The D.F.O. 2021 3.0 Season Previews are here ... 40+!
Last season's champions, Paramount Westlake, look to repeat their 40+ dominance at the 3.0 level in 2021, but will have to do so against a league that has enjoyed some of the most rapid expansion this side of the XFL! Now with nine teams (which is ALMOST triple last season's three teams!), this season's 40+ play looks to be even more competitive than ever before! Will Paramount Westlake repeat their championship ways? Will the loaded Wembley squad challenge for Flight supremacy? Will the newly formed Force look to challenge for top honors? Or will the historic club Towpath regain the 3.0 thrown?
SO MANY QUESTIONS!
SO FEW ANSWERS!
What follows is the D.F.O.'s well-known* and respected* 3.0 season previews, in which we pour through the stats, analyze the data, and put in so much information that this post is borderline creepy to the point of stalking. When all is said and done - and the restraining orders have been lifted - we present to you our previews of the upcoming seasons, both in 18+ and in 40+. So read on, if you dare! (Read below for 40+ while 18+ can be found here!)
Teams & Rosters Information The following information includes the players, their TennisRecord.Com rating, and all records - 3.0 and above - from 2014 onward, including overall (O), singles (S), and doubles (D) records in all 3.0 matches, league, fusion, playoffs, and tournament combined. Or ... at least attempts to do all that. Who knows. We're not that great at the "math."
Flight 1
Force/Rocky River
Captain - John Prince (3.00, 1-0S, 47-13D)
2019 Record - None
Roster - Timothy Chen (2.51, 4-7S, 6-14D), Scott Mellino (2.85, 0-1S, 23-13D), Robert Jurs (2.78, 1-1S, 16-30D), Mark Pastor (2.51, 2-3S, 11-38D), Adnan Kazazic (2.66, 6-16S, 29-25D), James McGlone (2.69, 7-17S, 16-26D), Chris Sorensen (3.0S, 2-2D), Roger Godin (2.67, 1-2S, 30-24D), Joseph Miksa (2.73, 0-3S, 4-6D), Sreeramesh Kalluri (2.87, 1-0, 18-32)
Free Agents - Giju Oommen (2.87, 2-3S, 19-22D, Medical Mutual), Adam Voight (2.94, 15-5S, 42-26D, Medical Mutual), Abhijit Nath (3.00, 1-2S, 14-9D, BA), David Zuber (2.54, 0-2S, 12-14D, Medical Mutual)
Rookies - Harry Bendzuck, Paul Prince
Preview - Entering his first year as a 3.0 captain, Captain John has scoured the local area far and wide, casting a recruiting net big enough to secure some of the most talented players imaginable! In singles, Force veterans Roger and James are a formidable duo, while in doubles Scott, Adnan, and John himself can team with nearly anyone and tag-team their way to 3.0 victories. Indeed, John and Scott have forever* been immortalized in D.F.O. history when they were unanimously named D.F.O. Doubles Players of the Year last year, illustrating just how good the tandem really is (an honor they are probably still talking about ... as they probably just found out about it)! When it comes to depth, when you add in free agent signees Giju, Adam, and Abhi, who can play singles or doubles with equal aplomb, it looks like Force may have the top free agent class of the 2021 season! Add it all up, and with their experience and court flexibility, it's pretty obvious why 3.0 pundits nationwide - NATIONWIDE! - are predicting that Rocky River's favorite 3.0 tennis team has all the 3.0 tools necessary to make a big push in the 2021 3.0 season!
