Staples Boys Tennis Tops In The State

Kris Hrisovulos saw great potential when he returned to his alma mater two months ago to take over as the coach of the Staples High School boys' tennis team.

According to Hrisovulos, a three-time doubles state champion at Staples in the late 1990s, the pieces were in place for an oustanding season, but it was just a question of putting the puzzle together.

Led by junior Danny Hirschberg, last year's CIAC Class LL singles runner-up, the Wreckers have put things together to the tune of a 16-0 regular-season finish and the state's No. 1 ranking.

Staples will be the top seed in the FCIAC tournament next week when it looks to dethrone defending eight-time league  champion Greenwich.

The turning point of the Wreckers' season may have come on April 27,when they defeated Greenwich, 4-3,for their first win over the Cardinals since 2003.

"It just showed them that what we've been trying to do paid off," Hrisovulos said. "It was just a confidence thing. It took us to another step coming together."

The way the coach sees it, the biggest difference for the Wreckers has been team unity. He took over a talented - but disjointed - squad.

"It was a good group of kids," Hrisovulos said, "but they really had no leader."
 
Last year, the Wreckers lost their coach, who had to step down for medical reasons, and the team was then run by a parent for the rest of the season. According to Hrisovulos, the players essentially coached themselves.

"I think that's the reason they were in disarray," he said. "Last year's team and this year's team isn't really that different."

Despite the distractions, the Wreckers still finished 13-3 last year and reached the final of the Class LL tournament, although they did lose to Fairfield Ludlowe in the first round of the FCIAC playoffs. Staples only lost two players from that team - Eric Reiner and Evan Blaustein.

This year, the Wreckers boast a veteran-laden team with nine seniors on the roster - even though the top rotation includes two freshmen and a sophomore.

Prior to Wednesday, Hirschberg was 8-0 at No. 1 singles, sometimes sitting against lesser opponents. His brother, Jake, one of the freshmen,  was 10-1 at No. 4 singles.

Junior Jesse Heussner was 6-4 at No. 2 singles, sometimes moving up when Dan Hirschberg doesn't play. Freshman Cam Marco boasted an 11-2 mark at No. 3 singles and Graham Hyman, who missed time with an injury, was undefeated while playing No. 5 singles (9-0).

Staples' top four doubles players are all seniors. Kevin McDonald and Jordan Ratner were  6-3 at No. 1 doubles. Ratner's brother, Alex, was 10-1 while playing with Sam Hickok at No. 2 doubles.

A graduate of Niagara University, Hrisovulos had been a full-time coach at Stamford Indoor Tennis before taking the Staples job.

He put his experience - both as a player and coach - to good use, instilling structure and discipine. He was on a Staples team that won 52 consecutive matches, a streak the Wreckers extended to 82 after he graduated.

"From week one to now, every week there has been something better from the team that I have seen, especially in unity," Hrisovulos said. "I think that's really the recipe for success."

The Wreckers also posted a huge 5-2 win over New Canaan on May 11, handing the Rams the first of their two FCIAC losses this season. New Canaan also lost to Greenwich, 6-1,on May 14.

Other than that, Staples hasn't really been challenged,winning nine matches by a 7-0 score and four others by a 6-1 count.

Barring a stunning upset, the Wreckers likely will see either Greenwich or New canaan again in the FCIAC final next week, when they seek their first league title since 2001.

At the start of the season, Hrisovulos' goal was to finish among the top three teams in the FCIAC. He is surprised the Wreckers are undefeated, but maybe not totally shocked.

"The talent was there," he said. "They really came together faster than I thought they would."