THE HOME OF WEST HAVEN SPORTS

WestieBlue


Congratulations to John Delgado on being named to the Southern Connecticut Conference Division II team.

Westies fall to ND in SCC Semifinals
Third time not the charm
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 29, 2014) -
 The West Haven boys' tennis team was looking for one more opportunity to face cross-town rival Notre Dame. Having lost twice to the Green Knights by identical 4-3 scores during the regular season, the Westies were hoping the third time was the charm.
Unfortunately for West Haven, the Green Knights pulled the sweep, defeating West Haven 5-2 to advance to the Southern Connecticut Conference finals. 
West Haven won just once each in singles and doubles play as fourth-seeded Howard Powell was victorious in singles action and Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton won in doubles play. 




















Howard Powell had the lone singles victory for West Haven in the SCC semifinals against Notre Dame, May 29, 2014. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton. 
John Delgado, Mike Tran and Devin Hickman all fell at their seeds as did Luis Alvarez and George Oppong in doubles play. 

















West Haven boys' tennis. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton. 

Westies advance to semis
Win over Lyman Hall sets up showdown with Notre Dame
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 27, 2014) 
- The postseason usually takes many twists and turns. For the West Haven boys' tennis team, that turn has found its way to an arch-rival. 
With a solid 5-2 victory over Lyman Hall in the quarterfinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference Division II tournament Tuesday afternoon, No. 2 West Haven improved to 10-11 and advanced to Wednesday's semifinal contest against Notre Dame at Yale University at 1:30 p.m.
The match should be an interesting one as the Westies look to atone for a pair of 4-3 loses to the Green Knights during the regular season. 

















Devin Hickman against Lyman Hall, May 27, 2014. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton.
Tuesday's match against sixth-seeded Lyman Hall saw the Westies win three of the four singles matches and a pair of doubles matches to advance to the semifinals. 
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado defeated Nick Fiorillo 6-1, 6-3, second-seeded Mike Tran won over Zach Sola, 7-6 (4), 6-0 and fourth-seeded Howard Powell posted a 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 win over Jon Jacobs. Third-seeded Devin Hickman fell in a close match, 7-5, 6-4. 


















George Oppong against Lyman Hall, May 27, 2014. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Luis Alvarez and George Oppong fell 8-7 (3) against Evan Quigley and Jose Venegas. Second-seeded Jeremy Borelli and Kevin Coyle defeated Mike May and Tyler Swanson by scores of 6-4 and 6-3, while third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton defeated Sam Henry and Carlo Arellano 6-2, 6-1. 

Xavier soars past Westies
West Haven falls to Falcons, 7-0, in regular season finale
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 22, 2014) -
 Looking to close the regular season in style, the West Haven boys' tennis team knew it would face a tough Xavier team on the road Thursday afternoon. With the .500 mark as a team right in front of them, the Westies could not pull out the victory in a 7-0 loss to the Falcons in Middletown, falling to 9-11. 
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado fell to Richard Ciamarra 6-0, 6-1, second-seeded Mike Tran lost a 6-2, 6-1 decision against Rob Borea and third-seeded Devin Hickman fell 6-2, 6-4 against Dylan Amble. Howard Powell fell in the fourth slot against Michael Higgins, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 11-9. 
In doubles action, Luis Alvarez and George Oppong lost in the top slot against Chris Hayes and James Rosborough 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, second-seeded Alex Scranton and Kevin Coyle dropped a 6-4, 6-3 decision to John Borea and and Jack Curran and third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Fiton Imerukaj lost to Matt Ferris and Sam Sokolowski 6-4, 10-6. 

Double Trouble
West Haven sweeps doubles play to defeat Hamden
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 21, 2014) -
 The West Haven boys' tennis team inched closer to the .500 mark with a 5-2 home victory over Hamden Wednesday afternoon. Using a sweep in doubles action, West Haven defeated Hamden to improve to 9-10 on the year. 



















