2026 Hockomock League Boys Tennis Preview
By HockomockSports.com Staff
When Matt Freeman last coached Sharon (2008-2012), the Eagles won five league titles: one outright Hock title, two shared Hock crowns, and two Davenport titles.
Not much has changed since he’s been away.
Sharon has won 11 titles in the past 12 years, including its first Kelley-Rex division title a year ago in its first season competing in that division. Despite graduating pieces from last year’s lineup, the Eagles remain the team to beat with high postseason expectations with Freeman back at the helm.
Sharon once again brings a deep and flexible lineup with multiple options in singles, including senior captain Isaac Chen along with sophomore Sri Piratla, junior Milan Kulijev, and freshman Mohan Wang all competing for spots at the top. Chen was a dominant doubles player two seasons ago before moving up to second singles last year; he’s the top returner after Jacob Slavsky and Sava Kassev graduated. The Eagles also have a strong group of doubles combinations with juniors Avaneesh Mohan and Owen Snow — who were regulars at doubles in the lineup last year, but not together — as well as sophomore Anish Koduru and freshman Kingsley Xu, who are forming a pair of promising tandems .
“I’m pretty pleased with the boys after a couple weeks of working together,” Freeman said. “The attitudes, overall, have been positive and team-oriented. The boys support each other and seem to like and respect each other. If we can increase our discipline just a bit and continue to pay attention to detail, I think the Eagles can have another solid year in the Hockomock League and in the MIAA state tournament. With only one senior on the roster, the future also looks bright.”
King Philip is another team firmly in the mix in the Kelley-Rex, led by a veteran group of seniors that have helped establish the program as a consistent contender. Co-captains Luke Bailer and Brent Schneider headline the singles ladder at first and second, while junior Khaldoun Tahan slots in at third singles. KP also has experience in doubles with seniors Jaydon Ajoy and Logan Riley, with Ajoy pairing with junior Brendan Lawler at first doubles and Riley teaming with freshman Zach Bailer at second doubles. With a competitive singles lineup and aggressive doubles play, the Warriors have the pieces to challenge near the top.
“Our singles ladder of Bailer, Schneider, and Tahan is extremely competitive, as all three played club tennis this summer, have tournament experience, and our challenge matches this spring have been close, one resulting in tiebreakers,” said second-year head coach Bauer Evans. “Our doubles pairings show a high ceiling and potential with aggressive net play and strong first serve percentages.”
Another Kelley-Rex team with a lot of competition throughout the lineup is Franklin, who graduated a handful of key contributors. Sophomores Deklan Morin and Anish Bokil are expected to take on bigger roles in singles after teaming up at first doubles last season as rookies, while captains Max Sebell, Romane Celestine, and Jackson Labella provide leadership and depth. The Panthers have a strong group of juniors in Rick Yuan, Ronan Saidha, and Rushil Partidar competing for doubles spots, and their overall improvement across the roster could help them push for a return to the postseason.
Taunton brings a mix of experience and young talent into the season, led by senior captain Rowan Kimmer, who is one of the most experienced players in the league and returns to first singles for the third consecutive year. Sophomore Brayden Cosimini steps into second singles, while eighth grader Julian Audette is expected to make an immediate impact in the lineup at third singles. In doubles, senior captain Ben Rabel pairs with junior Dylan Klayman at first doubles, while junior Apollo Moy and sophomore Gavin Medeiros round out the lineup. With additional depth from players like Harrison Brown, Austin Woodstead, and Brody Buckley, the Tigers have strong internal competition across the lineup to try and push for an improved season.
A year ago, Canton finished second in the Davenport division just two matches behind Mansfield. With the majority of the lineup back this spring, the Bulldogs will be a true contender for their first-ever Hock title. The Bulldogs bring a veteran-heavy lineup into the season with seniors Bharat Ramanathan, Matt Wright, and Eli Weaver leading the way in singles. Wright is fresh off helping Canton’s hockey team win a Division 2 state title this winter. The Bulldogs have solid doubles pairings as well with junior Spencer Reich and sophomore Luke Erickson at first doubles and seniors Alvis Huang and Aiden McCloskey at second doubles. With additional depth from players including Mahn Vu, Ryan Moltenbrey, Maximilian Mueller, Frankie Kowalski, Jacob Richmond, and promising freshman Dennis Leonov, Canton has the depth to push for the Davenport.
“This is a really fun bunch of kids whom I’ve enjoyed during their time on the team,” said Canton head coach Bill Donovan. “I’m looking forward to them building on the success they had last year.”
One of the top young players in the league last season was North Attleboro‘s Aryav Relan. Relan challenged some of the top players in the league at first singles a year ago and is back to contend as one of the best players in the league. Senior Bhavi Mood is transitioning into a larger role this season at second singles to give the Rocketeers a strong 1-2 punch. Juniors Sai Bonthu, Zack Goulart, and Arnav Gupta are all in the mix for third singles and doubles positions, and freshman Lucas Pawul could factor into the doubles lineup. Despite the turnover, the Rocketeers have a group eager to compete and could surprise some teams as the season progresses.
Foxboro will lean on a younger group this spring but still has pieces in place to be competitive. Senior Josh Dsouza anchors the lineup in doubles alongside sophomore Kai Hui-Derouin, while sophomore Justin Truss and junior Griffin Brown are expected to take on larger roles in singles. Freshman Jacob Dsouza has made an immediate impact at first singles early in the season, giving the Warriors a boost at the top of the lineup as they continue to develop.
