Foxborough Tennis Celebrates a Successful Season

It was a happy but emotional night at the Foxboro High School tennis banquet. Getting together for the final time this year in an official capacity, it was a celebration of both team’s successes and memories.

While the boys were only able to get a handful of wins, the team was able to improve all season to set themselves up to get more wins next year. In his second year as the coach for the boys’ team, Dan Damish expressed the importance of looking beyond their record.

“When you leave the high school many, many years from now, your going to forget most of your wins and most of your losses and what you’re going to remember is the experiences you had coming out to practices with your friends, improving, and hopefully still playing tennis,” said Damish.

On the court, the boys’ team was noted for their great sportsmanship. Their good attitude in matches was reflected when they were named the winners of the Hockomock League Sportsmanship Award for boys’ tennis.

“Every team we played said the sportsmanship was just absolutely incredible," said Damish.

In the awards portion of the boys program, Dan Decker was given the Captain’s award. Peter Gallagher was given the Most Improved Award.

“No matter what you taught him (Peter), he improved on. He really knows how to play the game,” said Damish. 

For the final boys award of the evening, senior captain Malcolm Neville was given the MVP award. Called by his coach as someone who is mature beyond his year, Neville was a leader on the team who kept the team together and motivated.

In the girls’ portion of the program, Coach Peter Prinos announced that Alana Prinos, Emma Prinos, and Hallie Young had all earned All-Hockomock League honors. The three singles starts were also given the Big Three Award for the part they played in getting the girls’ team to the South Sectional Finals. 

In addition to the success of the singles’ success, coach Prinos talked about the team’s success as a whole and their drive to be successful.

“They expected themselves to be successful,” said Prinos. “They knew they were going to go deep in the playoffs. They exceeded our wildest expectations.”

In addition to the Big Three award, Young was given the Sportsmanship Award for her discipline on the court and positive attitude at practice.

In other awards, Megan Carter and Caroline Muise were giving the Teamwork Award. Chelsea Miller was awarded the Most Improved Award. Gretta Schaaf was awarded the Quickest Feet award. Marry Harris was awarded the Rising Star Award. Emma Prinos was awarded the Performance Under Pressure Award. In the final award of the night, Alana Prinos was given the MVP award for her undefeated record in team play and her run to the Individual Tournament Finals.

At the end of the evening, Foxboro Tennis Booster Club head Susan Miller announced she was stepping down to head the recently created Foxboro Youth Tennis Program. The organization will promote the sport of tennis in an attempt to increase the number of youth participants in Foxboro. Its first major endeavor will be in the first week of August when coach Peter Prinos holds a tennis clinic at Foxboro High School.  The initiative is part of an effort by the parents of the girls’ team to maintain the high level of play that the team displayed this year for years to come.

“Foxboro will be a team to reckon with,” proclaimed Susan Miller.

With the end of the season comes the announcement of new captains for next season. For the boys, Peter Gallagher will serve as the new captain. On the girls team, Alana Prinos will remain a captain and will be joined by sophomores Hallie Young and Mary Harris.