Case senior Jeremy Rocha shining in first year of tennis

SWANSEA — Jeremy Rocha is proving that it's never too late to get started.

Rocha, a senior at Joseph Case High School, had never picked up a tennis racket prior to trying out for the team this spring. He found tennis to be uneventful.

"Whenever I'd see it on TV, I'd just switch the channel," he said. "I found watching a ball go back and fourth pretty boring."

Right before the first day of practice, Case tennis coach Dave Rainone got an email from Rocha asking him if he could try out.

"Normally, I'm a little shaky on seniors who have never played before coming out," Rainone said. "I knew he was a bright kid and a good athlete, and we were short on players. We had seven, now we have eight."

A four-year varsity soccer player, Rocha said he takes the winters off to 'chill out,' but wanted to play a sport in his final season as a student at Case.

"I wanted to stay active and it's my last season at Case," Rocha said. "I like the individual aspect of the sport."

Rocha said he struggled at the team's preseason tournament where the players are ranked.

"I had a bad tournament," he said. "I think I was fifth out of eight."

Rocha has since moved up to the team's No. 2 singles player, behind Henning Anderson.

"If he had picked up a racket earlier, he'd probably be my number one player," Rainone said, "and probably one of the better players in the area. He's got a lot of athletic ability. He's got real good footwork and an affinity for the correct stroke."

Rocha picked up his first win at second singles last week in a match against Dighton-Rehoboth. He said it would mean something to him if he ever made his way to No. 1.

"It would mean something to me just because of my competitive nature," he said. "But Henning is our number one player and he's earned that."

Rocha said if he has one regret it would be not playing the sport since his freshman year.

"I love the sport now," he said. "I feel like I've picked up the sport pretty well and definitely wish I had started as a freshman."

Rocha is the elder among a young corps of Case players and said, if nothing else, he wants to be a leader on the team.

"I might not be able to be a leader as far as the tennis aspect goes," he said, "but hopefully I can be a role model to some of these guys."

Mike Thomas is the sports editor of The Herald News. Follow him on Twitter @NostraThomasHN