Alex Scranton against Hamden, May 21, 2014. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton. 
Top-seeded George Oppong and Luis Alvarez defeated Avi Mahajan and Gage Riccio, 6-4, 6-0 and second-seeded Kevin Coyle and Alex Scranton beat Jim Darcy and Dan Millea 6-1, 6-1. Wyatt Condon and Fiton Imerukaj rounded out the sweep with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Chris Feldman and E.J. Neri. 

















Wyatt Condon against Hamden, May 21, 2014. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado fell to Brandon Howard by scores of 5-7, 7-5, 7-5. Second-seeded Mike Tran defeated Seth Bjorkman 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3), third-seeded Devin Hickman  defeated Ben Bonadies 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5, and fourth-seeded Howard Powell fell to Stephen Pantera 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. 

















John Delgado against Hamden, May 21, 2014. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

Westies fall to Green Knights
West Haven loses close match, 4-3
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 19, 2014) -
 The West Haven Boys' tennis team has played well as of late. Looking to keep a two-match winning streak going, the Westies faced cross-town rival Notre Dame Monday afternoon. 
While the Westies played well, the end result was not what they had hoped for as the Green Knights won three singles matches in a 4-3 victory over the Westies. With the loss, West Haven dropped to 8-10 on the year.  
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado fell to Smith 6-0, 6-1, second-seeded Mike Tran lost 6-2, 6-0 to DeFelice and third-seeded Devin Hickman was defeated by Cruz, 7-5, 6-4. Howard Powell posted West Haven's lone victory with a 7-5, 6-3 defeat of Plaziak.
In doubles play, George Oppong and Luis Alvarez were beaten by Sparks and Francis, 6-0, 6-3. 
Alex Scranton and Kevin Coyle won in the second slot over Saravaban and Bystranyk 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 and third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Jake Smith defeated Hart and Pisciotta 5-7, 7-5, 10-7. 

Best Haven
West Haven wins second straight in defeat of East Haven
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 14, 2014) -
 The West Haven boys' tennis team wanted to be peaking as the regular season came to a close. The Westies are right on track. 
Heading into Wednesday afternoon's contest on a roll, the Westies continued to play well with a 7-0 victory over East Haven. The win for West Haven was its fourth in five matches and improved to team to 8-9 on the year. 

















Wyatt Condon, seen here earlier in the season, and the Westies posted a 7-0 victory over East Haven, May 14, 2014. File photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
In a well-played match, where there were several close contests, West Haven prevailed in each. 
In singles action, John Delgado won at the top spot with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Jonathan Gioia. Second-seeded Mike Tran defeated Joshua Levin, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3), Devin Hickman won in the third slot with a 4-6. 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over Kirk So and fourth-seeded Howard Powell defeated Tony Cofrancesco, 6-1, 6-3. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Jeremy Borelli and George Oppong defeated Anthony Perotti and Joey DiNatale, 7-5, 6-3 and second-seeded Luis Alvarez and Kevin Coyle beat Connor Brown and Bobby Proto by scores of 4-6, 7-5 and 10-7. 
Third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton also posted an 8-2 victory over Gerald Quinnones and Kyle Cifarelli. 

Westies top Career
West Haven improves to 7-9 with win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 13, 2014) -
 With its third win in four matches, the West Haven boys' tennis team is headed in the right direction. Tuesday afternoon against Career was a perfect example as the Westies swept Career 7-0 in New Haven to improve to 7-9 as a team. 
In singles play, John Delgado defeated Raniel Lapanzana 6-0, 6-2 in the top slot, Mike Tran beat Josh Lignton in the second slot by scores of 6-0, 6-0 and third-seeded Devin Hickman beat Richard Hu, 6-1, 6-1. Fourth-seeded Howard Powell defeated Sandeep Sasidharen 6-0, 6-2. 
In doubles play, Jeremy Borelli and George Oppong won in the top slot with a 6-2, 6-0 decision over Rory Garhart and Joey Ostuno. Second-seeded Jake Smith and Fiton Imerukaj beat Chris Somxanxay and Christian Borja 6-2, 6-2 and third-seeded Xavier Morrison and Luis Alvarez defeated Evan McLara and Josh Sharprois 6-1, 6-1. 

