The Black and White

by Kaylie Martell edited by Jillian Mastrostefano

On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Warwick’s boys tennis team, made up of players from Toll Gate High School and Pilgrim High School, took on a challenging opponent as they faced Tiverton High School. The match stood out due to their differences in divisions. Tiverton competes in Division II, while the TG/Pilgrim co-op team plays in Division III under the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL), an organization that overlooks interscholastic sports across the state. 

Despite their difference in divisions, Warwick entered the match with confidence and strong mindsets, holding an undefeated 10-0 record (as of May 5, 2026) and riding at the top of their division rankings. Warwick’s coach, Matthew Morris describes the season so far as a big success within the season. “We have a strong group of returners in our varsity lineup, an encouraging, good mix-up of seniors, sophomores, and freshmen.” 

Although Coach Morris acknowledged some slight concern about facing a higher-division opponent, he displayed his remaining optimism about his team’s ability to compete at a high level. When asked about maintaining their undefeated record, he responded, “I would be proud of them no matter what, but I hope they are proud of themselves because it is a very good accomplishment”. 

Warwick backed up their confident emotions with a dominant performance when they defeated Tiverton in a 7-0 clean sweep. This specific victory highlighted the team’s consistency, showing their ability to compete not only within their division, but also against stronger-ranked opponents. Number two singles player Cornelius Zmed reflected on his individual match, claiming it competitive, but explaining how he was able to ultimately pull through, describing the match as a “back-and-forth encounter”. “My opponent played really well, especially in the second set. It definitely took a strong mentality to focus and come back in the match.” Zmed was able to successfully clutch the victory, 6-2, 6-4.

Looking ahead, Coach Morris shared his goals for the second half of the season. With the division tournament approaching, he expressed his hopes that several of his players would qualify for the states tournament. He also highlighted the importance of performing well at the divisional tournament at the end of the season.