Cape boys’ tennis swings into 2025 season

Cape second-year tennis coach Mike Roy is looking for a big season from his squad, as he boasts of one of the deepest rosters the Vikings have had in recent memory. The Vikings finished the 2024 season at 8-4.

“Junior Nate Hoang has once again taken a big leap in his game and will play first singles,” Roy said. “We expect he'll be one of the strongest players in our conference this year. Senior captain Trent Kauffman also made a big jump from first doubles last year to second singles. A strong emergence from sophomore Sully Naden has earned him the third-singles spot. We also have some very consistent doubles players returning this year in seniors Krish Prattipati and Brody Trewartha. Sophomores Caidan Juliano and Mike Gordon will also make for some very entertaining, high-energy doubles play.”

He is also looking for his bench to lend strong support in the exhibition positions. Sophomore Aidan Khalaf and freshman Emmanual Richman are capable starting subs, and freshmen Mike Beck, Ace Crandall, Theo Fellows, Indy Hareland and DeAngelo Jackson round out the development squad.

“We were pretty successful last year, finishing second in the conference and seeing some strong play in the state tournament, but coach Pat [Breen] and I don't spend much time dwelling on records and trophies,” Roy said. “At the high school level, our primary goals are to teach kids the game and maximize their individual potential. Unlike most sports, tennis is a game you can play for life, and we try hard to nurture our players' love of the game – a gift they'll have with them long after graduation.”

Roy expects to compete well in the Henlopen Conference this year, but he thinks the players’ toughest competition will be themselves. 

“Tennis is as much a mental game as it is physical, and the number of unforced errors is usually what determines the winner of a match,” he said. “We've worked hard this spring on improving consistency, hitting high-percentage shots and forcing the opponent to an play another ball. If we can continue with that approach and avoid trying to do too much, we should see some pretty good results. We teach our guys to focus on hitting one good ball at a time, and if we can all do that, the results will take care of themselves.”

The Vikings open their 2025 campaign Tuesday, March 25 at home with Polytech.