With his team featuring a roster filled with returning players, East Haven boys' tennis Head Coach Anthony Perrotti had high expectations entering the 2021 season. The Yellowjackets met Perrotti's expectations and then some by winning eight matches on their way to making states for the first time in 13 years.

The Easties went into the season with 11 seniors on their roster and felt confident that they could make a run at the playoffs. However, the season didn't get off to such a great start as East Haven took a 7-0 loss to Sheehan in its first match of the year. Coach Perrotti said that the Yellowjackets had to take a step back after that contest and figure out what they would need to do in order to be successful.

"We looked at our roster compared to other teams, and we saw that we brought back more players than almost any other team in the league. We considered ourselves one of the best because of experience and were confident going into the season," said Perrotti. "In a way, we were almost too confident. That match really humbled us. Their maturity and experience really paid off."

Following that first loss, senior captains Mat DiVito, Minh Trinh, and Mateusz Wiszniewski held a meeting with their teammates to talk about how they would improve. East Haven responded by winning seven of its next 10 matches and went on to finish the regular season with a record of 8-8. Along the way, Yellowjackets clinched their spot in Class M State Tournament by earning a 4-3 home victory versus Lyman Hall that was part of a four-match winning streak.

East Haven and Lyman Hall were tied 3-3 with one match remaining in their contest. DiVito stepped on the court as the Easties' No. 3 singles player and claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory that sealed the win and punched the team's ticket to states for the first time since 2008.

"We knew going into the match it was going to be big for us. We had our work cut out for us. Mat was playing the 3 that day, but wherever he is, I'm always confident in him. That's the guy we want in that situation," Coach Perrotti said. "After he won the match, he ran up to the fence. It was a great moment to witness he and his teammates celebrating, guys jumping on top of each other. It was their hard work over their three years paying off."

As the No. 15 seed, East Haven took a 6-1 defeat against 18th-seeded Berlin in the qualifying round of the Class M Tournament to finish at 8-9 overall. Despite the loss, Coach Perrotti said that reaching states not only revitalized his program, but provided a lot pride for the high school as a whole.

"This past year, a lot of teams didn't get to compete for state titles. This is something that not only our guys, but our school needed," said Perrotti. "We felt the pride in the school. People stopped by our practices and matches and congratulated the boys. It was big in connecting our school and our tennis program."

Wiszniewski was East Haven's No. 1 singles player this season, while fellow captain Trinh played No. 2 doubles for the Yellowjackets. East Haven's senior class also included Matthew Battaglino, Justin Donnelly, Edmund Fonacier, Oliver Gonzalez, Tyler Kruse, Devon Lopez, Domenic Montouri, and Gabe Olszewski. All of the seniors saw ample time in East Haven's lineup during the season.

Many of this year's seniors were on the team when Perrotti became East Haven's head coach in 2019. Through a lot of hard work that set a winning tone, Perrotti said this group of seniors is leaving behind a legacy that will last far beyond their graduation.

"They're everything to this team and this program. When I came in, this was pretty much the core group of players I was given. I give them all the credit in building up where the program is now," Perrotti said. "They have done an excellent job at really branding the tennis team and making it something everyone wants to be a part of. They made a tennis a thing in the school. Our future success is going to be credited to them."

East Haven's roster also included juniors Brian Gonzalez, Thanh Ngo, Kevin Phan, and Dylan Tavares; sophomores Mateo Caputo, Michael Gatavaski, Oliver Kabel, Shiv Patel, and Victor Unabia; and freshman Gregory Vera.

Coach Perrotti is hoping that his underclassmen were able to learn from the seniors and can build on what the team accomplished this year. Perrotti praised his seniors for doing a great job of recruiting new people to join the team, and he wants his returning players to continue that tradition as the Yellowjackets strive for more successful seasons going forward.

"We saw a big increase in the number of guys we put on our roster this year. We increased about six to eight players since I started," said Perrotti. "The wins and the losses will come. We'll have our up years and down years. But I'd like to get more and more guys out for the team. I'd like to get to 30 guys. If we get there, we put ourselves in a position to be a powerhouse."