Towpath Tennis Center/Akron
Captain - Frank Licari (3.00, 18-30S, 96-93D), 54-57 in 12 seasons, 2 Flight Championships, 2 Flight Vice-Championships, and 2 District Vice-Championships
2020 Record - 5-3, Flight Vice-Champion
Roster - Brian Lay (3.0S, 3-2D), John Consilio (2.79, 4-4S, 66-47D), Rich Herbruck (3.01, 45-105D), Craig Warner (2.84, 4-1S, 98-49D), Ron Novak (3.0, 10-25S, 117-164D), Tim Trombetta (2.62, 0-1S, 4-17D) Michael Earnest (2.87, 14-12D), Curt Binder (2.83, 61-64D), Garold Kuebler (3.0S, 2-3S, 16-14D), Jeff Magistrelli (2.80, 0-1S, 11-9D)
Free Agents - None
Rookies - Brad Sakowicz (2.5S, 1-1D), Peacock Gregory, Corey Morrill, Scott Kessler, Mark Robeson, Michael Santina
Preview - Captain Frank has the skills, experience, and winning pedigree necessary to make a run in this Flight once again as he leads one of the most historically significant 3.0 clubs in all of 3.0 history. Which is appropriate, because he's one of the most historically significant players in all of 3.0 history! When you combine Captain Frank's winning pedigree with doubles court veterans John, Craig, and Curt, it's clear that Towpath's roster is loaded. And just when you thought it couldn't get any more impressive, Towpath brings back one of the greatest 3.0 players of all-time (all-time!) in Ron, a former two-time D.F.O. Player of the Year, who is making his triumphant return to the Towpath 3.0 courts! To top it all off, Towpath enjoys one of the biggest rookie classes in the Flight, a class that is sure to have an unknown x-factor that will surely make a difference on the courts as the season progresses. Thus, with the championship history of the Towpath courts, the historic leadership of their captain, and the return of a sure fire D.F.O. 3.0 Hall of Famer, it's no wonder Las Vegas bookies have Towpath as one of the top 3.0 teams of 2020!
Bay/Bay
Captain - Erik Overberger (2.79, 8-20S, 13-39D), 2-18 in 2 seasons
2019 Record - 1-9
Roster - Charlie Post (2.88, 0-1S, 16-47D), Tom Mullee (2.79, 1-3S, 7-23D), Brian Chambers (2.64, 0-3S, 12-10D), Tony Slabicki (2.51, 6-8D), James Leo (2.76, 0-1S, 7-29D), Donn McLeroy (2.36, 17-66D), Mike Hendershot (2.29, 0-5S, 3-25D), James Leo (2.76, 0-1S, 7-28D), Travis Haselswerdt (3.00, 58-32S, 15-15D)
Free Agents - Ted Macfarlane (2.62, 12-19D, Avon Oaks), Michael Elliot (2.64, 1-3S, 12-11D, Avon Oaks), Jeffrey Roach (N/A, 0-3S, California)
Rookies - Dietrich Schlezig
Preview - After a year off from competitive 3.0 play, the entire Bay team is back, once again led by Captain Erik, one of the top singles players in all of Bay 3.0 singles history! Joining him on the singles courts is one of the most beloved and popular and loyal players in all of Bay, Travis. Ahem. But also joining Captain Erik on this veteran-laden squad is one of the best doubles tandems of the entire 2020 season, Brian and Tony, while super-seasoned 3.0ers Charlie and Tom bring added spice (and experience) to the courts. Add in legendary Bay 3.0er Donn "Two to Deuce!" McLeroy, combined with free agents Ted and Michael, and the mysterious Californian Jeffrey, along with intriguing 3.0 rookie Dietrich, and Bay looks to make some major moves in their return to their home courts in 2021! Speaking of home courts, never count out the numero uno advantage Captain Erik and the entire Bay squad have at their disposal - their outdoor home courts! As the only full-time outdoor team in the entire world (we haven't fact checked that statement yet, but we're pretty sure it's spot on), their mastery of their outdoor home court advantage makes them one of the hardest teams to travel towards on match day (quite literally as the GPS usually takes you to the other side of town)!
Paramount Westlake/Westlake
Captain - Robert Corts (2.90, 26-21S, 81-55D), 32-24 in 5 seasons, 1 Flight Championship
2020 Record - 6-2, Flight Champion
Roster - Robert Rosenau (2.94, 0-1S, 44-30D), Michael Boukzam (2.83, 3-2s, 31-17D), James Wang (2.75, 15-7D), Ben Zagorski (2.83, 1-3S, 16-13D), Debabrata Ghosh (3.0S, 22-2D), Kevin Doss (2.92, 4-6S, 25-9D), Matthew Shepherd (2.85, 8-6S), Clem Kissling (2.61, 1-0S, 33-42D), Vasile Katsaros (2.84, 5-3D)
Rookies - Venkat Bala, Sean Schulze
Preview - Captain Robert, one of the most decorated and winningest 3.0 players in 3.0 history, looks to lead his team in a new season at an equally new locale. Indeed, as the North Ridge team makes the sad, but necessary, move west (or south?) to Paramount Westlake from their former beloved North Ridgeville home, Captain Robert will have much to do in order to get he crew ready for their new home environs. And while moving is always a stressful endeavor, Captain Robert's 3.0 squad is one of the most veteran laden and experienced around, showing they'll be ready for any situation come match day. Speaking of match day, doubles experts Robert R., Michael, Ben, Debabrata, Kevin, and the historic D.F.O. 3.0 Hall of Famer Clem will no doubt help to avenge North Ridge's honor on the doubles courts, while Captain Robert and Matthew will bring honor to their new tennis dojo with some adept singles play. With so much talent and so much experience, look for Paramount Westlake to be the feel good story of 2021!
