Westhampton Seniors Feel Like Winners Despite Suffolk County Semifinal Loss to Commack

Theo Grellet-Aumont looked around the tennis courts Saturday, solemnly realizing his final season with the Westhampton Beach boys tennis team was coming to an end.

But that didn’t stop the senior from securing a win his last time out on the court. He and his second doubles partner, Bryce Groth, a sophomore, came back after being down 4-0 to top their Commack challengers, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, in a Suffolk County team tournament semifinal loss Saturday morning.

“As I was playing and looked around to see that we had already lost four matches, it was a bit bittersweet to realize that this was going to be my last match in high school, so, I decided to make the most of it,” Grellet-Aumont said. “I think the team put up a great effort. I was a bit nervous going into the match, but also excited to have made it this far in the playoffs. We showed them how hard we’ve been working all season and made them fight for the win.”

The senior said head coach Matt Reed, whom he called an “excellent mentor” since he took over during his sophomore season, helped lift his duo during the changeover.

“He always knows how to give a good pep talk,” Grellet-Aumont said. “He’s always been a very understanding coach.”

What the senior said also helped was the versatility of his doubles partner.

“Bryce was able to effectively put balls away at the net and consistently hit a strong serve,” Grellet-Aumont said. “He has a lot of potential, and he’s a great singles and doubles player.”

Also competing in his final match as a Hurricane was senior Bobby Stabile, who has, as part of a doubles team in the individual tournament and a member of the Westhampton Beach team, made the playoffs all four years of his high school career. He won the Division IV doubles title four times and placed as high as second in the Suffolk County tournament, making it to the state quarterfinals with junior Giancarlo Volpe last year.

“Although we did not come out with the win, everyone fought their hardest and nobody gave up,” Stabile said. “It has been great competing with a group like this. Everyone is a hard worker and everyone makes each other better. I am very happy the team made it this far, and I think that they can even do better next year if they keep up the hard work.”

Both seniors stepped into leadership roles on the team this season, and said they learned a lot from the experience.

“Coach Reed has definitely helped out my game so much over the last few years and has made me into a better leader. I’ve learned a lot about hard work, determination and camaraderie,” Stabile said. “Being a part of this program has meant a lot to me. I am definitely going to miss the team.”

Grellet-Aumont used the time to not only rally his group together, but share the word about the program and garner more interest through the Instagram account @whbboystennis.

“I hope it will be maintained by future team members,” he said. “It was an honor to be a captain and role model for such a young team.”

The pair also said the addition of assistant coach Riley Smith was paramount, especially in improving their doubles games. Giancarlo said his two-year partner taught him a lot, too.

“Playing with Bobby means more than I can express in words,” he said. “I’m sad to not have gone farther, but competing with Bobby was and will always be a fond memory of mine. He basically taught me that I am able to play doubles, and I think I’ll definitely take away his ability to stay so level-headed during any match and after any win or loss. Next season, I’m definitely going miss him, but his legacy in this program will not end here — it will continue vicariously through me and everyone that comes after him.”

Reed said seeing Stabile’s progression over his tenure has impressed him. It also didn’t hurt, he said, knowing that when the two-time All-State senior stepped onto the court, it was a near-guaranteed win.

“It’s been awesome getting to coach Bobby and challenge his skills every day to get even better,” the coach said. “With a player of his caliber, you can work on high-level skills and strategies, which is so much fun as a coach. And then seeing him successfully implement them in matches is a great feeling. Having Bobby on the team as a coach is an absolute game-changer.”

Stabile will be taking his talents to Salisbury University this fall.

“It feels great to commit at the next level, and I’m very excited to play for Salisbury,” he said. “I visited there and loved the atmosphere, and Salisbury has a great business program, as well. I wanted to play at the next level because I really enjoy playing tennis and I love to compete.”

Grellet-Aumont feels the same, saying while he’s bidding farewell to his Hurricane home courts, he doesn’t plan to stop playing.

“Tennis was one of the only sports that my parents put me in as a kid that really stuck,” he said. “Although the season didn’t end where we wanted it to, I’ve seen the entire team grow over the past few years, and it’s been amazing to see. Westhampton has always had a strong tennis program, and I was proud to uphold that reputation throughout my high school career. Being on the team has brought me so much more than just improving my game — I’ve made great friends and learned valuable life lessons along the way.”