By Pete Borello

Photo by Joe Hu, Town Crier

One might think it would be difficult to motivate a tennis team that’s off to an 0-7 start and already out of playoff contention.

Yet that hasn’t been the case at Mountain View High, according to boys coach Frank Smyth.

“They know we’re not a bad team - we’ve been competitive and haven’t been overwhelmed in matches,” the second-year coach said. “I just remind them we need as much experience as we can get and that we’ll be a contender next year.”

Smyth’s high hopes for next season stem from having a young squad that includes just one senior, No. 4 singles player Jake Kuipers.

“I predict this team will be a contending team for the (SCVAL) El Camino Division next year,” he said. “I thought we could do it this year, but losing our No. 1 player hurt us.”

The young man Smyth envisioned playing the top spot will miss the season for academic reasons, which has forced the coach to rearrange his entire lineup.

The revised lineup makes Mountain View one of the most inexperienced teams in the division. The singles ladder features four players competing in varsity singles for the first time and a doubles group teeming with sophomores.

The Spartans’ No. 1 singles player is a freshman, Peter Schapp.

“He’s a very promising player with a lot of potential, but his mental game needs to gain more experience,” Smyth said. “He has all the strokes, a good serve and a good forehand and backhand. But he loses matches through turmoil - he gets upset with himself.”

At No. 2 singles is David Turnbull, a junior still seeking his first win.

“He did well as a (junior varsity) player last year, but playing in the No. 2 spot is a little above what he should probably be playing because the competition is tough,” Smyth said. “He needs a little more refinement on his fundamentals to be successful at the varsity level.”

The coach calls No. 3 player Ryan Feinstein “the bright spot” in singles. The junior, who partnered with Kuipers at No. 2 doubles last season, has the team’s best record at 4-2.

“He’s just getting better each week,” Smyth said. “He doesn’t have the best strokes, but he’s very tough mentally and has no fear about coming to the net. He’s very productive.”

The doubles lineup has even less experience than the singles, with five sophomores starting. However, Smyth sees potential in his young group.

“They’re getting better,” he said, “and we hope to solidify our doubles teams soon.”

John Tuvey, a junior, is the eldest member of the bunch and plays No. 1 doubles with sophomore Ashish Khanna. Smyth said these two neighbors “work well together,” compiling a 4-2 record.

The No. 2 team consists of Jeremy Lee and Ted Butler, who both played JV last year.

“They seem to be steadily improving,” Smyth said. “We’ve been emphasizing communication with each other and they’re doing pretty well with that.”

Alex Teng has bounced back and forth from the second and third doubles spot, while fellow sophomores Jim Corbett-Detig, Kevin Turner and Patrick Shih have all played some matches at No. 3.

Shih and Corbett-Detig accounted for Mountain View’s lone win in last Thursday’s 6-1 home loss to division-leading Cupertino, pulling out a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win at No. 3.

“It’s still a little unsettled,” Smyth said. “There’s still more challenging going on for playing time.”

Although Smyth concedes this is a rebuilding year, he doesn’t expect the Spartans to go winless in the division.

“We may not finish in the very bottom of the division, but certainly in the lower half,” he said. “We’re capable of getting a few wins.”

The Spartans host Santa Clara at 3:30 p.m., today.