Returning just about its entire roster and then some from a side that was squarely in the championship chase all of last spring, the East Providence High School boys' tennis team began its 2024 schedule once again expecting to contend in the tough Division II ranks.

The season's near constant rain has dampened the start of the year for the Townies, who won their opening match by a 5-2 count over Cranston West, but were unable to fully finish their next two outings against Middletown and North Kingstown due to weather related issues.

EP was trailing Middletown, 2-3, before darkness hit. That match was scheduled to be completed on Thursday, April 19. Though the Townies' other outing against the Skippers didn't go to its entirety, host NK was up by a winning margin of 4-1 when it was stopped.

The locals trounced host West Warwick in their ensuing contest, 7-0. Earlier this week in a rematch of the 2022 D-III title match against Chariho, EPHS easily dispatched the Chargers by a 6-1 count. The Townies swept the four singles matches and won two of the three doubles outings while improving to 3-2 to date.

East Providence finished 9-4 a year ago in its first season back playing in the state's middle tier after winning the D-III championship two years ago, good for fourth place in the league standings. Fifth-seeded Tiverton, also 9-4 during the regular season, pulled off a mild upset of the Townies in the D-II playoff quarterfinals, 4-3.

Aforementioned North Kingstown went a perfect 17-0 to win the 2023 D-II crown over East Greenwich, whose only two losses came to the Skippers, including in the championship match. Narragansett finished third.

In 2024, East Providence has 31 players on the team, 17 of whom are seniors and a number of them are returning starters.

In fact, three Class of '24 grads are starters for a fourth year running led by James McShane, who plays his second spring at the top of the Townies' ladder at first singles. He's followed by sophomore Abigail Ellison at No. 2 with junior John Vaughan at No. 3, up from first doubles a year ago, and senior Jaydon Amaral, back for a second go at No. 4 singles.

Nathan Thurber is the second of the senior trio returning for a fourth year as a starter, teaming with classmate Jordan O'Hara at first doubles. Senior Justin Petion is back as a starter this spring teaming with classmate Joe Kramer as the No. 2 duo. Jaydon Massa is the third senior starting for a fourth year, playing third dubs with junior Steel Martin.

"They've all gotten a lot better. Jaydon Amaral has massively improved," said second-year EPHS head coach Slade Sharma, a school alum and now a Social Studies teacher there.

Of note as well, first off the bench due to illness or injury are expected to be freshman AJ Cassamas and junior Matt Grilo.

"We're an experienced group with a lot of talent that is only one season removed from winning the D-III championship in 2022," said Sharma.

He continued, "Our lineup still consists of many of those players who were on that (D-III title) team combined with talented players that started last year in Abigail and John. The focus is making a deep playoff push in the D-II playoffs this season."

Two other Class of 2024 members would have joined their peers as four-year contributors, but injuries have them on the sidelines.

Brayden Rouette, who earned the deciding point from first singles during the Townies' title-winning match over Chariho in 2022, dislocated his elbow in an accident over the winter. Sharma said while significant, Rouette has rehabed enough to return at some point soon, but would likely only be able to play doubles. The senior could be back in action in the next week or so.

Unfortunately, that won't be the case for classmate Miguel Flores. He fought through shoulder issues last spring while playing fourth singles, but eventually needed to have the ailment attended to and is unlikely to play at all this spring due to excessive fatigue of the joint. He plans on trying to continue his playing career next fall when he enrolls at the University of Rhode Island.

"We've dealt with injuries that will keep out two singles players from last year's lineup. But I believe we're all optimistic that our team's work ethic, talent and focus will continue to push us forward and have us in conversation for the last match of the year on June 1," said Sharma, referring to the scheduled date of the D-II championship match, once again to be played in Pawtucket's Slater Park.