April 4, 2024 – Story and photos by William Wassersug
There have been a few changes with the Hingham boys tennis team this season, and for coach Eric Gill the hope is to break past the Division 2 Round of Eight where their season has ended the past few seasons.
The team started off on the right foot, sweeping Cohasset, who was in the Division 4 State Semifinals and had won 15 straight matches after a season-opening loss to Hingham last season, on a cold day with a slight breeze and rain threatening.
The Harbormen made it clear they will be right there winning the opener in a match Cohasset doubles players jokingly dubbed ‘The Hingham Massacre”.
From the top, Parker Schultz was brilliant, beating Cohasset star Charle Lankow 6-0, 6-1.
Ethan Warhaftig was equally effective with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Will Wildfire, while Eric Li was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Grant Wilson.
In doubles action, Travis Rugg and Liam Arnold beat Blaine Basile and Eamon Maxwell 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles and Logan Price and Teddy Reilly beat Max Crews and Ty Rudnick 6-1, 6-2.
“Other than it being a little cold I was happy,” Gill said after the win. “This is our No. 1 lineup we’re going to be starting the season off with. I thought from top to bottom we were strong. I was happy with how the doubles played and the singles were what I thought they would be.”
Looking at the lineup, having a player like Schultz at the top is a big key to success because everything trickles down.
“Parker is a special talent,” Gill said. “We have a very talented team, so for him to be sitting at No. 1 he has some great skills. He plays a lot of USTA tournaments. Ethan Warhaftig was third last year. He worked hard all off season and was able to secure than No. 2 spot for the moment, so that helps our team quite a bit.”
Gill said the big surprise of the spring has been Li.
“The biggest shock was at No. 3 where Eric Li moved to The States from China last year,” Gill said. “He told me last year he played tennis. I didn’t get to see him until the spring and was very happy with what I saw. He’s going to be one of the strongest if not the strongest No. 3 singles player in the area.”
Looking at doubles, there is strength there.
“The two doubles teams are just strong,” Gill said. “Having a player with Travis Rugg’s abilities pairing up with Liam Arnold at first doubles, a righty and a lefty, two big tall kids, they’ll be a force. Teddy Reilly and Logan Price will be one of the stronger second doubles teams in the area as well.”
Li is the only new player in the starting lineup, but his presence shakes things up considering that Warhaftig was at third singles last year while Rugg was at No. 2 singles.
“Ethan worked really hard in the off season and beat Travis in a challenge match, then Eric Li also beat Travis, which in the long run makes us a stronger team with Travis at first doubles.
Gill is hoping the extra bit of depth might be the key to getting over the top.
“That’s sort of been our thing the last couple of seasons,” he said. “We’d get a good seeding, make it to the Round of Eight and lose to a Hopkinton or Concord-Carlisle. We hope now we have a srong enough team top to bottom to get past that.”