Wednesday Opponent Overview

I know, I know, it's going to take awhile for people to come back to the site, since I haven't posted for months. And I know that it's going to take some creative posting for me to get you all back. So, let's start with this.

Wednesday's last season were for breaking down our opponents, the teams we are going to play next year. That tradition will continue this winter, starting with this overview post. An overview of the whole season that is.

So, without further ado, here's a power ranking of the opponents we will play next year. I have factored in graduation and JV results, so here's what I think.

1. Northridge - Return only two varsity players, but had a very strong JV team last season. Also, Nick Myers returns at #1, where he looks to be the best player in the area.

2. Fairfield - Return all three of their singles players, and their JV doubles gave us a beat down. Of course, we return five varsity players, so I'm not saying it won't be a match!

3. Concord - Jason Denton will be their only returning player, but he will be a force at #1 singles, I believe. Coach Denton gets their players to work hard over the summer, so I think they'll be ready come August.

4. Westview - Led by #1 and #2 singles returning, the Warriors defeated us in a close match last year. With Steve Blinco being one of the best players around, this match could be close again.

5. Goshen - They were a really young team last year, and they return 6 of 7 varsity players. We handled them easily last year, but they will grow a lot with experience. Hopefully, we will too!

6. Taylor - The only match we won at the Wabash Invitational suddenly becomes the hardest. They return their complete singles lineup as well as #2 doubles.

7. Eastern - Another Wabash Invite opponent, Eastern had a strong graduating class that almost won them a Sectional title. They bring three of their varsity players back from a team that only lost twice.

8. Triton - We always have close matches with the Trojans, especially as they get played on a Saturday morning. This year they graduated 5, but had a strong JV season (defeated us 4-1).

9. Wabash - Host of a great invitational, the Apaches lose #1 singles, #1 doubles, and #3 singles. Those were positions of strength for them last season, as they almost took their Sectional title. Don't know a lot about their JV, but they have always been a tough matchup for us.

10. Fremont - Another team that he faced that was young. They will return their singles lineup, where they had raw talented players. If the talent is shaped with some experience, they will be good.

11. Bremen - We had a weird match against them this year, only finishing 3 matches officially. They return 4 from that team, led by Thomas Manges. Perhaps this is the year where Ben gets a rematch?

12. Jimtown - Another program that will be rebuilding from graduation, the Jimmies will defend their Sectional title without any of the players who helped them win it. Sophomore-to-be Brett Aller will lead their way.

13. NorthWood - A Sectional opponent who had difficulty getting a win with a really young team, but they improved rapidly over the course of last season. I do not expect them to continue to suffer 1-win seasons for long.

14. Rochester - The Rhinos are another team headed in the right direction. Good coaching, young players, but the team seems to enjoy playing and they will be competitors.

15. Tippecanoe Valley - It always seems to rain when we are supposed to play them. We haven't played them for 2 years, so I really don't have an accurate way to gauge their program other than their record.

16. LaVille - The Lancers had their program almost completely shut down 3 years ago. Last year they fielded a full varsity team. It's great to see their progress in a short amount of time. When I started coaching they hosted a great tournament that we played in. It be great for tennis to see them at that level again.

17. Prairie Heights - They return 3 of their varsity, but the team did not match up well against us or our JV last season. We do get to play at Prairie Heights this season, and they will have a home court advantage as their courts slant up towards the middle.

18. Churubusco - They had a great doubles team last year, making the all-district team and playing fantastic tennis. But they lacked numbers for the rest of the team.

So, there you have it. We may drop or add some opponents to this list throughout the off-season here, but that's a quick rundown of what to expect.

What do you think? Do you have opponents you are excited to play? Teams that were fun to play against this year? Favorite or forgettable memories from any of these teams?