By Michael Kaplan ’13, Staff Writer

After last year’s spectacular performance, there may have been doubt that The Minutemen tennis team of 2011 could achieve the same success. However, longtime Coach Arky Crook has seen it all and has steered his squad in the right direction.

Two seasons ago, the Minutemen lost their top three players, two of which transferred and another who graduated. In addition to last year’s loss of senior Grant Schalet, the roster was left barren with an overwhelming number of spots to fill. Last year’s team emerged as a top ten contender in all of New Jersey, with a final record of 19 wins and 7 losses. The Minutemen currently stand at a strong record of 24 and 5 with postseason tournaments still remaining on the schedule.

Despite a youthful lineup, the tennis team retains the same mentality that it has had for past years. With high expectations to continue the tennis program’s winning legacy, a young but experienced team, led by captain Neil Sethi, is among the top five programs in the state. Many of the small number of the team’s losses this year came at the hands of perennial powerhouses including Livingston and Millburn.

Sixteen out of the twenty-four defeats delivered by the Minutemen were punishing, and came at promising scores of either 4-1 or 5-0. Despite its tough Essex County schedule, the team has been able to triumph over strong programs, including Westfield, Millburn and Delbarton.

Last year’s first singles player, Daniel Eatroff, is a returning superstar who has avenged a few of his losses last year and thrives as only a sophomore, defeating opponents who are much bigger and experienced than he. Eatroff is already a contender for the state singles title. Junior Andre Rivera has provided the Minutemen with some much-desired aid at second singles, although a foot injury kept him out for most of last year’s season. Sophomore Logan Erickson has stepped up his game at third singles and has won some quality matches thus far. The doubles team of  seniors Neil Sethi and Om Pathak as well as the other doubles team of senior Adam Hyatt and sophomore Reid Schalet, truly have chemistries and communication that separate them from other teams around the state.

Despite their tough schedule, the Minutemen have been extremely victorious, and have yet to take their stab at the Tournament of Champions crown. Eatroff claims that “this year’s team has really exceeded expectations, and we plan on victorious seasons to follow.” Coach Crook, on the same page as Eatroff, has groomed the squad into a successful group of young men, all of whom are talented tennis players.

Newark Academy has proven to be a perennial power in Men’s High School tennis as they recently were crowned Non-Public B Champions with a 5-0 victory over Moorestown Friends. This year’s team has established themselves as a force to be reckoned with as the season winds down and in future seasons.