Westies fall to Indians
North Haven rallies in doubles play to beat Westies
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 12, 2014)
- The West Haven boys' tennis team played well all around Monday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Westies, North Haven used three wins in doubles action to defeat the Westies 4-3 in North Haven. 
In singles action, John Delgado won at the top spot with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Pat LeGates. Second-seeded Mike Tran defeated Zach Tabak 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4) and Devin Hickman won as the third seed over Giovanni Petruzziello, 6-2, 6-3. Howard Powell fell in the fourth slot, 6-2, 6-3, against Janos Kanyo. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Jeremy Borelli and George Oppong lost to Evan Manemeit and Mike Iovanne 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4. Second-seeded Luis Alvarez and Kevin Coyle dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision against Rees Kamp and Liam Sorge, and third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton lost 7-6 (5), 6-3 to Nick McInnis and Matt Siwek. 

Westies beat Lyman Hall
WH improves to 6-8 with win over Trojans
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 9, 2014) -
 The West Haven boys' tennis team has been one of streaks this year. The latest has gotten the Westies close to .500  as Friday's 6-1 victory over a tough Lyman Hall team at West Haven helped the Westies improve to 6-8 on the season. 
The key to the match came in singles play as the Westies swept all four matches, some in exciting fashion. 
Top-seeded John Delgado defeated Nick Fiorillo by scores of 6-1, 6-0, second-seeded Mike Tran posted a 6-1, 6-0 win over Zach Sola, third-seeded Devin Hickman defeated Jon Jacobs, 6-4, 6-4 and fourth -seeded Howard Powell posted a 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 win over Mike May. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Jeremy Borelli and George Oppong won 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 and third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton won 7-6 (8) and 6-3 over Ryan McEvoy and Adam Murphy. Second-seeded Luis Alvarez and Kevin Coyle fell 6-4, 6-4 against Jake Young and Tyler Swanson. 

Westies blank Cross
WH posts 7-0 win over Governors
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 7, 2014) -
 The West Haven boys' tennis team won its second match in three attempts with a 7-0 victory over Wilbur Cross Wednesday afternoon. With the victory, the Westies improved to 5-8 on the season. 
John Delgado defeated Angelica Rodriguez 6-0, 6-0 at the top slot, Mike Tran posted a 6-2, 6-0 win over Justin Santiago at the second seed and Devin Hickman defeated Janelle Stephenson 6-0, 6-1 at the third slot. Howard Powell won in the fourth slot with a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Alex Toupou. 
In doubles play, Jeremy Borelli and Luis Alvarez defeated Maryana Dumalska and Rachel Brennan 6-1, 6-1. Second-seeded Fiton Imerukaj and Kevin Coyle beat Katia Mata and Eric DeJesus 6-0, 6-0 and third-seeded Xavier Morrison and Mike Kianus beat Carlos Flores and David Kiim 6-4, 5-7, 11-9. 


Westies Handed Loss
WH drops 7-0 decision to Tigers
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 6, 2014) -
 After losing five of six matches, the West Haven boys' tennis team defeated  Jonathan Law on Monday. Looking to win their second straight match, the Westies were unable to do so. 
Playing against Hand-Madison, West Haven was shut out 7-0 to fall to 4-8 on the year.
In singles play, West Haven managed to win just two games. 
Top-seeded John Delgado fell to Scott Rubinstein 6-0, 6-0, second-seeded Mike Tran fell to Alex Rieger, 6-0, 6-1 and third-seeded Devin Hickman lost 6-0, 6-0 against David Shulz. Fourth-seeded Howard Powell dropped a 6-1, 6-0 decision against Austin Paresi. 
In doubles action, Jeremy Borelli and George Oppong fell in the top slot to Louie Rogers and Collon Nelson, 6-0, 6-2 and second-seeded Luis Alvarez and Wyatt Condon dropped a 6-0, 6-0 decision against Andrew Pace and Danny Weinreb. 
Jake Smith and Matt Marcello lost a 6-1, 6-3 decision to Christian Ampro and Matt Xovas in the closest match of the day. 



