Eshaan Doshi never saw it coming. But he will bask in it forever.
The recent Hopewell Valley Central High graduate can look back on his high school tennis career and boast of something that can never be taken from him. He was the first singles players for three straight NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II state champion tennis teams.
“Honestly, I don’t think I ever fully conceived a moment of this magnitude,” Doshi said. “When you’re younger, you dream about winning championships, but you don’t always comprehend the gravity of creating a legacy.
“Being the first singles player on a three-time state championship team feels less like an individual achievement and more like being entrusted with a small piece of history. This accomplishment represents the culmination of years of work, trust, sacrifice and a culture that has been carefully cultivated. I’m proud of my role, but I’m even more grateful to have been part of something that will endure beyond any one player’s name.”
Doshi could not have put it better. As first singles, he had eight wins, far below what several other Bulldog flights had. But as coach Dave Burchell put it, “I had a good number one, he was better than anyone in the school.”
As the No. 1, Doshi had to take on some of the state’s top players. By doing so, it allowed his teammates to excel in their positions.
They included junior Danyal Rizavi at second singles, sophomore Kevin Gu at third singles, seniors Andrew Hou and Kaito Mahon at first doubles and junior Luke Poltrino and senior Manas Sinha at second doubles.
They combined to produce a record that only one other Colonial Valley Conference school has surpassed. From 1996-2000 West Windsor-Plainsboro (now WW-P South) won five straight state titles. Princeton is the only other CVC school to win two straight.
It started with Doshi, who met his responsibility head on.
“Mercer County’s a tough neighborhood for tennis,” Burchell said. “He persevered. He lost matches, but never lost a match to somebody I thought he should beat. That’s a good sign.
“It’s hard to take those losses, but we laugh. I kept telling him when he goes to college next year, people will ask him ‘Did you play sports?’ and he can say ‘Yeah I was the number one singles player for the state champion for three years.’ That’s all they’re gonna ask you. They won’t ask you actual record.”
The records that counted the most were a 17-7 regular-season mark and a 5-0 record in the states.
Hopewell topped Point Pleasant Boro, 5-0, in the Central Jersey Group II quarterfinals, followed by a 3-2 win over Ocean Township in the semis and a 3.5-1.5 victory over Holmdel in the finals. Next up were 4-1 wins over Haddonfield and Mendham in the state semifinals and finals.
It was not a surprising title considering six of seven starters were back, but the players realized nothing was a given.
“We knew the opportunity was there, but we also understood that history doesn’t repeat itself simply because you desire it,” Doshi said. “Having everyone back gave us confidence, but it also gave us a greater responsibility. We weren’t just defending a title; we were protecting a standard. We wanted to remain humble enough to improve and ambitious enough to pursue something historic.
“The challenge was not allowing past success to become a source of complacency. We approached every practice and every match with the understanding that the only moment that truly exists is the one in front of you.”
Hopewell met those moments head on; winning blowout matches and winning tight ones. Whatever the scenario, the players never wavered. It was all about a mindset.
“It comes down to a collective belief that adversity is not something to fear; it’s something that reveals who you are,” Doshi said. “Tennis is a profoundly psychological sport because when the score gets tight, there’s nowhere to hide.
“We don’t expect every match to be easy. We expect moments of difficulty. Our team has always embraced the discomfort in these inevitable moments because we view them as opportunities for our preparation and mentality to manifest themselves. This ability to find clarity in chaos is something we’ve cultivated over the years.”
There is a reason for that. It’s called “being ready for the moment.” Hopewell didn’t just show up and expect to win. They listened and learned from Burchell and assistant coach Gary Gall.
“The kids worked together, they really were a team,” Burchell said. “I couldn’t get these kids off the court at the end of practice. We’re called the Bulldogs, and these kids are bulldogs.
“They weren’t afraid to give and accept advice. The kids take coaching. A lot of coaching is psychology. These kids worked hard at it, they were fearless. Some kids are afraid to get too close to the net, and these kids never flinched. You hit the ball right at them, they want it. That’s been part of the success.”
Another part of that success, according to Doshi, is the atmosphere created within the program. Blistering serves, devastating backhands and powerful forehands are necessary in an individual match, but there needs to be more for a team to succeed.
“The foundation of this program has always been something deeper than talent,” Doshi said. “Talent can win matches, but culture creates championships. What makes this program special is the level of accountability, selflessness, and trust coach Burchell has instilled in us.
