To win three Division I state titles in a row, a program needs consistency and a deep bench of talented young players.
St. John’s Prep comes into this season winners of back to back titles. With the return of stars like John DeAngelis and Rudr Malayya, the Eagles feel like they fit the bill for a team that has what it takes to complete a three-peat.
“The team has eight players who were already part of those winning teams, so they know how sweet winning is, and they have shown me that they are willing to work very hard this year to have a chance at a title again,” first-year Prep coach Francisco Montoya said. “We are all going to take the season one week at a time, and one match at the time. I believe that this mindset and trying to keep the players healthy physically gives us the best chance.”
Prep finished last season 22-0 and capped its campaign off with a victory over Lexington in the Division I state championship.
Coming into this season, with offseason tennis experience under its belt in addition to in-season work, Prep players seems primed for another strong run.
“I have witnessed that the majority of our players in the varsity team have been playing tennis throughout the year and also competing in tournaments for the most part,” Montoya said.
Although it’s his first year as head coach, Montoya has a lot of familiarity with his current group of student-athletes, having coached some of them on club teams.
He’s looking forward to being with those seniors on their last ride in high school tennis.
“I know that this is an important year for them to try to finish their high school years strong,” Montoya said. “My second goal is to start making an impact on those freshmen that are coming, and the potential new recruits for the future, because we obviously have big shoes to fill once these eight players graduate.”
Before the team can make another run at a title, Prep has to get through big tests on its schedule. Matches against Concord-Carlisle and Lexington will be crucial to see how the team performs against tough teams down the stretch.
Winning back to back titles puts some pressure on the Eagles this spring to make it three in a row, but it’s a pressure the team welcomes.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to give my very best to the players and the school,” Montoya said. “I don’t create result expectations because I have enough experience to know that a season is very long and many stars need to align for big results to take place.”