Coming off another very strong season in 2025, Head Coach Jeff Kearney will lead the Mustangs into what will hopefully be another successful season. 

Kearney, who has been the Medway Boys’ Tennis coach for what will be his 6th year, entered the season with a little bit of the unknown. “We graduated nine seniors last year, so there were some question marks entering this season,” Kearney said. “But we have three new players in the starting lineup who have been working hard, embracing our culture, and helping us get out to a hot start.”

Expectations were high coming into 2026 for the Mustangs’ boys’ tennis team which was able to go above and beyond the goals set in 2025. “Last year was our second straight year in the Elite Eight… which is unprecedented in Medway High School history,” Kearney explained. “Our guys have gone from ‘just happy to be there’ in the postseason, to expecting to compete and advance in the postseason.”

This sort of historic success did not come by accident, however. Through unity, hard work, and dedication, Kearney and his players have been able to turn the program around over the past few years. 

“The winning culture has been building over the past four years and the guys are thriving,” Kearney said. “Our four seniors are continuing these high expectations this year. These players deserve all the credit - they are self-motivated.”

As the 2026 season has progressed, the connection between Kearney and his players has been special already. “As a coach, I am pretty low key. I believe in the veteran players doing most of the leading, as opposed to the coach. All the headaches you hear about that coaches have to deal with these days simply don’t exist with Medway Boys’ Tennis, and the kids deserve credit for that,” Kearney stated.

Speaking of senior leadership, Kearney believes the group he has this year can lead the team to great things once again. “We have four solid returning seniors that I knew would keep us competitive,” Kearney said. “Captain Tommy Vallante plays number one singles, with Danny Ramos is at two singles, while Jayson Ettenhofer is at 3 singles. Captain Tommy Stotz also anchors first doubles.”

Along with the leadership brought by the seniors, the newcomers have also made an early impact. According to Kearney, sophomore Matthew Fecteau is playing with Tommy Stotz at first doubles while junior Liam McCarthy and freshman Seyon Shankar are at second doubles.

Though all the recent success the team has earned through their hard work is incredible to witness, Kearney always remembers to prioritize the important things when it comes to coaching. 

“We aren’t just having a tennis season…we are helping these student athletes learn and build leadership skills they will carry throughout their lives,” Kearney expressed. “My hope is that players have a super positive experience in the program and learn about what goes into building a positive team culture. I hope they feel empowered, trusted and respected.”

When reflecting on his time as a Medway coach, Kearney was not shy to emphasize the impact the Medway community has had on him and the team. “The families in Medway have shown me nothing but kindness from day one,” he said. “At the matches, there is a lot of time to speak to families and build relationships. I have met so many great people in the Medway community through this position. It has been incredibly rewarding to be the coach of this team.”

Medway has gotten off to a blazing start, winning the first five games in convincing fashion. Though he will always credit the players first, Coach Kearney has played a critical role in building a culture within this team that has completely turned the trajectory of the program around. What he and his players have accomplished over the past few years has been nothing short of extraordinary, with this season already picking up right where they left off.