The Northampton boys varsity tennis team began their 2019 season with a marked difference this year as long time girls and boys tennis coach Kim Davis was not there to lead the charge.

Davis officially resigned from his post with the boys team this past February. With big shoes to fill, the team will be led this year by new head coach Daniele Bowman.

Bowman’s inaugural season is off to a strong start as Northampton is currently 2-2 in league play and 3-2 overall. Her team is heavy on experience this season with several returning upperclassmen leading the roster. While temperatures have been on the chilly side for the sport, the team has not let a little cold cool down their game which has gotten progressively ‘hotter’ as the season goes on.

Northampton opened its 2019 season with what would become an uncommon loss in their first game on March 11th against Pleasant Valley. Northampton fell by a score of 5-2. In Bowman’s first game of her first season, only the doubles pairs of Daniel Fox and Nicholas Hudak and Jake Flood and Sam Hanley claimed victory.

As the team could only go up from this first showing, Northampton went on to face Pocono Mountain West on Tuesday, March 12. NHS found its stride with a sweep of the doubles matches and two singles wins by Andrew Hozza, who bested Pocono Mountain West’s Joe Romano 6-2 and 6-1, and Parker Hauschak with victories over PMW’s Sudush TeaJmun 6-2 and 6-1.

In the third contest of the season, Northampton traveled to East Stroudsburg South where the team’s winning continued with a 7-0 shut out. Three singles and four doubles victories made the trip north worthwhile and moved to the team to a 2-1 overall season record. History would repeat just a few days later with another 7-0 shutout, this time at home against Jim Thorpe.

This past Tuesday, March 19, Northampton faced some tougher competition as they traveled to Freedom for the fifth game of the season. Northampton played well and were just inched out by an overall score of 4-3.

The Northampton boys will face Easton on Tuesday, March 26, for a home game starting at 3:30 p.m.