THE LHS boys’ tennis team has been working hard to prepare for their 2023 season. The Pioneers, who went 19-2 overall last year as the Div. 4 state runners-up, started their season with a loss to Div. 1 state powerhouse St. John’s Prep. Lynnfield hosts Newburyport on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. (LHS Athletics Photo)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
DANVERS — Joe Dunn is back for his seventh season as head coach of the Lynnfield High boys’ tennis team this spring. Last season was a memorable year for the Pioneers as they reached the MIAA Division 4 state title match before losing to Weston, 5-0, to end up at 19-2 overall.
In the Cape Ann League, they went 11-0 as they captured the CAL Kinney Division for the fourth-straight time.
Dunn was named the CAL Kinney Division Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.
The team lost five seniors from that squad to graduation, Harrison Luba, Dave Kasdon, Jason Yang, Shane McQueen and Andrew Scangas to graduation. Luba, Kasdon and Yang were all CAL All-Stars last spring.
Lynnfield returned four starters when spring practice opened on March 20. Those four players are Dan Levin (junior), Shea McCarthy (sophomore), Rafik Khodr (senior co-captain) and junior Russell Kasdon, who is Dave’s younger brother.
The other veterans back are Raffi Arkun (sophomore), Brendan Sokop (junior), Sahil Akhter (senior co-captain), Avi Shrivastara (senior), and Slate LoPilato (junior) as nine total veterans are back.
“I am very confident in my team this year,” said Dunn. “They have worked on their games during the off-season and have come back improved.”
The Pioneers opened the season up in Danvers as they took on Division 1 power, St. John’s Prep, on Monday afternoon. The Eagles won the match 5-0.
“They are the best team we will face all year,” stated Dunn, as his team lost to them in the opener last year before winning every other match until the Div. 4 state title.
McCarthy lost at first singles 6-5, 7-6 (7-5 in the tiebreaker).
At second singles, Levin won the first set, 6-4, but then lost the second one 6-4. He then lost the ten-game pro-set, 10-4.
Arkun lost at third singles, 6-0, 6-0.
In doubles play, the first team of Kasdon and Sokop fell 6-1, 6-0, while the second team of Khodr and Akhter fell 6-1, 6-0, as well.
Dunn feels that Hamilton-Wenham and Manchester-Essex will be its toughest challenge in the CAL this year.
The Cape Ann League opener for the Pioneers will take place on April 6 as the Pioneers host Newburyport. That match will start at 3:30 p.m.
