roller-coaster at No. 3. Handley’s John-Henry Herrington won the first five games, but James Wood’s Saeed Turner rallied to win the next six. Herrington recovered to knot the score at 6-6 and closed out the set winning 7-3 in the tiebreaker.

Mueller’s victory ended play just a few minutes later.

While his team was the runner-up on Tuesday, Shepherd was happy with what it has accomplished thus far.

“I’m not 100 percent sure of the history, but somebody told me today that we haven’t been to the regions in a long time,” he said. “We’re ecstatic about that.”

He knows that in playing Handley, the Colonels should know what to face ahead.

“That’s the only bonus, if you will, of playing Handley,” he said. “You will get better because you are playing the best.”

Jones said his squad (11-0) has the potential to add to the Judges’ current number of nine state titles.

“They can go as far as they want as long as we don’t do stupid things away from the courts and we focus and do what we need to do on the courts,” he said.

— Contact Walt Moody at
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