ROMAN TON

 

 

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NORTH READING — Roman Ton was the lone member of the North Reading High boys’ tennis team named to the Cape Ann League All-Star team this year.

The senior captain, who played first singles, made the team for the first time in his career. He ended up going 13-4 overall and was 8-3 in the league.

“He was a rock for us,” stated Hornets head coach Mark Bisognano. “It was nice knowing that you were going to have at least one point in the match thanks to him.”

Making the All-Star team in a league as strong as the CAL is an impressive accomplishment.

“It is a big deal,” Bisognano said. “To make the team is prestigious and I feel that Roman was the second best player in the league.”

Ton will be attending Northeastern University this fall.

After defeating Cape Cod Academy, 4-1, in the first round of the MIAA Division 3 state tournament, the Hornets fell to Bedford, 5-0, in the Round of 16 on June 4 to end the year at 10-7.

In the CAL, the Hornets went 5-6 as they finished in third place in the CAL Kinney Division behind  Lynnfield and Newburyport.

Three individual awards were given out by Bisognano at the school’s awards night banquet.

The MVP Award went to Ton.

Junior Raffi Toby received the Unsung Hero Award. Toby played both third singles and first doubles this spring.

The Coaches Award was given to senior Ricky Ho. Ho, a senior co-captain, played first doubles and third singles.

“The season went very well,” said Bisognano, who just completed his 23rd-year at the helm. “We peaked and played our best tennis the final two weeks of the season.”

Along with Ton and Ho, the team will also lose seniors Aiden Patel and Eric Xu. Patel, the team’s third captain, was a starter who played mostly first doubles.

“Roman and Aiden were both four-year players,” pointed out Bisognano. “Ricky joined us in 2022 while Eric joined the team last year. I am happy that all four of them found a sport that they can play for the rest of their lives.”

Bisognano went on to say that Ton was a quiet leader who led by example while Patel and Ho were both vocal leaders.

Next spring, the Hornets are slated to return eight veterans with four of them being starters.

“We have some nice pieces with Raffi, Parker (Lee), Sameer (Murthy) and John (Pastore),” said Bisognano, about his returning starters.

Lee played at second singles this spring while Murthy and Pastore were the second doubles team.