Wembley Club/Chagrin Falls
Captain - JP Ayyappan (2.58, 3-6S, 53-73D), 39-8 in 3 seasons, 4 Flight Championships, 1 Flight Vice-Championships, 2 District Championships, 1 District Vice-Championship, 1 State Vice-Championship
2019 Record - None
Roster - Brian Greene (2.51, 1-2S, 4-10D), Kiyotaka Fukamachi (2.51, 3-3S, 7-24D), David Ries (2.93, 1-1S, 106-53D), Patrick Tobler (3.18, 10-3D), John Martin Leland (2.66, 1-4S, 3-4D), Kyle Hulewat (3.0S, 6-4D), Karan Jolly (3.08, 4-2S, 12-4D), James Pruce (3.02, 1-2S, 24-3D)
Free Agents - David Sternberg (2.66, 0-1S, 30-42D, San Fran), Roger Lee (2.95, 18-12S, 19-6D, CVAC)
Rookies - David Shisila (3.0S, 2-1D)
Preview - One of the winningest captains in 3.0 history, Captain J.P. looks to add even more 3.0 hardware to his 3.0 trophy case in 2021 as he has assembled one of the top 3.0 rosters in all of O-H-I-O (we are legally obligated to spell "Ohio" like that at least once every blog per Ohio mandates). In singles, James brings a hard serving approach that keeps his adversaries on their heels while Karan's all-court game stymies his opponents with suffocating court-coverage. Add in the slice and dice approach of free agent signee Roger, and it's an embarrassment of 3.0 riches when it comes to one-on-one singles tennis play! In doubles, it's just as impressive, as J.P., paired with David, marks the return of one of the most successful doubles tandems in recent memory (and our memory is super recent!). Managing a roster with so much talent and so many expectations could prove a difficult task for some, but with the captain with the best winning percentage in 3.0 history at the helm, expect the U.S.S. Wembley to sail towards the top of the 3.0 league when it comes time for their 3.0 tennis cruise to come to port!
Paramount Medina/Medina
Captain - Rob Skidmore (2.57, 3-8D), 1-7 in 1 season
2020 Record - 1-7
Roster - Roderick Yamat (2.75, 31-41S, 26-36D), Daniel Palmison (3.0S, 12-29D), William Farr, (2.76, 5-9S, 93-101D), Ron Sanchez (2.53, 1-0S, 4-4D), Tom Yoder (2.25, 6-7D), Denny Huff (2.69, 2-10S, 52-51D), Dustin Carpenter (2.24, 1-4D), Michael Kenny (2.48, 3-5D), John Richardson (2.64, 0-2S, 70-79D), Patrick Renz (2.99, 2-1s, 16-4D), Richard Patterson (2.51, 0-1S, 2-16D), Jonathan Glazer (2.72, 3-5S, 8-5D)
Rookies - Kishore Devarakonda (2.82, 0-2D), Ben Gilbert, Alfred Perry Jr.
Preview - If Towpath is the grandaddy of local tennis clubs, Paramount Medina is grandpa's best friend, for few tennis establishments have the history of this staple of 3.0 tennis. And look for this locale to host many a winning Wednesday, as this roster is loaded with talent! In singles, Captain Rob can choose between two stellar players, spin-master Roderick, one of the winningest players in 3.0 history, and hard-serving and hard-charging Patrick, with one of the biggest tennis cannons on the 3.0 tour. Add in experienced doubles players Will, Denny, John, and Daniel and you've got the makings of a 3.0 star-studded lineup!
