The Herald News announces its boys' and girls' tennis all-scholastics

A senior who started the season at No. 2 singles but elevated his stats and game heads our list of 2018 Herald News Boys’ Tennis All Scholastics, while two girls each from Westport, Somerset Berkley and Tiverton headline the girls' team. The boys' list is buoyed by three players, including an undefeated doubles team, from Rhode Island D3 champion Tiverton, and three more, including a strong doubles team, from Joseph Case High School. The girls' list is anchored by a pair of Westport singles players who went undefeated in league play.

DANNY BOTELHO, Somerset Berkley Regional: SBR’s No. 2 player when the season began, Botelho earned the top spot midseason and thrived. The senior was 18-2 in dual matches and earned South Coast Conference all-star honors. His 55 dual match wins is 10th all-time in SBR’s rich tennis history. He advanced to the semifinal at the MIAA Individual Sectionals. He has been recruited to play at UMass Dartmouth.

ELI GELDARD, Case: A senior, Geldard kept getting stronger and stronger as the season progressed. In leading the Cardinals to the South Coast Conference Small School championship, Geldard clearly proved himself among the elite in our area, posting a first singles record of 11-4. He is a South Coast Conference all star.

ZEKE PACHECO, Tiverton: The Tigers’ No. 1 singles player, the senior helped lead the Tiverton charge to the Rhode Island Division III championship. Playing excellent competition all year, Pacheco posted a 9-7 record, along the way defeating a host of opponents who had beaten him a year earlier. The RI D-III coaches selected Pacheco for the sportsmanship award and named him all-league.

WILL BRIGHAM/CARSON HART, Tiverton: They were as close to an automatic point as possible this season. The Tigers’ No. 1 doubles team, Brigham and Hart not only posted a 17-0 record en route to helping the Tigers to the Rhode Island Division III state crown, they won all 34 of their sets. Named first-team all-league, the duo advanced to the round of 16 in the state open tournament, losing 7-5 in the third set to a team from Division I Bishop Hendricken.

ROGER DeSOUZA, Durfee: The senior and two-time Big 3 Conference all star posted a deceptive 8-8 record. DeSouza several times had to retire due to a nagging knee injury and was held out of four easy wins to rest the troublesome knee. His best wins were against Taunton’s Belgian exchange student Francois Hennoux and against Framingham’s Zach Cohen, both on the road.

MAC DESCHENES/WILL KENYON, Case: Much was expected of this senior duo, and Deschenes and Kenyon delivered. Fifteen times this season they took the court together at No. 1 doubles, and 12 times they were victorious. Deschenes and Kenyon were named to the South Coast Conference all-star team and played a huge role in the Cardinals' best season in many years.

EVAN KIDD, Westport: Aptly named, this seventh grader took it right to many much older players. He stepped right into the No. 1 spot for the Wildcats and posted a cool 13-2 regular-season record, 13-3 including a state tournament loss.

GIRLS

ANNIE MACMASTER, Westport: A sophomore captain, MacMaster was 16-0 at No. 1 during the regular season for the second straight year. MacMaster only dropped two sets all season long and was the Mayflower Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She has also won a match in the state tournament in each of the last two seasons.

AMBER VALCOURT, Westport: A junior captain, Valcourt was a very strong No. 2 singles player for the Wildcats, posting an 8-0 league record and an overall mark of 14-2. A doubles player a year ago, Valcourt jumped up to the singles stage, was a Mayflower Athletic Conference all-star and was named the team's Most Valuable player.

SAILOR NORDSTROM, Bishop Stang: Only a junior, Nordstrom is coming off her second straight season as a Herald News all-scholastic and the Spartans' top singles player. Against top-notch competition, Nordstrom finished the season with a 17-3 record and helped guide the Spartans to the Division 3 South Sectional semifinals.

JORDAN RAMOS (Somerset Berkley): Ramos won 14 matches as the Raiders' No. 1 singles player and she also captured both of her team's playoff matches as Somerset Berkley made its way two rounds deep in the Division 2 South Sectional tournament.

CATIE LEDWIDGE (Somerset Berkley): Ledwidge had herself quite a year for Somerset Berkley, finishing the regular season with an impressive 15-3 mark and helping guide the Raiders make some noise in the Division 2 South Sectional tournament.

SYDNEY PELLETIER (Tiverton): Comfortable at the baseline or at the net, The Tigers' No. 1 singles player did what she had to do all season long in guiding her team to the semifinals of the Division III state tournament as the No. 3 seed.

JAIMI VAILLANCOURT (Tiverton): Vaillaincourt formed with Sydney Pelletier to form a strong one-two punch for the Tigers. Vaillancourt, also a spring all-scholastic in softball, was instrumental in leading the Tigers to the Division III tennis state tournament.