By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Historically one of the most strongest sports programs in Haddonfield Memorial High School history, the HMHS tennis program is gearing up for another spring and a run at two more Colonial Conference and South Jersey Group 2 Championships.
The program is once again coached by Jeffrey Holman, one of the most successful tennis coaches in the state. Holman has coached the HMHS boys team since 1978 with a record of 908–166 and the girls since 1976 with a record of 934–121.
He’s coming off a 2010 girl’s season in which the team again won the South Jersey Group 2 Championship and Holman was named the 2010 New Jersey Coach of the Year.
He’s hoping to repeat the success with the boys team, in which the HMHS Bulldogs are defending South Jersey and Colonial Conference Champions.
It will most likely be an uphill battle to repeat, Holman said, as the team lost several key components from last year’s championship squad. The team has lost to graduation its number one and number two singles players Will Lawlor and Brian Oatway, Holman said, and number one doubles player Ty Simcox and number two doubles player Ian Roberts.
Returning starters include juniors Matt Godlewski who boasts a 41–9 singles record as the number three in 2010 and a 43–9 career record; Luke Grabiak with a 39–7 number one doubles record in 2010 and 40–7 career record); and Sean Campbell with a 38–7 record as the number two doubles player in 2010 with a 43–7 career record.
Last season Godlewski was named to the All-Colonial Conference second team and the South Jersey Tennis Coaches Association All-Group 2 first team in singles, Holman said, while Luke Grabiak and Sean Campbell made the all-conference Liberty Division first team and SJTCA All-Group 2 first team in doubles.
“Traditionally, Haddonfield teams may lack outstanding singles talent but are deep and well-balanced with many players close in ability competing for starting positions. Realistically, our top singles players could be overmatched against such elite players as Lenape’s Mike Humes, Ocean City’s Chris Barrus, Moorestown’s Pierce Cooper, and Shawnee’s Tyler Arsenault,” Holman said. “We will thus rely heavily on the performance of our bottom three positions — number three singles and the two doubles combinations — if we hope to compete with the area’s better squads.”
Looking ahead in 2011 Holman said he sees Moorestown and Lenape as the premier teams in South Jersey. The next group of teams, he said, may include Cherokee, Shawnee, Haddonfield, Cherry Hill East, Saint Augustine, Middle Township, Mainland, and Eastern.
“In the Colonial Conference and South Jersey Group 2, we are the defending champions and will contend for these titles, but we have a number of question marks after losing two singles players and two doubles players to graduation,” he said. “West Deptford and Haddon Township will provide strong competition in the Colonial Conference; in Group 2, Manasquan with two outstanding singles players may be the team to beat, while Middle Township, Woodstown, and West Deptford will also be tough opponents.”
The regular season begins on Monday, April 4 when the boys travel to Sterling High School for their first match at 3:45 p.m.
