Mark Gorey has returned to coaching boys tennis at Boothbay Region High School after taking a couple of seasons off due to COVID-19 and, despite not having coached this year’s group of players, he has already seen good things during the preseason practices.

“This group is quite solid, having been coached by local tennis instructor Chantelle Arsenault, so they have a strong foundation,” said Gorey, longtime teacher at BRHS.

The 2023 team consists of juniors, sophomores and freshmen. Junior players include Rodion Mayne, Andrew Fowlie and Colby Allen; sophomores are Cleyton Splaine, Chase Mansfield, Sawyer Blake and Neal Baldwin; and freshmen are Griffin Yereance and Harry Hinckley.

Gorey said a couple of players are working through injuries before the season begins April 24.

“The players are close knit and have shown a lot of team spirit thus far,” said Gorey.

He expects last year’s number one player, Cleyton Splaine, to be in that position again.

“(Cleyton) has his sights on playing college tennis and it will be interesting to see how he does in the state singles tournament,” said Gorey. Splaine won two matches in the singles tournament last year.

Despite being the next to the smallest school in the conference in regards to enrollment, Gorey sees this team competing well during the year.

Boothbay faces Mountain Valley to open the season at home and Gorey said he remembers the Falcons usually having a foreign exchange student who is the ace of the tennis team. “We’ll see if that is the case next week.”