The Mathews High School crew opened its 2015 season with a home regatta on Saturday at Williams Wharf, and although it is an inexperienced group this year, coach Tim Ulsaker does see some promise.

“I did not field many varsity-level events Saturday that did not have one or more novice rowers in the boat,” he said. “That being said, we are still improving every week, just slowly.”

Ulsaker was impressed with his team’s second-place finish in the women’s varsity eight, a boat that had three novices on it and had not practiced as a boat at all this season. “I just threw them in there and told them to do their best,” he said. West Potomac won that race with a time of 4:54, followed by Mathews (4:59), Elizabeth Seaton (5:10) and Gloucester (5:18).

The women’s varsity four was also an exciting race for Mathews, with the Devils edged out of first place by GHS by one second. Ulsaker said he has only nine girls on the entire squad.

The me...