Finley Boys' Tennis Nearly Perfect
They were oh-so-close to a perfect season. The J. Taylor Finley Middle School boys' tennis players were sensational this past spring, breezing past all but one opponent en route to a 7-1 record under head coach Eric Mininni.
Finley was captained by Marco Ammirati and Will Fehrs. The 19-player squad featured a group of extremely talented young players. The Falcons' only blemish was a 4-3 loss to slick Commack.
"This has been a great group of athletes to work with over the past two seasons," Mininni said. The team compiled a 15-2 record during that span and earned the respect of every opponent on its schedule.
This year's team was led by Ammirati and Fehrs and fellow eighth grader Ari Wohl. Ammirati went 6-1 in No. 1 singles while Fehrs was 5-2 in the No. 2 position. Wohl went 7-0 in the No. 4 singles slot.
"Marco is a fierce competitor who has led Finley the past two seasons," Mininni said about Ammirati. The coach was equally effusive with his praise for Fehrs. "Will was the rock of the team. He's a very consistent player."
Wohl continued his ascent into the top ranks of the tennis program. "Ari had a wonderful season and made great strides," Mininni said. Wohl played No. 1 doubles last year and made this jump into singles play this past spring.
The highlight of the season came in the final meet of the spring at Smithtown. With the two teams tied at 3-3, Wohl battled his way into a tiebreaker set. "He was not only able to keep his undefeated record, but completed our victory," Mininni said.
Looking ahead to next year, Mininni expects incoming eighth graders Jason Kessler, Nick Newell, Jacob Strieb, Justin Knowles, David Sonin, Joseph Mangan, Stefan Breskin and Sam Prinzi to lead the way for the Falcons.