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07/28/2019 12:00 AMAnthony Perrotti is no stranger to the East Haven boys’ tennis team, having been a four-year member of the program before graduating in 2015. This spring, Perrotti came back to the Yellowjackets as their head coach. Perrotti remembers the bonds that he formed when he competed for the team, and he wants to create those same type of relationships now that he’s the coach.
“I definitely had a very close relationship with my coach, and I want to be the same kind of figure for the student-athletes now,” Perrotti said. “When you have trust in your coach, you play better on the courts.
Even though East Haven finished with a record of 4-16 this year, Perrotti saw great improvement from his club throughout the season. Perrotti looks forward to seeing that pay off down the road.
“If they keep working as hard as they’ve been working, they’ve got a bright future,” said Perrotti. “I’m looking forward to next season with a lot of returning players.”
Two players who won’t be returning are Joe Brown and Dan Murtagh, who served as East Haven’s senior captains. Brown was a three-year player who led the team in wins this season. Murtagh competed for the Yellowjackets in all four years of high school, playing wherever he was needed in the lineup.
“They were both very consistent and relayed the message that it’s always team first,” Coach Perrotti said. “Dan played anywhere we needed him, and he was a huge part of our leadership. Joe showed the guys what it was like to go into a match and grind it out. There were definitely matches he was outmatched and he came out on top, because he fought for it. They both had great leadership and will be missed.”
Brown and sophomore Matt DiVito played No. 1 doubles for the Easties this year. The duo qualified for the Class M State Championship and earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the first round, before losing in the second round. Brown and DiVito were named the Yellowjackets’ co-Most Valuable Players as the team’s postseason banquet. DiVito was also selected as a captain for the 2020 season, along with rising senior Marchello DeLucia.
“Matt is a natural-born leader and, even though he was only a sophomore, everyone looked up to him. He led by success and the way he carried himself on and off court as a great student,” said Perrotti. “Marchello works harder than anyone else during the season and in the offseason. He’s very respectful and another guy the players really look up to.”
Coach Perrotti handed out a few other awards at the banquet. Murtagh received the Sportsmanship Award, while the Coach’s Award went to sophomore Mateusz Wiszniewski. Perrotti was also pleased with the performance of freshman Matt Gaudioso at No. 1 singles, in addition to the contributions that his team received from its big sophomore class.
East Haven lost its first nine matches of the season, but started turning things around during the latter half of the campaign, where the Yellowjackets won four matches. The Easties notched a pair of victories versus Platt Tech (5-2 and 4-3), one win against Career (5-2), and one win over Wilbur Cross (5-2).
“Once we got the first win out of the way, we felt we were right where we belonged, and the matches became more competitive,” Coach Perrotti said. “They really came around in second half of the season, either flipping the switch to beat a team we lost to earlier or making it a lot closer.”
East Haven’s highlight of the year came during the team’s Senior Night contest against Platt Tech. With the scored tied 3-3, the Yellowjackets’ doubles team of Murtagh and Fabricio Bugatti claimed victory in the final match of the day to solidify a 4-3 win.
“They went into a third-set tiebreaker to decide which team won match. It was Murtagh’s last match in his senior season, and they pulled through,” said Perrotti. “The team charged the court, and it was great to see them all happy. It was a moment they won’t forget.”
With his first season as head coach behind him, Perrotti is looking toward the future. Perrotti has been communicating with his players and feels pleased that many of them are continuing to work on their tennis games in the offseason.
“We had a young core of players, which is good, because we have a lot to look forward to with returning players who have gotten better,” Perrotti said. “A lot of the players have already gone out and played, done tournaments, or are going to lessons or camps. They’re doing whatever they can in the offseason to stay on top of the game and improve.”