Timber Creek Tennis Closing in on Division Title

From the very beginning of the season, the boys’ tennis team has had its eye on a division title. The fact that the team had a losing record last season and was replacing its No. 1 singles player did not keep the Chargers from thinking big.

“They had a goal in mind,” Timber Creek coach Jean DeMarco said. “They kept saying ‘We want a banner. We want a banner.’ Hopefully if we keep playing the way we are playing we will get one.”

That banner is well within reach after Timber Creek continued its dominating season Friday, downing Bishop Eustace, 4-1, to improve to 9-0 in the Olympic Conference Patriot Division.

The Chargers’ have three division matches left and their closest competition is Seneca, which has two losses. Timber Creek will meet Seneca—as well as Paul VI and Camden—over the next two weeks.

If the Chargers continue to take care of its business, the championship will be theirs.

“We got a bunch of young guys on the team with only two seniors, so it’s a good future for the program,” said No. 3 singles player Justin Quigley, who improved to 10-3. “We are playing some good tennis right now. The teams in our division are beatable so we take advantage.”

“We went out here, had our goal to win the division, and have performed,” said No. 2 singles player Diondre Hartwell, who moved to 8-4.

The team’s confidence began to build after the second match of the season when Timber Creek overwhelmed Triton, 5-0. Since that match the team’s momentum has only built steam.

“When we beat Paul VI and (Bishop Eustace) and then beat Seneca, at Seneca, it looked like it was going to be a good year for us,” Quigley said. “We have been competing against (nondivision) teams like Eastern and Cherokee and when that starts happening you know it’s no fluke, because those are some of the top teams in New Jersey, not just the conference.”

Hartwell said DeMarco’s confidence was demonstrated long before any of those matches.

“Coach knew from the very beginning we had a chance to win conference,” Hartwell said. “She always had hope in us so we practiced hard, played hard and made it into a reality.”

The Chargers have been the very definition of a team, getting contributions up and down the lineup. Nate Ellis has played valiantly in his first season at No. 1 singles, while the doubles teams of Devin Eager/Mike Strauch and Alexie He/Alex Kourahanis are a combined nine-matches over .500.

“They are all stepping up,” DeMarco said. “They are all doing what they need to. They are working hard and getting better with each match, so I am really happy and proud of them.”

And if everything goes right over the next two week, their reward will be hung in the gym for years to come. DeMarco knows it won't come easy though.

“I think Seneca the second time around will be a tough match for us because we beat them 3-2 earlier in the year and that was probably our toughest division match so far,” said DeMarco. “We beat Paul VI 4-1 the first time, but they will be coming at us so I think that is going to be a tough one too.”

Timber Creek knows what is on the line and Quigley said the players are ready to finish what they started.

 “The 12-0 is there for us to take so it is going to be us who is either going to win it or lose it,” Quigley said.