The boys varsity tennis team has displayed nothing but excellence over the past few seasons.  In 2022, the team won the County Championship, and this past year, they fell just short in the finals.  This season, they looked to continue their dominance in their conference. 

The team consists of a large number of underclassmen, such as sophomores Anton Perfilliev, Ben Lane, Ollie Navo, and Tyler Finklestein, as well as freshman Chris Verbanc (sp?)   In their first match of the season, the Vikings dominated Great Neck South, winning the match 7-0.  In their home opener against Plainview-Old Bethpage, the boys battled for a 5-2 victory, their second of the season. 

The team has many strong players, but the guidance from Head Coach Mr. Shane Helfner and Assistant Coach Al Zebroski are the keys to the team’s victorious outings.  The coaches give feedback to the players in key situations and the players respect their advice. 

“Coaches Al and Helfner do a great job of preparing us for our next match, and we are grateful to have coaches who care so much about the team,” said junior Kirin Doshi.

Their next match was a huge matchup for the Vikings, as they were playing against Jericho.  This match was a perfect opportunity to increase team energy, and they did just that to remain undefeated with a record of 3-0.  The conditions were not favorable for either team, as wind gusts were very strong, but the Vikings were unfazed and triumphed by a score of 5-2.

Later in the season, the Vikings would face a tough matchup at home against the Roslyn Bulldogs.  The Vikings were tied up with Roslyn when the deciding game of the match was postponed due to lack of sunlight.  The game was set to be played a few days later.  Senior Harrison Roth and junior James Kott were a great pairing in this matchup.  They executed their game plan nearly flawlessly, in a match that was a battle up until the last set.  This third doubles pairing led the Vikings on their fifth consecutive win, keeping the hot streak alive. 

During the next week of practice, three Vikings were green-team verified, meaning they demonstrated the ability to be positive, encouraging, and role models to the younger players on the squad.  The members of the team selected were seniors Perry Reubens, Hayden Lieberman, and Jai Dhillon.  Another fantastic accomplishment for the Vikings was having two of the top 30 players on Long Island, according to Newsday.  Senior Ezra Loewy and sophomore Anton Perfilliev,  the top singles players for Port, were given this incredible achievement. 

“It was very impressive for these players to be recognized among the best on Long Island, and I am excited to see what Perfilliev can continue to do, as he is just a sophomore and has his best tennis ahead of him,” said junior Felix Rubinstein.

The next matchup for Port Washington was in enemy territory.  They were facing a strong Herricks team.  The Vikings were looking forward to continuing their domination and looked to win their sixth game.  Port won, making their record 6-1 and keeping the energy for this young squad at a high level.  Next, they faced Great Neck South, yet again.  The Vikings garnered another victory, improving their season record to 7-1.  Port continued their excellent playing, picking up their second wins against Friends Academy, Herricks, Plainview, and Jericho en route to finishing the regular season at 11-3. 

“With a young squad and an excellent regular season, the tennis team looked poised to go on a run in the playoffs,” said junior Isaac Lituchy.

With their eye on the County Championship to end the season, the Vikings had to prepare for the playoffs coming up in a short amount of time.  They kept up the energy and played smart, triumphing the past and keeping the pressure on their opponent.  They won their first two playoff games, defeating Baldwin by a score of 5-2 and Plainview-Old Bethpage by a score of 6-1. This earned them a chance to play in the County semifinals, where they unfortunately came up short against Syosset.  Despite the loss, the Port Washington boys varsity team has a great young roster, and they will look to continue their success in the years to come.