2009 Season Summary
The varsity tennis team had an extremely successful season. Matching last year’s win total with an overall record of 6-9, the Avon squad steadily improved over the course of the year. The team was well-balanced in terms of chemistry; featuring only seniors and sophomores, the blend of veteran leadership and youthful enthusiasm proved to be a winning formula in many of the team’s matches.
As far as the players, we knew that we had a fair amount of depth and there was not much difference between our #1 and #6 players. We also knew that we did not have anybody at the top of the lineup with a great deal of experience. In other words, our wins would predominantly be determined by how our bottom players fared. It became imperative for our team to take the doubles point and have the bottom half of the ladder win their singles matches for Avon to earn the victory. Most schools have ranked players at the top of their lineups, and we would therefore struggle at the top. Ethan Broatch played some great tennis in the top spot, continually battling some of the best players in New England. Ethan earned a solid victory against Canterbury at the #1 spot this season. Captain Ford St. John, captain Doug Margison, James “Fitness” Forster, and Dash Flach were all locked into our singles lineup with the #6 spot floating between senior Jared Ciejek and sophomore Connor Cottrell. Senior Domingo Diaz de la Guardia also helped to fill out the rotation.
Our doubles teams were a real strength this season. The #1 pair of Doug Margison and Ford St. John knocked off some of New England’s finest duos, including those from Taft, Hotchkiss, Gunnery, and Choate—teams who consistently send players to the New England Prep School Invitational championships. Indeed, Margison and St. John qualified themselves for this invitational tournament, and are the first Avon doubles team to qualify in many years. The #2 team was also a boon to the Avon squad, featuring the terrific duo of sophomores James Forster and Dash Flach. They played some inspired tennis throughout the season, helping to nail down the doubles point.
The varsity team worked and played together, improving over the season. Coaches Coons and Cugell would like to thank the seniors for their service to the squad and are looking for the younger players to continue match play through the summer and come back next season looking to build on the solid advancement of this year’s team.
The team’s Most Improved Player this year went to James Forster. Last year, James helped fill the bottom slots of the roster and was not guaranteed match play. This year he returned as a more aggressive and calculating player. Indeed, he wrestled the #4 singles spot away from the rest of the team and locked it down for himself. James was a major contributor this season. In fact, every match that Avon won this year, James won his singles match to aid the cause. If he continues to improve, gain match experience, and develop the necessary conditioning, James has a chance to do some special things for the Avon tennis program and really lead the team over the next two years.
The team had co-MVPs this year. These two are inseparable on the court, and their success was inherently linked, so to award them this way makes great sense. Captains Doug Margison and Ford St. John were a dynamic doubles squad, but also were huge assets in the singles department as well. Ford St. John’s adaptable style of play helped him dictate the tempo of his matches, which often worked in his favor. Meanwhile, Margison’s fitness, competitive fire, and rallying ability kept him in even the tightest matches and saw him eke out some big wins. The coaches are thankful for their service to the program and wish them the best of luck in college. 