Above the Law
WH defeats Eagles to improve to 4-7
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 5, 2014)-
 The West Haven boys' tennis team won its second match in three contests with a 6-1 road victory over Jonathan Law. 
The Westies swept singles play as top-seeded John Delgado defeated Bobby Phong 6-4. 7-5. Second-seeded Mike Tran beat Krishnan Kumar 6-4, 6-3 and third-seeded Devin Hickman won 6-1, 6-0 over Amar Almidani. Howard Powell won in the fourth slot for West Haven with a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Aashu Patel, 6-0, 6-1. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Jeremy Borelli and Kevin Coyle suffered the only defeat with a 6-2, 6-4 loss against Soumya Kundu and Gabe Salles. 
Second-seeded Luis Alvarez and George Oppong defeated Jacque Salaf and Adil Ali 6-0, 6-2, while third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Fiton Imerukaj defeated Dhruvif Patel and Manir Almidani 6-2, 6-3. 

Jesuits beat Westies
WH drops 6-1 decision to Fairfield Prep
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 1, 2014) -
 The West Haven boys' tennis team fell to 3-7 with a 6-1 loss to Fairfield Prep in Fairfield Thursday afternoon. 
West Haven picked up its only victory in singles play when John Delgado defeated Matt McKinney 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 at the top seed. 
Mike Tran fell 6-0, 6-3 to Emil Friis at the second spot, third-seeded Devin Hickman lost to Theo Allen, 6-0, 6-2 and Frankie Fourtanelli slipped by Howard Powell 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the fourth slot. 
















Devin Hickman fell in a match against Fairfield Prep, May 1, 2014. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton. 
In doubles play, Peter Nestoy and Mike Bleuin defeated Jeremy Borelli and Kevin Coyle in the top spot, 6-1, 6-1. Second-seeded Luis Alvarez and George Oppong lost to Shaun Connelly and K.C. Maloney 6-0, 7-5, and third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton lost 6-4, 7-6 (5) to Will Stanco and Vince Farricelli. 

Skid Over
Westies beat Platt Tech to improve to 3-6
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 29, 2014)-
 For the first time in close to two weeks, the West Haven boys' tennis team felt the thrill of victory as a group. After losing four matches in a row, the Westies got back on the winning track with a 7-0 victory over Platt Tech to improve to 3-6. 
In a match played in pro-set format, the Westies were dominant from start to finish. 
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado defeated Patricio Panico 8-1, second-seeded Mike Tran defeated Chris Seepersand 8-2 and third-seeded Devin Hickman posted an 8-3 win over Tim Avila. Howard Powell posted an 8-0 victory over Tony Mattaso in the fourth slot. 
In doubles play, Luis Alvarez and Kevin Coyle beat Panico and Seepersand 8-5 and second-seeded Fiton Imerukaj and Jake Smith posted an 8-1 win over Mattaso and Kyle Jalbert in the second slot. Third-seeded Xavier Morrison and Charlie Sihaphong beat A.J. Alzoubi and Wes Hernandez 8-2. 

