Just a point or two separated the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool boys tennis teams by the time their head-to-head match Tuesday afternoon was complete.
But it was the Northstars finishing on top, getting points in a pair of three-set doubles matches to pull out a 4-3 decision over the Warriors.
No match was more exciting than third doubles, where C-NS’s Nick Doran and Scott Frye took on Liverpool’s Mike Fensken and Evan Vogue. They split the first two sets, and would go to a third-set tie-breaker, but it was Doran and Frye emerging with a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 victory.
The same pattern, minus the tie-breaker, emerged in second doubles, with the Northstars’ Connor Doran and Brian Emigolz winning early, squandering that lead, but then rallying in three sets to get past Aaron Aemmer and Jeff Fensken 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
Liverpool controlled the other two doubles matches, winning both in straight sets. Jason Lamb and Evan Maestri worked past Tom Canion and Tom Kenyon 6-1, 6-2, while Chris Dotto and Logan Enzerillo got a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Mike Riccardi and Devin Smith.
But C-NS countered by winning two of the three singles matches. Jason Wisely rolled past Ian Szczesniak 6-1, 6-3, with Dylan Werts getting through two close sets to beat Aaron Laviolette 6-4, 7-6. The Warriors’ Connor Vaughn won his singles match over Matt Fiume 6-1, 7-5.