LaTuchie Tennis Center/Stow
Captain - Ronald Thomas (2.87, 3-2S, 51-21D)
2019 Record - None
Roster - Jeff Sirak (2.63, 41-34D), Chris Thompson (2.84, 1-0S, 13-7D), Scott Hovey (2.57, 10-3S, 6-2D), Jeff Sterling (3.00, 90-46D), Alan Eng (2.66, 1-2S, 6-7D), Dennis Francis (2.84, 18-13D), Nicolas Savelieff (2.35, 4-6D), Timothy Adkins (2.83, 41-42D), Ernest Mizzell (2.51, 0-4S, 9-18D), Patrick DeMarco (3.0S, 1-2D), Todd Hofer (2.48, 1-1S, 12-18D)
Free Agents - None
Rookies - Michael Schlayer
Preview - Captain Ronald's young and fresh 40+ team looks to make some noise during their maiden season, and look for LaTuchie to yell loudly after some impressive matches! With hard-serving and hard-hitting Scott leading the singles foray, Captain Ronald has at his disposal one of the best singles players in the Flight, while at doubles, himself, Jeff, Jeff 2.0, and Timothy add experience - and wins - to the tag-team portion of the matches. A nice combination of experience in Dennis and Todd, combined with rookie freshness of Michael, makes LaTuchie one of the more intriguing teams to look out for in 2021!
North Canton Racquet Club/North Canton
Captain - Timothy Booher (2.98, 1-0S, 11-15D)
2019 Record - None
Roster - Munir Ahmad (2.93, 12-8S, 42-48D), Edward Steigerwald (2.71, 17-39D), Chester McClain (2.85, 36-54D), William Woodard (3.0, 0-2S, 18-44D), Leon Crumpler (3.0S, 0-2S, 19-25D)
Free Agents - None
Rookies - Sebastian Birceanu, Guy Cecchini, Randy Abrams, Tony Harley, Jason Kabbara
Preview - One of the most rookie-laden teams in the Flight, look for NCRC to take on the Flight with an eagerness few other teams will offer as the 2021 campaign gets underway. What makes NCRC so intriguing, however, is when you combine their youth with their experience, for Captain Timothy, Edward, Chester, and William have over 230 matches to their names! Add in one of the best singles players in the area, Munir, and if Captain Timothy can harness the raw rookie power of the 3.0 stallions at his disposal, don't be surprised if NCRC turns a few 3.0 heads this season!
Chagrin Valley Athletic Club/Chagrin Valley
Captain - Steve Poe
2019 Record - 7-3
Roster - Orlando Dangond (2.44, 0-1S, 2-21D), Paul Olson (2.39, 0-1S, 1-7D), Mike Carroll (2.5S, 0-3S, 2-6D), Carl Parker (2.5S, 0-4D), Michael Dolohanty (2.01, 0-5S, 0-3D), Jeffrey Spencer (2.22, 0-6S, 9-24D)
Free Agents - Mark Seifried (2.5S, 0-2D, Wembley), Ryan Rubin (N/A, 0-1S, West Va.)
Rookies - Steve Poe, Bill Glime, Jonathan Sherwin, Christian Manchester, Adam Kohn, Matt Greenberg
Preview - Playing on the NTRP Championship courts, CVAC enjoys some of the most storied courts in all the 3.0 landscape (just think about that!). Moreover, CVAC enjoys inside AND outside courts meaning, depending on their opponent, CVAC enjoys court flexibility like few other! A large rookie class, combined with some of the most free agents in all the Flight, look to give CVAC a surprise factor that will no doubt awe their opponents, opponents who may already be in awe of the championship CVAC courts! If Captain Steve and his crew can take advantage of the awe-struck, jaw-dropping nature of their opposition, look for CVAC to enjoy yet another fine 40+ 3.0 season!
Flight Predictions
In the end, like Scottish tennis legend The Highlander once proclaimed, "There can be only one."
Well, sorta.
While there will be but one Flight Champion, as there are nine teams in the Flight, it is most likely that the top two teams will face one another in the playoffs, meaning, really, it's all about finishing in the top two. And as each team in the Flight is playing against one another once during the season, each and every match is incredibly key and probably the single most important thing happening in each player's life all summer long.
The raw talent of Force and Wembley, two clubs with two of the biggest rosters and some of the most singles and doubles flexibility in the entire Flight, look to be on a 3.0 collision course, as their rosters are just stacked with players everyone would want on their 3.0 Fantasy League (which would be pretty wild when you think about it ... a rec league 3.0 tennis fantasy team!). However, while the aforementioned teams have raw talent, one would be remiss if they didn't account for the title-holding experience of Towpath and Paramount Westlake, two clubs with championship pedigree's who know but one thing - how to win! Next up, though, are two squads that balance veteran 3.0 experience with youthful 3.0 exuberance, LaTuchie and Paramount Medina, as both clubs have an intriguing level of talent that could put both of them in the 3.0 limelight as the season progresses. And while CVAC, Bay, and NCRC may seem underdogs, each team is ripe with 3.0 rookie talent, and every year there is a 3.0 Cinderella team that emerges to mix it up with the big boys of the Flight! Will this be the year one of those teams plays like a Disney princess?!