Amity too much for Westies
WH drops fourth in row
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 28, 2014)-
 The West Haven boys' tennis team is searching for that winning feeling once again. After starting the season with a split of its first two games, West Haven has dropped four matches in a row. 
The latest loss came in West Haven Monday afternoon as the Westies were shut out by Amity, 7-0. 
In singles action, John Delgado lost as the top seed, 6-1, 6-0 to Jason Seidman, second-seeded Mike Tran fell to Max Einbinder, 6-0, 6-1 and Devin Hickman fell to Ethan Bershtein as the third seed, 6-2, 6-0. Howard Powell fell in the fourth slot to Phil Hochman, 6-2, 6-0. 
In doubles action, Nick Sabatelli and Gabe Betancur lost to Jeremy Borelli and Kevin Coyle, 6-1, 6-0. Second-seeded Luis Alvarez and George Oppong fell to Jake Noyes and Noah Gattand 6-1, 6-0 and third-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton lost to Aidan Stuart and Greyson Aundt, 6-1, 6-1. 
















Howard Powell and the Westies fell to Cheshire, April 22, 2014. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton.

Third Down  
Westies fall to 2-5 with third straight defeat
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 22, 2014)
- After reaching the .500 mark last week, the West Haven boys' tennis team was looking to pull away from that point. Unfortunately for the Westies, they have run into some tough competition. 
Playing host to Cheshire Tuesday afternoon, the Westies fell to 2-5 with a 7-0 loss to the Rams. Although the matches were competitive, Cheshire proved to be too much in the end. 
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado fell to Jeremy Reichenthal, 6-4, 6-1, second-seeded Mike Tran dropped a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 decision against Jackson Ajello and third-seeded Devin Hickman dropped a 6-2, 6-1 contest against Nick Anthony. Howard Powell fell in the fourth slot to Joe Cashore by scores of 6-1 and 6-3. 
















Mike Tran fell in a close match against Cheshire, April 22, 2014. Photo courtesy of Chris Scranton. 
In doubles action, Reilly Elldridge and David Light defeated West Haven's Jeremy Borelli and Kevin Coyle in the top slot, 6-2, 6-3 and second-seeded Fiton Imerukaj and George Oppong lost to Sean Crowley and Arnay Velaparthi by scpres of 7-5 and 6-1. 
Third-seeded Matt Marcello and Jake Smith fell to Sinjay Montagna and Jeff Ruggintino, 6-3, 6-1. 

Branford stings Westies 
WH drops 6-1 decision
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 21, 2014)-
 The West Haven boys' tennis team fell to 2-4 after dropping its second straight decision Monday afternoon. Winning just one match in singles play, the Westies fell on the road to Branford, 6-1. 
Top-seeded John Delgado picked up West Haven's lone win as he defeated Matt Sachs 6-1, 6-3. 
Second-seeded Mike Tran dropped a 6-0, 6-4 decision to Ben Shao, third-seeded Devin Hickman fell to Jake Potheye 6-2, 6-1 and fourth-seeded Howard Powell lost a 6-1, 6-2 decision against Jared Platt. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Jeremy Borelli and Kevin Coyle lost to Miles Conlan and Dan O'Neill 6-0, 6-0, second-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Owen Madelung and Stas Balasi, and Luis Alvarez and George Oppong lost to Aaron Radulsion and Matt Lombardi 7-5, 4-6, 10-8 in the closest match of the day. 

Westies fall to Hamden
Green Dragons post home victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 17, 2014)-
 Looking to get over the .500 mark, the West Haven boys' tennis team was unable to do so Thursday afternoon. Winning only a pair of doubles matches, the Westies fell to Hamden 5-2 on the road to drop to 2-3. 
In singles action, Brandon Howard defeated top-seeded John Delgado 6-4, 6-2, Set Bjorkman defeated MikeTran in the second slot 6-4, 6-2 and Ben Bonadies defeated third-seeded Devin Hickman 7-5, 6-4. Fourth-seeded Howard Powell fell to Stephen Pantera in the closest match 2-6, 7-6, 7-6. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Ben Borelli and Kevin Coyle posted a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win. Second-seeded Alex Scranton and Wyatt Condon fell 7-6, 6-3 and third-seeded George Oppong and Fiton Imerukaj won 6-1, 6-0. 















