2024 boys tennis preview: Players to watch this season

Calvin Vincent of Edward Little High School returns a shot during his No. 2 match in Lewiston against Gavin Bavis of Lewiston High School in April 2023. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Gavin Bavis, Lewiston, senior: Bavis has progressively gotten better each year and has been one of the Blue Devils’ top singles players his entire career. He is a competitive player with the stamina for longer matches. This spring, he is hitting the ball harder while getting more winners.

Eli Hoeft, Mt. Blue, junior: The left-handed Hoeft puts a lot of spin on the ball and angles his shots to tough spots on the court. He’s also a good net player. After spending his first two years playing doubles, he is taking over one of the Cougars’ three singles spots this spring.

Brady Kilby, Edward Little, senior: Kilby is making the transition from doubles to singles this season. He is agile, has solid strokes and will fight for every point.

Jazaiah Lavoie, Spruce Mountain, junior: Lavoie’s pickleball past helped provide a smooth transition to tennis, and last year he earned MVC First Team honors by going 9-2 as the Phoenix’s No. 2 singles player. Already a powerful tennis player, he has gotten bigger and stronger since last spring. He has a strong serve and forehand and plays well at the net.

Owen Sevigny, Mountain Valley, senior: Sevigny, the Falcons’ top player, qualified for the state singles tournament in 2023 but suffered an injury right before the tournament. He will also be a pitcher on the Mountain Valley baseball team.

James Stinson, Mt. Blue, senior: Stinson played No. 2 and No. 3 singles for the Cougars in 2023, going 8-5 in the regular season then reaching the second round of the state singles tournament. He has several shots in his arsenal and can get to balls a lot of other players can’t. Stinson excels at making adjustments from match to match and coming up with game plans to beat opponents. He has been worked on his offensive game in the offseason and has developed a bigger serve with more power and accuracy.

Calvin Vincent, Edward Little, sophomore: Vincent is making the jump from No. 2 to No. 1 singles this season to fill the void left by the of Jonah Chen. He went 13-1 in 2023 and reached the Round of 52 in the state singles tournament his freshman season. He’s a tenacious player with a high tennis IQ and strong groundstrokes.

Ian York, Spruce Mountain, senior: York is a consistent, determined and competitive player who reads his opponent and plays the ball well while exploiting opponents’ weaknesses. He had a strong 2023 campaign, going 10-2 and earning MVC First Team honors. He worked in the offseason toward being a better all-around player by improving his serve and net game.