Matches to Watch
Set your VCR (those are still a thing, right?) for these must watch 3.0 matches!
Week 1 - 5/12 - Paramount Westlake v. Paramount Medina ... a 3.0 battle of the paramount proportions as the Paramount's face off in a local 3.0 club derby!
Week 2 - 5/19 - Force v. Wembley ... a possible 3.0 show-down between the potentially top two teams in the Flight! POTENTIALLY!
Week 3 - 5/26 - Paramount Westlake v. Force ... A neighborly rivalry on par with OSU-Michigan, Browns-Steelers, or Toothpaste-Orange Juice, who will win this Westlake v. Rocky River clash?!
Week 4 - 6/2 - Wembley v. Paramount Westlake ... an alphabetical masterpiece as this match is between the two teams with "W" in their name!
Week 5 - 6/9 - Bay v. NCRC - The longest trip all season, how will NCRC fare after their approximately one hour and thirteen minute trip to the West Side?
Week 6 - 6/16 - Wembley v. CVAC ... a Civil War for Chagrin Falls supremacy! THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
Week 7 - 6/23 - Towpath v. Force ... a rematch of the 2020 18+ District Championship last season, will 3.0 revenge be at hand?
Week 8 - 6/30 - Paramount Westlake v. Bay ... as Bay Village used to be part of Westlake, shouldn't these two rosters be ... combined?!
Week 9 - 7/14 - Everyone! ... the final week, will Championships and Playoffs be on the line?!
Players to Watch
Get those sunglasses ready, because these 3.0 stars are about to shine!
John & Scott (Force) ... will this tag team continue their two-year undefeated run together?
Roger (Force) ... will Canadian born Roger learn English or continue to speak ... Canadian?
Frank (Towpath) ... with 68 3.0 career wins, Frank's about to make 3.0 history as he goes for the big SEVEN-OH!
Ron (Towpath) ... returning to 3.0 play, the only thing that can slow Ron down is the hordes of 3.0 autograph seekers!
Erik (Bay) ... with four team wins, Captain Erik will be the second greatest Bay leader in Bay 3.0 history!
Donn (Bay) ... will the legendary doubles specialist continue to add to his club leading 20 doubles victories?
Robert (PW) ... at 76 career 3.0 victories, Robert is working his way toward legendary octogenarian status!
Clem (PW) ... the all-time 3.0 wins leader with an astounding 94 career 3.0 victories, can this current D.F.O. Hall of 3.0 Famer add even more wins to his total?!
J.P. (Wembley) ... the captain with the best winning percentage in 3.0 history is missing only one thing from his 3.0 trophy case - a state title. Will this be the year?!
Roger (Wembley) ... how will the free agent from CVAC handle the match versus his former (and, actually, current) club? OH THE DRAMA!
Roderick (PM) ... the all-time leader in 3.0 league singles wins, Roderick looks to continue to add to his amazing total!
Will (PM) ... at 98 total career victories, this doubles stalwart looks to eclipse the tennis century mark in 2021!
Jeff (LaTuchie) ... at 90 career total victories, can LaTuchie's star doubles player accumulate 10 more ... in eight total possible matches?! DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!
Timothy (NCRC) ... will he continue the unprecedented, never-before-seen, longest-currently-league-wide never-been-beaten streak in singles?!
Chester (NCRC) ... four more wins and this well-known NCRC master of the doubles courts gets to 40 total career victories!
Steve (CVAC) ... a rookie player and a rookie Captain, which will come first for Steve, a Captaining victory or a personal victory? It's a trick question - BOTH!
Ryan (CVAC) ... hailing from West Virginia, will Ryan bring unknown tennis skills to not only CVAC but also all of Northeast Ohio?
A note ... this is all meant to be tongue-in-cheek and taken with enormous grains of salt. If any of this is offensive or irritating in any way, please let us know and we'll remove any names, claims, or ridiculousness. Good luck this season to all involved and can't wait to see you on the courts (and hopefully not in court!).
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