“Everyone understands that tennis may be an individual battle, but a team championship is a collective endeavor. Every player contributes, whether through performance, preparation, encouragement, or simply raising the standard every day.”
And that carries over to the classroom, as Burchell is proud to say “our student-athletes are students first.”
Although none are playing tennis in college, Doshi is headed for Illinois University, Sanhi to Duke, Hou to Lehigh and Mahon to Rutgers. Sanhi was Hopewell’s NJSIAA Student-Athlete of the Year.
While their scholastic athletic careers may be over, they have memories that will linger forever. In assessing each flight, Burchell started with Doshi, saying “He’s a leader. He helps and he doesn’t take a loss and cry or whine about it. He just sets the tone for the rest of the players.”
Rizavi went 11-1-1 in his final 13 dual matches and was undefeated in state play at second singles.
“He helped us win it all as a freshman his first two years and he was just a solid number two for us,” Burchell said. “He’ll probably be number one next year.”
Gu went 5-0 in state play, winning four at third singles and one at second singles filling in for Rizavi. In the 4-1 win over Mendham in the state finals, he won a 10-7 tiebreaker that proved big.
“That gave us the confidence to win that match,” Burchell said. “He’s a tremendous player, he is fearless.”
Hou-Mathon made school history by becoming the first flight to ever win a Mercer County/Colonial Valley Conference championship when they won 6-4, 4-6, (10-4) over Princeton’s Ryan Litvinsky and Nolan Maurer. They were 5-0 in state play and, with Rizavi missing the CJ III semifinals against Ocean Township, they picked up the slack by winning a grueling three-set tiebreaker, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (10-8).
Both were following in the footsteps of brothers who played doubles for Hopewell in previous years.
“There’s a family tradition of doubles and these two are incredible together,” Burchell said. “Part of the secret was they’ve been friends since kindergarten. You can hear them squabble on the court and then move on. This was their third year together and they’ve won over 70 doubles matches together. That win against Ocean was huge.”
At second doubles, Sinha-Poltrino went 15-5 in dual matches and 4-1 in states.
“Manis won the team leadership award, he’s always stepped up when you need someone to step up,” Burchell said. “I can’t say enough about him. Luke Poltrino is the tallest player I ever coached and those big tall players can serve.”
Burchell pointed out that his team has had the most losses of any state champ each of the three years, and they were never a number one seed in the sectionals. They were fourth in 2024, third last year and second this year.
There’s a reason for that.
“My schedule is among the toughest in the state,” the coach said. “We don’t shy away from anyone. Some schools played 12 or 13 matches, we played 24, we play every prep school we can.
“At one point we were 3-5 and that made us better, losing close, tough matches. I think we lost to five state Top 20 teams. That gets you ready. You play good players you get better. I don’t want 5-0 wins. We went through the gauntlet. “
Burchell admitted that he was unsure of how his team would do during their first two title years, but with six starters returning, he had a good feeling about this season.
“I knew I had a better team,” he said. “The problem is you never know how good the opposition is gonna be. We played Holmdel in the sectional finals. They had two new players at one and two and that pushed everybody down. That’s the big issue.
“My kids are great personality wise. They’re not whiney, they never made in my opinion, bad calls, and they dealt with competition.”
And while the Bulldogs thrived once again, there was a tinge of sadness for the four seniors, knowing that the incredible ride – for them at least – is over.
“There’s something uniquely bittersweet about realizing that the final chapter of a journey you devoted so much of yourself to is actually here,” an introspective Doshi said. “As a senior, you become increasingly aware of the impermanence of practices, bus-ride conversations, and pre-match rituals.
“All of these seemingly ordinary moments suddenly carry more weight when you realize they won’t last forever. This championship is particularly special because it’s a reflection of the relationships and shared experiences that have shaped us along the way.”
But even as he discusses the amazing feat he and his teammates have accomplished, Doshi has not yet wrapped his head around it all.
“It will take time for the true meaning of this to settle in,” he said. “Right now, it still feels like we’re standing inside the moment rather than looking back on it. And I think that’s because when you look beyond the final score, the three championships are not just three trophies; they represent three years of friendships, countless practices, thousands of points played, and the constant pursuit of improvement.
“The most meaningful part is knowing that when we eventually reflect on this chapter of our lives, we’ll remember the sense of brotherhood we created more than the victories.”
And that just about says it all when it comes to the three-time state champs.
