By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NORTH READING — Mark Bisognano is back for his 22nd year as the head coach of the North Reading High boys’ tennis team this spring. Last season, the Hornets finished at 8-10 overall as they lost to Gloucester in the first round of the MIAA Division 3 state tournament.
In the Cape Ann League, they went 4-7 coming in third place in the CAL Kinney Division.
Two seniors from that team graduated but eight veterans returned when practice opened on March 20.
The two captains this season are Jonathan Park and Roman Ton. Park, a senior, will start the year at first doubles while Ton, a junior, will be at first singles.
The other senior back is Ruari Maynes.
Alex DeWolfe, Ricky Ho and Aiden Patel are the three other 11th-graders back along with Ton. DeWolfe will start the year at second doubles while Patel will be at first doubles.
Parker Lee and Raffi Toby are the two sophomores back. Lee will be at second singles while Toby will play at third singles.
The Hornets will play 11 CAL matches and seven non-league matches as they will play one more regular-season match than 2022.
“We lost our top singles player and a good doubles player from last year,” explained Bisognano, who is a Special Ed teacher and Paralegal at North Reading High. “The goal is to get into the top 32 to make the states and be a little more competitive in the Kinney Division.”
Bisognano feels that Lynnfield, who has won the CAL Kinney the past four years, will again, be the team to beat in the division while Hamilton-Wenham will be the top team in the CAL Baker Division.
After hosting Pentucket on April 5 in the opener (results not available at press time), the Hornets will visit Newburyport on April 10 at 4 p.m.
The next day, they visit Lowell Catholic for a non-league match. That match will start at 4:15 p.m.