The net snapped anticlimactically, cuing collective sighs of relief from the on looking audience. Throughout the symphony of satisfied voices sounded an off-pitch, self-scolding grumble.

At the age of 14, freshman Paul Barretto has already claimed the singles one spot. In addition, he is ranked eighth in the state for freshmen by Tennis Recruiting Network and 34th in the nation.

“At first, it was a little weird having a freshman as our single’s one player,” said junior Seiji Bellavigna. “However, once we started to watch him play, we quickly realized how good he was.”

Barretto has been playing tennis since he was eight, side by side his two older brothers who influenced his dedication to the sport.

“Practices are always tough and tiring however they get you ready for the games and when you win it all becomes worth it,” Barretto said.  “You get what you put in [out of tennis] and so to win I practiced as much as I could.”

According to Barretto, practices have been paying off due to the significant amount of success he’s had on the court. However, right now Barretto’s only focus is on doing his best for the team.

“He is a quality player and always plays with great intensity, which often doesn’t happen with highly recruited players, as they feel high school tennis isn’t worth their time,” said coach Paul Markowitz. “This intensity rubs off on the other players and makes them practice harder.”

With Barretto’s notable success in the season thus far, the team hopes to repeat last year’s success and reclaim their title as MCAL champions.