In sports that are more individualized, such as tennis, the team atmosphere is just as important to producing strong overall results. The Guilford boys’ tennis team understands this mentality very well, as they prioritize building a strong team atmosphere en route to success.

Head Coach Paul Malafronte, who is currently in his third year with the team, values leadership and having a family-like culture. His two captains this spring, Max Banning and Aryan Patel, will be looked upon to help form that bond.

“The way I run things is we have a phrase in Guilford ‘We win matches inside the fence and outside the fence’. A lot of what my captains are responsible for is creating that team atmosphere in an individual sport,” said Malafronte. “That leads to the support that the players need. I have a few novice players on the team this year, so I have used them as well as one of my other seniors to teach the younger guys how we do things on and off the court.”

Returning to the Grizzlies this year are 11 players, including Patrick Zhang (senior and Banning’s doubles partner), as well as Tomas Kharabadze (sophomore), all of whom Malafronte has high expectations for.

“I expect Max and Patrick to be one of my stronger teams for doubles. Tomas will be playing singles for me, he may take his bumps, but that is always an important role on the team,” said Malafronte. “Especially on a deep team in tennis, to be able to win the lower spots if there is not a lot of difference in the guys, that comes into play.”

Along with the returning players, Malafronte noted two freshmen: Logan Wertheim and Nathaniel “Nate” Grief, who will contribute to the team’s success this season. They will both be playing two doubles and four singles for Guilford.

The Grizzlies compete in the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) as well as Class L. On April 5, they hosted the Sheehan Titans and grabbed a 6-1 win. Top contributors from the match were Nolan Stankewich (junior), Patel (3-0), Evan Stein (junior) (1-0), Banning and Zhang (doubles, 1-0), Avyay Yarlagadda (junior) and Grief (doubles, 2-0), Wertheim and Connor MacKenzie (junior) (doubles, 3-0). They then went on to face Jonathan Law on the road on April 10 and won 7-0 before losing 5-2 at Xavier on April 13. In the match versus Law, standouts for Guilford included Kharabadze (won at one in three sets), Patel (won in two sets), Stein (won in three sets), Grief (won in four sets), Zhang and Yarlagadda (won at one in doubles), Werthiem and Taavi Carbone (sophomore) (won at two in doubles), Keoni McFee (sophomore) and Gabriel Thomas (sophomore) (won at three in doubles).

Last season, the Grizzlies advanced to the semifinals of the SCC tournament, falling against the Daniel Hand Tigers, who also defeated Guilford in the first round of the Class L State Tournament. Malafronte is hopeful that the team can grow on those postseason performances this campaign.

“I think my team is a little deeper than it was last year. I think that we will have a better record than last year. I think last year we finished at 9-8, and I expect us to be stronger this year,” said Malafronte. “We are in Tier 1 in the SCC, which is always difficult. After we get through our first six matches, the schedule gets tough, and we play the Tier 1 teams twice. Then we play Fitch and Stonington out of conference. I’m hopeful of us making that 12 to 14 wins versus the nine wins we had last year. My team is very young this year, and I think the team will develop as we go.”

As Guilford continues to find its path while facing some tough competition along the way, Malafronte is prioritizing growth and being able to effectively close out full matches. He knows he has the talent on the team to be able to improve every competition.

“I am always looking at what it takes to get there. I am not a results-oriented coach,” said Malafronte. “So one thing that I always watch for is how my team does in matches that are played a full third set. That is one of my goals for the team this year, is to have a good strong record in three-set matches.”

Malafronte is assisted on the sidelines by Bill Rowan.

The Grizzlies full team roster is comprised of Banning, Frederick Bonz (senior), Patel, Zhang, MacKenzie, Stankewich, Stein, Yarlagadda, Joshua Bourke-Martin (sophomore), Carbone, Kharabadze, McFee, Nathan Stemler (sophomore), Thomas, Eamonn Avelin (freshman), Philipp Bewersdorf (freshman), Grief, Thane Hardy (freshman), Benjamin Schroers (freshman), and Wertheim.

Grizzlies Boys Tennis 2023 Schedule

Tuesday April 18: vs Branford at 3:45 p.m.

Friday April 21: vs Fairfield Prep at 3:45 p.m.

Monday April 24: vs Daniel Hand at 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday April 25: vs Amity at 3:45 p.m.

Thursday April 27: vs Cheshire at 3:45 p.m.

Monday May 1: vs Notre Dame-West Haven at 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday May 2: vs Fitch at 4 p.m.

Monday May 8: vs Fairfield Prep at 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday May 9: vs Daniel Hand at 3:45 p.m.

Thursday May 11: vs Amity at 3:45 p.m.

Monday May 15: vs Cheshire at 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday May 16: vs Notre Dame-West Haven at 3:45 p.m.

Wednesday May 17: vs Stonington at 4 p.m.