Pelham had a few interested parties watching matches throughout the 2008 season. This year, they’re on the other side of the fence.

Boys tennis coach Lisa Terwilliger said she began thinking about this year’s team when her current freshmen – then eighthgraders – showed up to see a PHS squad that was eventually knocked out in last year’s Class I semifinals.

“That was a good sign,” said Terwilliger. “They had interest and wanted to be a part of it. I knew we’d have a good lineup.”

The lineup begins with freshman Jared Taylor, who has already shown he can handle the top rung on the Pelham ladder.

On Friday, April 17, the Pythons knocked off Portsmouth, and Taylor passed the biggest test of his young career.

Trailing, 4-1, in a battle with Eric Levenson, who Terwilliger said is one of the top players in the state. Taylor battled back and eventually secured a 9-7 victory. That win set the tone for a 6-3 final that sent the Pythons to a 3-0 record.

Matt Smith, also a freshman, came away an 8-3 victory that day as well.

The upperclassmen, of course, are contributing mightily as well. Senior Brad Shapiro enters his fourth year with the team as the third-ranked Python, and juniors Ryan Fyfe and Matt Mercier fill the second and fifth rungs on the ladder, respectively.

Ethan Ely rounds out the lineup for the Pythons, hitting in the sixth spot as a sophomore. With a relatively young team, Terwilliger has already identified her challenge this year.

“The biggest thing we have to work on is the mental aspect, and not showing emotions on the court,” said Terwilliger. “For the other team to see that, they know they already have the win. That has happened a little bit early on.”

Pelham handily won a home tilt with Milford, 9-0, on Monday, April 20, before hitting the road for back-to-back contests in Bow and Souhegan on April 23 and 24.

The head coach said she expects her team to make a run in the playoffs, and the tradition the squad has developed in previous campaigns breeds confidence in her players.

“Every year, my team thinks we’ll have a winning season,” said Terwilliger. “This is my fourth year, and every year except one we’ve had a winning record. They want to win, and we’re not used to losing. So having that reputation really helps.”