SouthCoast boys tennis teams enjoyed success at the local and state level with Apponequet and Dartmouth winning their respective conference titles and Apponequet and Fairhaven reaching the Elite 8 round of their respective divisions.
For the Blue Devils, it was the furthest the team has made it in the playoffs in recent memory while the Lakers returned to the state quarterfinals for the second straight year.
Here’s a look at The Standard-Times’ top boys tennis players from the 2024 season.
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BOYS TENNIS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Will Horton, Apponequet, Junior
When it mattered the most, Will Horton was at his best.
“At the tail end of the season and going into the playoffs, he was playing the best tennis I’ve seen in a long time. He was locked in,” said Apponequet head coach Nate Eleuterio. “He was at the core of our success. His demeanor and his play; he’s got such a good attitude. He’s the center of motivation and positivity.”
Horton agreed, “I played my best tennis toward the end of the year. I feel like that’s important. When the games mean the most, you have to play your best tennis.”
WHY HE WAS SELECTED
In his second year in the No. 1 spot, Horton went undefeated during the dual meet season and added three more playoff wins to power the Lakers to the Div. 3 Elite 8 for the second year in a row.
“It was definitely a great year for the team,” said Horton, a two-time Standard-Times Boys Tennis Player of the Year. “We were undefeated up until our last game so we played great tennis this year. We all got along really well. We had great chemistry. It was a lot of fun to practice.”
Apponequet once again was a force in the South Coast Conference, winning its fourth straight conference title while wrapping up a perfect regular season that also included a pair of non-league wins over Dartmouth.
KEY STATS
The South Coast Conference MVP went undefeated during the regular season (17-0) and postseason to earn his second Player of the Year Award and finish year with an overall record of 20-0. … He lost to Fairhaven’s Kole Pinto in the finals of the South Coast Conference Individual Tournament, but that did not count toward his overall record. Horton defeated Pinto in both regular season meetings.
MVP MOMENT
Horton said his favorite match of the season was against Dighton-Rehoboth freshman Ty Perry in which he won on a third-set tiebreaker after saving two match points to win. “He lost the first set and had to come back,” said Eleuterio. “It was a battle.”
WHAT’S NEXT
From sophomore year to junior year, Horton improved several aspects of his game through offseason training.
“He added more power and even more consistently,” Eleuterio said. “He worked a lot on his game and he improved in every category.”
Entering his senior year, Horton said he plans to focus on improving his serve.
“That’s something I could make a lot better in practice,” he said.
NOTES
Horton also plays basketball at Apponequet. … Horton lives in Lakeville. He has a younger sister, Elise.
SUPER TEAM
Nate Belmore, Apponequet, Senior
Belmore was instrumental in Apponequet going undefeated during the regular season (17-0) and reaching the Div. 3 Elite 8 with his play at second singles. The two-time South Coast Conference All-Star, who filled in a couple of times at first singles, went undefeated until the last match of the tournament when he suffered his first loss against Martha’s Vineyard. He finished with an overall record of 19-1. “His motivation to win,” said Apponequet head coach Nate Eleuterio of what separated Belmore from others. “He’s a very win-hungry person. He’d change his game up to whatever was working against his opponent.” Belmore finished his career as a three-time Super Teamer.
Luke Bloom-Glover, Dartmouth, Senior
In his second year of playing first singles, Bloom-Glover helped Dartmouth go undefeated in conference play and capture the Southeast Conference championship. Bloom-Glover, a two-time Super Teamer, was named the SEC MVP. He finished the year 11-6, including the state tournament. “Luke added a little bit of power, but he also got better, faster and smarter,” said Dartmouth head coach Donald York. “He’s unbelievably consistent. In the longer matches, he’d wear his opponents down.”
Kole Pinto, Fairhaven, Junior
Pinto was once again dominant at first singles for Fairhaven, helping the Blue Devils reach the Div. 4 Elite 8 for the first time in recent memory. After going 15-3 during the regular season, Pinto won all three of his first singles matches in the playoffs for an overall record of 18-3. He also beat 2024 Player of the Year Will Horton in the finals of the South Coast Conference Individual tournament, but Horton won the two regular season meetings. A three-year player, Pinto is a two-time Super Teamer and 2022 Standard-Times Player of the Year. He’s also a three-time SCC All-Star. “He just wants to get better,” said Fairhaven head coach Mike Gomes. “He plays all year round. His confidence went through the roof after he beat Will.”
Ethan Clark, Senior, and Ryan Abreau, Junior, Apponequet
Clark and Abreau were a force at first singles as Apponequet won the South Coast Conference Blue Division championship, went 14-2 during the regular season and reached the Div. 3 Elite 8. Clark and Abreau finished with an overall record of 15-2 together and the pair were…
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