Comet Invitational Tennis Extras

Hackensack boys tennis coach Ken McKaba calls it “a privilege and a curse.”
Playing first singles for the Comets means you’re the best on the team but also comes with having to face all the top guns in the elite Big North-Freedom Division.
“It’s a thankless job,” McKaba said. “It usually means you’re going to have a tough year but you’re also an important cog for the team. If you’re not there, the team is that much weaker.”
Taking on this difficult task this spring is Comet senior Juan Berrio (above). After playing all the way down at second doubles last year, he worked diligently in the off-season and earned the job.

“I watched my teammates from previous years who played No. 1 … they always went out there and gave their best,” Berrio said. “I know I’m going to lose a lot but it’s not going to bring me down.
“If I had easier opponents in my division, I wouldn’t be as good as I am today.”
This season, Berrio has lost all nine of his regular-season matches. He finally experienced the taste of victory at Saturday’s Comet Invitational when he split his two sets.
“I feel like I’ve improved more in the past few weeks than I have in years,” Berrio said. “Hopefully I’ll win a (regular-season match) soon.”

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Speaking of improvement, things are on the upswing at Kennedy. The Knights posted a 6-9 record last year but are off to a 3-3 start and ready to fly above the .500 mark.
Coach Mark Ferlanti said his team has several winnable matches coming up over the next week and that he “couldn’t ask any more” from his players.
“Hopefully the boys can go far in this year’s (Passaic County Tournament),” Ferlanti said. “They’ve worked hard for it.”
Last spring, Ferlanti took over an extremely young team with a lineup that included five sophomores and two freshmen. This year’s lineup is the same but its added year of experience is paying big dividends.
On Saturday, Kennedy tied for fifth place among 10 teams at the Comet. The squad’s lineup includes singles players Alip Nor, Abu Tayeeb and Emon Miah and the doubles pairs of Mohammed Musa/Sakib Ahmed and Sadiur Sworav/Sabbir Miah.
“They’re all willing to learn and they practice, practice, practice,” Ferlanti said. “They’re out there working every single day and we’ll see how far that takes us.”

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Teaneck coach John Paladino used the work “frustrating” to describe Shadman Munshi’s play last season. This year, Paladino said his senior second-singles player is frustrating his opponents.
“Shadman was very erratic,” Paladino said. “His goal was to be more consistent and he’s really improved in that regard. The hardest shots hit at him, he consistently gets them back over. “
Paladino said Munshi came back this spring with a much-improved swing. The third-year varsity player said there’s more pressure being one of the team’s captains but is handling it well.
“It’s kind of fun helping the younger guys,” Munshi said. “I’m just working hard and trying to improve my weaknesses. I’m taking every single shot seriously and hopefully I’ll keep getting better and better.”

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Three years ago, Peter Stahl was Waldwick’s only freshman. He’s still the only Warrior in his class but doesn’t let that bother him.
“When I came out as a freshman, it was kind of intimidating,” Stahl said. “But I came to realize what a great team it was and now I’m happy I stuck with it.”
Waldwick coach Ted Opderbeck said Stahl has been a workout demon over the years and has improved immeasurably in terms of strength and fitness. He plays second singles for this year’s squad and is also a tremendous leader, “setting an example for all the other kids.”
Stahl said the help he received when he was a freshman was critical to his career and feels obligated and happy to pass it on.
“I understand what it’s like to come up as a freshman,” Stahl said. “All these bigger kids who can make shots you can’t.
“Now that I’m the upperclassman, I can teach the young guys. Just like the seniors took me under their wing when I was a freshman, now I can do it for the next group.”

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Another player who’s setting the course for his teammates this spring is St. Joseph’s Steve Goodwin. The senior captain is in his third year with the varsity and is now the team’s top player.
Goodwin is having a terrific season on the court, using his 6-foot, 4-inch frame to pick off rivals’ shots at the net. Goodwin also has a terrific serve and split his two sets at the Comet.
Green Knights coach Jason Dates said Goodwin is “always the first kid on the court and the last one to leave.” His older brother Joe was the same type of high-quality senior captain before graduating in 2013 and Dates said it’s unfortunate that no more Goodwins are on the way.
“We’ve got a lot of young kids on the team,” Goodwin said. “So I try to help out and encourage them and make sure they don’t get discouraged when they’re down.
“I’m always looking around on the other courts, making sure my teammates are doing alright.”