Jeremy Borelli (l.) and Kevin Coyle (r.) won in doubles play against East Haven, April 16, 2014. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

Even Up 
Westies improve to 2-2 with win over East Haven
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 16, 2014)-
 The West Haven boys' tennis team won three of four singles matches and two of three doubles contests over East Haven Wednesday afternoon in West Haven to improve to 2-2 on the year. In mostly close matches throughout the day, the Westies prevailed. 
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado defeated Jonathan Gioia 6-0, 6-0, second-seeded Mike Tran defeated Kirk So 6-4, 6-3 and third-seeded Devin Hickman won over Joe Dinatale 6-1, 6-2. Howard Powell fell in the fourth slot to Joshua Levin by scores of 0-6, 6-3 and 6-4. 
















Howard Powell serves against East Haven, April 16, 2014. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
In doubles action, top-seeded Jeremy Borelli and Kevin Coyle won over Anthony Perotti and Connor Brown 6-4, 6-4 and second-seeded Wyatt Condon and Alex Scranton defeated Jeff Capone and Kyle Cifarelli 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. 
















Alex Scranton against East Haven, April 16, 2014. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
Matt Marcello and Jake Smith fell in the third slot to Gerald Quinones and Joe Puccino 7-5, 6-0.

Tough Loss 
Westies fall to Notre Dame in battle of city rivals
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 14, 2014)- 
The West Haven boys' tennis team is finding out just how hard it is to win close matches on a consistent basis. Just three matches into the season, the Westies have come one win short in two matches.
Monday afternoon at Southern Connecticut State University, the Westies faced cross-town rival Notre Dame and dropped 4-3 decision. The loss was West Haven's second defeat by a 4-3 score this year and dropped its record to 1-2. 
West Haven won a pair of singles matches, but took home just one match in doubles play. 
In singles action, top-seeded John Delgado fell to Roy Smith, 6-0. 6-0, second-seeded Mike Tran was defeated 7-6 (5), 6-4 by Mike DeFelice and third-seeded Devin Hickman posted a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Matt Plaziack. Howard Powell rounded out singles action with a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Quinn Petroske. 
In doubles play, top-seeded Jeremy Borelli and Fiton Imerkaj fell to Gabe Sparks and Adrian Cruz 7-5, 6-3 and second-seeded Wyatt Condon and Kevin Coyle dropped a 6-4, 6-4 decision to David Piscotta and Zack Hart. 
The Westies posted their lone doubles victory in the third slot as Luis Alvarez and George Oppong defeated James White and Kyle Bystrainyk, 6-4, 6-2.

Sweep
Westies even record at 1-1 with 7-0 victory over Platt Tech
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 10, 2014) –
 Fresh off a tough loss against Xavier in the season opener, the West Haven boys' tennis team needed to get back on track.
Thursday afternoon in Milford was the perfect time to get going. Dominating from start to finish, the Westies lost just one game in the seven matches, played pro set style, to defeat Platt Tech 7-0. 
On the singles side, top-seed John Delgado defeated Patricio Panico, second-seeded Mike Tran beat Tom Hallengren, third-seeded Devin Hickman beat Chris Seepersand, fourth-seeded Howard Powell defeated Luis Almodovar and the fifth seed, Jeremy Borelli, beat Tony Mattaso. All won by scores of 8-0. 
In doubles play, Wyatt Condon and Kevin Coyle posted an 8-1 win over A.J. Alzoubi and Kyle Jalbert, while Matt Marcello and Jake Smith defeated Jon Charles and Wes Hernandez 8-0.   

