Natick June 2016
<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src="https://www.yumpu.com/en/embed/view/omVCdSFYQ597aWAX" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div>
<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src="https://www.yumpu.com/en/embed/view/omVCdSFYQ597aWAX" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div>
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Page 12 Local Town Pages www.naticktownnews.com <strong>June</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
Sports<br />
Net Result—<strong>Natick</strong> Boys Tennis on an Upswing<br />
By Ken Hamwey,<br />
Staff Sports Writer<br />
The boys’ tennis team at<br />
<strong>Natick</strong> High is building tradition.<br />
Four years ago, when Adam<br />
Shute took the coaching reins,<br />
the Redhawks finished 3-12,<br />
then won one more match the<br />
following year. Two seasons ago,<br />
<strong>Natick</strong> topped .500, ending its<br />
campaign with a 10-8 record<br />
and a tournament berth. And,<br />
the progression continued last<br />
year — the Redhawks went 13-5<br />
before losing to powerhouse<br />
Needham in the first round of<br />
the playoffs.-<br />
As the regular season heads<br />
for the finish line, the Redhawks<br />
were 9-1, a record that ensures<br />
another major step forward for<br />
the program and a record good<br />
enough for another playoff<br />
berth.<br />
“Five of our top seven players<br />
are seniors with lots of experience,’’<br />
Shute, a physical education<br />
teacher at Wilson Middle<br />
School, said. “We’ve got talented<br />
players who are athletic,<br />
consistent, technically sound<br />
and mentally tough. One area,<br />
however, where we’re striving<br />
for improvement is competing<br />
with elite teams, like Wellesley,<br />
Needham, Brookline and Newton<br />
North. This year, we’re taking<br />
steps in that direction.’’<br />
When the 36-year-old Shute,<br />
who played tennis at Windham<br />
High School in Maine, became<br />
<strong>Natick</strong>’s coach, there were no<br />
home courts. The new high<br />
school was under construction<br />
and the old courts were demolished<br />
to make room for the new<br />
building. All of the Redhawks’<br />
matches were on the road.<br />
“Our records my first two<br />
years were sub-.500 and not<br />
having any courts probably led<br />
to our numbers staying low,’’<br />
Shute noted. “But, once new<br />
courts were built, we compiled<br />
winning records and drew<br />
more students. I previously was<br />
<strong>Natick</strong>’s jayvee soccer coach for<br />
four years and some of the kids<br />
who knew me got the bug and<br />
came out for tennis.’’<br />
Shute’s goals this season, his<br />
fifth at the helm, were to qualify<br />
for the tournament again and<br />
advance past the first round.<br />
“That’s our primary goal — to<br />
get past the first round and advance<br />
as far as possible,’’ he said.<br />
“We feel the program’s moving<br />
forward and we’re optimistic<br />
about the future.’’<br />
For <strong>Natick</strong>, however, the future<br />
is now and it’s relying on<br />
a freshman and sophomore in<br />
singles play, and five seniors —<br />
one in singles and the other four<br />
in doubles. The singles lineup<br />
includes freshman Zak Jakobs<br />
in the No. 1 slot, senior tri-captain<br />
Quentin Putnam at second<br />
singles and soph Phillip Pogrebinski<br />
at No. 3. At Local Town<br />
Pages deadline, Jakobs was 7-2,<br />
Putnam was 9-1 and Pogrebinski<br />
had a 7-2 record.<br />
“Zak is a very accomplished<br />
player,’’ Shute emphasized. “He<br />
plays tennis year round and he<br />
competes in private tourneys.<br />
He’s an intelligent player whose<br />
forehand and backhand shots<br />
are consistent. He serves well,<br />
mixes power with finesse and<br />
he’s mentally tough. Quentin<br />
is a four-year veteran who has<br />
a powerful forehand and good<br />
slice backhand. He’s mentally<br />
Patios • Walkways • Pool Surrounds<br />
Retaining Walls • Outdoor Kitchens • Fire Pits<br />
Landscape Design & Installation<br />
Lawn Installation • Grading • Lot Clearing<br />
tough, too. I’d rate him one of<br />
the top second singles player in<br />
the Bay State Conference. Phillip<br />
is talented, has good technique,<br />
hits with power and has a<br />
good forehand and backhand.’’<br />
<strong>Natick</strong>’s first doubles team<br />
consists of senior tri-captains<br />
Vijay Yedidi and Chai Vedula, a<br />
pair of four-year veterans whose<br />
record was 7-2 at Local Town<br />
Pages deadline. “Both boys<br />
played second doubles last year,’’<br />
Shute said. “They have excellent<br />
chemistry and they’re strong net<br />
players. Neither gets flustered<br />
and both are calm under pressure.<br />
They rely on being athletic,<br />
mentally tough and intense.’’<br />
The second doubles tandem<br />
features seniors Charlie Ide and<br />
Andrew Dubsky, who were 7-2.<br />
“This is the first season they<br />
teamed up but they work well<br />
together, they’re strong at the<br />
net and they serve effectively,’’<br />
Shute said. “Both worked very<br />
hard in the off-season.’’<br />
Shute is quick to credit the<br />
Redhawks’ success to his players<br />
and he’s effusive in his praise for<br />
his trio of captains. “Quentin,<br />
Vijay and Chai are terrific role<br />
models and quality leaders,’’ he<br />
noted. “And they’re always positive<br />
and always give a strong effort.’’<br />
Yedidi cites <strong>Natick</strong>’s team<br />
chemistry as a big plus and a<br />
prime reason for its success.<br />
“Our experience and confidence<br />
are keys but team chemistry is a<br />
big asset,’’ he said. “Zak is our<br />
No. 1 player in singles and even<br />
though he’s a freshman, he’s a<br />
talented player. We’re all focused<br />
on doing well in the tourney, and<br />
advancing farther than previous<br />
years is our goal.’’<br />
Shute, who has his physed<br />
degree from St. Joseph’s<br />
of Maine and his master’s in<br />
athletic administration from<br />
Springfield College, emphasized<br />
that the spring season is short,<br />
making it difficult to conduct<br />
extensive instruction. “I make<br />
tweaks but my main focus is on<br />
getting the kids to love tennis<br />
and work on their games in the<br />
off-season,’’ Shute said.<br />
That strategy seems to be<br />
working just fine for a program<br />
that’s rising fast.<br />
508-376-2815<br />
Free Estimates • Fully Insured<br />
www.WenzelLandscaping.com