After last year’s successful season, the Lincoln Lions boys tennis team will have to continue to work hard to compete against the rest of Division 1, especially after the graduation of one of the best players in the state, Camden Dichiara.

Led by Dichiara, the second best tennis player in the state his junior and senior year, the team finished the regular season in third place with a record of 9-3, and made it to the semifinals before losing 4-0 against La Salle. Along with losing Dichiara, the Lions will also have to tackle the challenge of replacing third singles player Ryan Fraize, and one doubles player Adam Giuffrida. 

Although head coach Matthew Pavao finds it tough parting with such top-notch players, claiming that Dichiara was the “best player [he] ever coached,” he still believes that this year’s lineup is still a “strong squad” capable of making it past the playoffs.

Pavao has faith in his returning players like two singles player junior Ryan Lemery and new freshman players to help lead his team. He recognized freshman Braden Lynch as an athlete with great potential. Lynch is now the team’s #1 singles player, and Pavao feels lucky to have such a strong competitor filling the shoes of Dichiara, who was named first team All-State all four years of high school.

“I’ve been very impressed with how focused he is on tennis,” Pavao said. “I have high expectations for him. I think he’ll slot in at the top of the lineup, and I think he’ll be successful this season.”

Senior team captain Logan Brown acknowledged the difficulty of playing the state’s top teams. However, he has high hopes for this year and expects to take down most of the competition.

“We’re always going to try our best, try our hardest to beat them,” Brown said.

The outlook of this season for Lincoln’s boys tennis team is promising, with many new players getting an opportunity to showcase their talent. With a lot of hard work and determination, the Lions should continue to be one of the top teams in the division. They have the potential to make it far in the league even after the loss of Dichiara.

“My expectation is that we will put out a competitive team,” Pavao said.

The team will open the season at home against North Kingstown on Monday March 31st at 4:00pm.