There's a storm brewing in Rhode Island high school boys tennis, and it's coming from an unexpected direction. The La Salle Rams, after a nightmare start to the 2026 season, have suddenly transformed into a team that should have every contender looking over their shoulder.

Let's be clear: East Greenwich remains the team to beat, steamrolling through the season undefeated. But here's the thing about sports—momentum matters, and right now, La Salle has it in spades.

The Rams stumbled out of the gate with a brutal 1-7 record, plagued by inexperience and a schedule that offered no mercy. But since that low point, something clicked. La Salle has gone 6-1, capped by a thrilling 4-3 victory over Moses Brown on May 13 that extended their winning streak to three matches.

"It feels awesome," said Rooney Cao, who teamed with Preston Feden at No. 2 doubles to clinch the decisive point. "We were down at first, but we started to go back to basics and listen to what coach said. That's what got us here. The energy from our team helped us tremendously."

The turnaround is even more impressive considering what La Salle lost. After graduating significant talent from last year's 12-4 squad, the Rams entered 2026 with more questions than answers—outside of Andrew Smith, the defending state singles champion, who has been a rock at the No. 1 spot.

"We lost to them the first time, and the second half of the season has been really good," Smith said. "It wasn't looking too good at the beginning. I'm really proud of us for pulling through. Our record looks a lot better now, and I'm proud of the resilience we've shown."

The early schedule was a gauntlet: losses to defending state champ Barrington, a blowout against East Greenwich, then South Kingstown, followed by repeat defeats to Barrington and East Greenwich. A win over the RM Tides (Rogers/Middletown co-op) briefly stopped the bleeding, but consecutive losses to Hendricken and Moses Brown had the Rams staring at a lost season.

Then came the change. Getting the roster back to full strength helped, but something deeper shifted in the La Salle locker room. The Rams rediscovered their identity, and now they're lurking—a dangerous position for any team chasing a championship.

For the rest of Rhode Island's contenders, that sound you hear isn't just the spring breeze. It's the Rams, and they're coming.