Tough Start
Westies drop tough match to Falcons
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
WEST HAVEN (April 9, 2014)
– West Haven coach Jason Kirck felt doubles play and winning close matches would be keys to his team's success in 2014. Through one match of the season, Kirck's assessment is on the mark. 
Getting swept in closely played doubles matches, the Westies fell to Xavier 4-3 in the season opener for both teams in West Haven Wednesday afternoon. 
With the singles players winning three of four matches, the doubles teams needed to secure just one win for a team victory. 
The Falcons had other ideas. Xavier swept play in doubles action to take home the victory. 
In singles play, top-seeded John Delgado suffered the only loss as he fell to Richard Ciamarra, 6-1, 6-1. 
Second-seeded Mike Tran defeated Trevor Morris, 6-4, 7-6 (4), Devin Hickman won at the third seed over James Rosborough, 4-6, 7-6 (6) and 7-5 and fourth-seeded Howard Powell defeated Michael Higgins 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4. 
In doubles action, Jeremy Borelli and Fiton Imerkaj lost to Dylan Amble and Rob Borea 6-1, 6-3, and second-seeded Wyatt Condon and Kevin Coyle fell to John Borea and Sam Sokolowski 6-4, 6-1. 
Luis Alvarez and George Oppong dropped the third slot in a tough battle with Matt Ferris and Jack Curran, 7-6 (4) and 6-3. 

Ready for Next Level
West Haven ready to challenge for league title in 2014 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 7, 2014) –
 Coming off one of its most successful season in the program's history, the West Haven boys' tennis team is eager to get started. Fresh off a 13-7 season where the Westies qualifified for the state tournament, finished second in Division II during the regular season and advanced to the semifinals of the SCC Division II tournament, the Westies know the hard work it will take to get back to these spots. 
For the Westies to do that, they will need to replace the graduated Chris Mazzacane and Chris Ashong, who were the two and three seeds in singles play, and doubles players Austin Hansen, Abdul Zaccariah, Jimmy Carillo and Jake Yisehak. 
Luckily for coach Jason Kirck, he has plenty of talent returning, including captains Devin Hickman and Howard Powell. 
Hickman will play as the third seed in singles action, while Powell will be the fourth seed. 
"They are great leaders," Kirck said of his captains. "They lead by example, they are awesome vocal leaders and they are experienced players. We are excpecting big things out of them this year. It is the first year playing singles for both. They each played doubles last year."
Kirck also has two solid players at the top spots in singles play. Sophomore John Delgado is the top seed and junior Mike Tran is the second seed. Both played well last year and will be major factors in the success of this year's team. 
"Jon really improved his game in the off season and is showing great control and power in the preseason scrimmages" Kirck said. "This is a break out year for him in the SCC. He has played well in the preseason scrimmages. 
"Mike Tran also made huge strides since last year and is a really dedicated player. He is very competitive and intent on becoming a great player."
In doubles action, Jeremy Borelli, Fiton Imerukaj, Wyatt Condon, Kevin Coyle, Jake Smith, Matt Marcello, George Oppong, Xavier Morrison, Luis Alvarez and Ben Yocum will all see time. According to Kirck, the lineup in doubles play is a solid one. 
"All of these players have the opportunity to play doubles this year," Kirck said. "We have a really solid, balanced group of players. They are athletic, skilled and they are improving every day. Doubles play will be huge in order to challenge for the Division II championship."
Kirck has been very impressed with his team thus far. While there are aspects of the game to improve on, the team is headed in the right direction. 
"They key will be the improvement of our doubles teams, quality and controlled tennis for our singles players and commitment to improving on a daily basis so we are playing our best tennis at the end of the season. 
"I have liked the great work ethic of the team. They have great attitudes and the willingness to improve and be coached in practice every day."
Kirck wants his team to get better every day and has set winning the SCC Division II regular season and league tournament, along with qualifying for the state tournament as team goals.
"We need to improve on our doubles strategy and skills," Kirck said. "That is the key to our overall season success. 
"Amity, Xavier, Branford, Hand, Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame and Hamden are all great challenges for us. We are looking forward to our opportunity to compete against the best in the SCC."
West Haven opens its season Wednesday, April 9, when it plays host to Xavier at 3:30 p.m. 

BOYS TENNIS 2014