Who will be the stars of the 2025 RIIL boys tennis season? Here's what you need to know
While spring weather is still in the process of arriving, spring sports are here and ready to go.
Match play for the boys tennis season begins on March 28 and this season should be one of the most competitive we’ve seen in a while for both the teams and the end-of-the-season singles and doubles championship.
Realignment has changed the three divisions, going from a 9-14-10 format to 10-10-12, with Mount St. Charles, which abandoned the RIIL, the missing team.
In Division I, defending champ Barrington and La Salle are back, as are Hendricken, Lincoln, Moses Brown and South Kingstown, which added Exeter-West Greenwich as a co-op. Division II champ East Greenwich and 2023 D-II champ North Kingstown both moved up to D-I, with the RM Tides — the Rogers/Middletown co-op — and Cumberland also moving up from the D-II ranks.
La Salle and Barrington should be considered the prohibitive favorites. Newcomers East Greenwich and RM are the darkhorses in the division and it’ll take some time to figure out who has what before we bring anyone else into the title conversation.
Seven teams stayed put in Division II — Chariho, Classical, Cranston West, East Providence, Narragansett, Prout and Tiverton. St. Ponaganset, the co-op of St. Raphael and Ponaganset, and Smithfield both dropped to D-II and North Smithfield, last spring’s Division III champ, moved up.
As the lone team back from last year’s D-II semifinals, East Providence immediately becomes a title favorite. The Townies’ roster is thinned out a bit with graduation losses and Abigail Ellison playing girls tennis in the fall after two seasons playing with the boys team. Still, the depth is there and EP should be solid. Keep an eye out for Classical, Prout and Chariho and don’t be shocked if newcomer North Smithfield plays its way into the mix.
Last year, Division III had 10 teams and nine of those return, led by Cranston East, last spring’s runner-up. Also back are Burrillville, Central, Coventry, the Scituate/Johnston co-op (which should go by the moniker Route 6 Warriors), Pawtucket (Shea and Tolman), Portsmouth, Warwick (Pilgrim and Toll Gate) and Woonsocket. Moving down from Division II are Providence Country Day, West Warwick and Westerly.
After its run to the final last spring, Cranston East should be considered the favorite in the division this year. Burrillville and Coventry will find a way to play themselves into contention and it wouldn’t be an upset if one of the teams down from Division II did as well.
So, which players will stand out this season? Thanks to graduation, the boys singles tournament final will feature two new players and there are plenty of talented stars who could end up winning a title at Slater Park.
Who are they? Here are 10 players we’ll be keeping tabs on this spring.:
10 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN RIIL BOYS TENNIS
Connor Ainley, Cranston West, Junior
Ainley has had an impressive start to his career thus far, but his junior season should see him rise in the ranks of the tennis elite. Playing atop the Falcons’ lineup the last two seasons, Ainley has earned Second Team All-State honors. Ainely will be one of the best, if not the best, players in Division II and will chase a deep run in the state singles tourney as well.
Joe Cavanagh, La Salle, Senior
Cavanagh has gradually moved up the Rams’ ladder and had success at every spot he’s been in. His impact was felt in La Salle’s state titles his first two seasons but last spring was Cavanagh’s best as an individual after playing No. 3 singles and getting to the quarterfinals of the singles championship. This year, he is likely to be No. 2 and expect similar success in the postseason.
Derek Chen, Moses Brown, Senior
Few players look the part better than Chen, whose blend of athleticism and textbook groundstrokes have turned him into one of the state’s top players. Chen was a Second Team All-Stater as a sophomore, made the first team last year and he’ll be back atop the Quakers’ lineup this season on the short list of contenders for the singles state championship.
Tate Coker-Dodman, East Greenwich, Freshman
The chatter about Coker-Dodman’s impending arrival has been getting louder and louder and while it can provide a certain level of pressure, the freshman has proven he can handle it. Coke-Dodman, whose sister Ellie is an All-Stater, comes to the Avengers with a top 10 USTA ranking in RI and should be in the mix for a deep run at the state singles tournament.
Sam Drolet, North Smithfield, Senior
Drolet was one of the best players in Division III the last two seasons and was key in the Northmen’s run to the D-III title last spring. North Smithfield moved to D-II this season, but that shouldn’t change Drolet’s success. He’s a two-time state qualifier and Second Team All-State selection, Drolet will be one of the best players in Division II this year.
Luke Sapolsky, Barrington, Senior
Sapolsky has had one of the best careers in the history of the sport. He’s a three-time First Team All-Stater, a three-time singles tourney semifinalist and a team state champ. This spring, he could put another line on the already impressive resumé as he enters his final season as one of the top two, and might not be No. 2, favorites to win the RIIL Singles Tournament championship.
Om Seth, Lincoln, Senior
Seth has been the Lions’ No. 2 in his two seasons, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of RI’s best players. A Second Team All-Stater as a freshman and First Team selection last spring (he didn’t compete his sophomore season), Seth enters his senior year as Lincoln’s No. 1 player. He’ll have success atop the order and should do the same at the state singles tourney.
Andrew Smith, La Salle, Junior
There isn’t a most intimidating player on the court than the 6-foot-6-inch Smith, who boasts the state’s biggest groundstrokes and covers a court like few can. After two semifinal runs at the state singles tournament, Smith enters the year as a favorite to make the finals and win the title. He'll also play atop a talented Rams roster that will be hungry to avenge last spring’s loss in the Division I final.
Luca Testa, Hendricken, Junior
Testa came into his own during his sophomore season and turned into one of the state’s best players. There’s plenty of reasons to be excited about Testa’s potential this spring, which should see him play No.1 for the Hawks. He won a match in his state singles tourney debut and that experience should help him tremendously this spring as a darkhorse in the tournament.
Elliot Roman, South Kingstown, Senior
Roman’s quietly been one of the best players in Rhode Island the last two years, but don’t expect him to be quiet about anything this spring. A two-time Second Team All-State selection, Roman is coming off his best season, which included his first win at the state singles championship. He’ll anchor the Rebels’ lineup and has the potential to go deep in his final singles tourney.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Who are the best high school tennis players and teams in Rhode Island 2025
