Bishop Guertin's Aditya Prasad hits a return during Thursday's match vs. Nashua North. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The boys Division I high school tennis landscape may look like a jumble at times, but it’s just that there are different levels.

You have dominant Bedford, which lost to Hanover in last year’s finals but right now sits atop as the division’s only unbeaten, having beaten two other powers, the Bears and also Derryfield, and fairly handily to boot.

Then there’s Derryfield, which just the other day spoiled the unbeaten hopes of local Bishop Guertin 8-1 and did the same to Dover this past Monday. But the Cougars were no match for the Bulldogs.

Then, there’s Nashua South, which also lost to Derryfield but hadn’t lost since before heading up to Hanover Thursday to finish a suspended match. That streak ended, 6-3, so South is 8-2 but still trailing the elite.

Thus there’s the really, really haves, the really haves and the haves.

“The difference you get with a team like a Derryfield or a Bedford, those kids are playing year round,” Guertin coach Tom Lizotte said. “And I believe they’re focusing on playing in college, so they’re driven to be serious. This is just a stepping stone. They’re not just out there to fill a sport. When you’ve got a team that has depth like that, their practices are better, they’re all playing with better players, the ball stays in play more. You get five or six players on your team, your whole squad gets better.”

Bishop Guertin had a good season a year ago, but was no match for South in the quarters, and the Panthers then lost to Bedford in the semis.

This year, until Wednesday, the Cards started out 10-0, as they had a new player, Nick Xie, take over at No. 1. Xie wasn’t able to play Thursday vs. Nashua North, but the Cards still won 7-2 to move to 11-1. (see the Roundup for those details).

“They all got better in the off-season but I have a new No.1, a very, very good player, and that kept all the others from moving up the ladder,” Lizotte said. “But Nos. 2 through 6 all got remarkably better.”

Lizotte knew a couple played over the the winter, but some also play other sports. Still, Xie has made a big difference for the Cards, but they’d like to be able to make that difference count vs. the elite.

“He’s very, very strong, and it’s hard to get competition for him,” Lizotte said. “He also inspires them all to get better.”

And players like Rudra Patel, Will Moynihan, Sean Cairns, Gavin Bombara Aditya Prasad and Sean Finnegan have done just that.

Now it really gets serious for the Cards. They have to travel to Hanover next Tuesday and close out the regular season at home next Thursday vs. The Beast, that Bedford Bulldog squad. So three of their last four on the schedule were and are vs. teams theoretically a cut above. Ahh, those levels.

“It works both ways,” Lizotte said. “Now my players have had 10 prior matches to get ready and to hone their skills.”

The one fun test would have been against rival South, but unfortunately the two weren’t scheduled to face each other this season.

“I don’t know the outcome, but I think we might have done pretty well against them,” Lizotte said, noting the match between Xie and South’s Abhinav Avvaru would have been a great one.

“It would have been fun,” Lizotte said. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but….”

Maybe two weeks from now in the tourney? The prelmis are May 23 and the quarters May 25. Now BG-South, that’s a level that would be good for local tennis.

MORROW MOVES ON

The last couple of years, the Nashua High School South athletic teams enjoyed have an alum, Colin Morrow, as their athletic trainer, assigned by Performance Fitness. But two weeks ago Morrow worked his final game as the University of New England alum headed back there to attend Physician Assistant School. Morrow was a three sport athlete while at South as a student (football, basketball, lacrosse) and played lacrosse at UNE.

“He’s not only an exceptional athletic trainer but he’s become an assistant coach with every team he worked,” South athletics coordinator Nate Mazerolle said. “We wish Collin the best in the next chapter of school and career.”

MONSEN CUP

Nashua North and South in the Battle of the Bridge played one of the best, most competitive lacrosse games Stellos Stadium has seen this year, and they will do it again next week on Wednesday, May 17 at 4 p.m. at Stellons.

On the line will be the first annual battle for the Monsen Cup, a trophy to honor the memory of the late former Nashua South coach Bill Monsen, who passed away this past December. It should be an emotional game.

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