Right at the end of the regular season, the Skaneateles boys tennis team met with some turbulence – along with some tough OHSL Liberty division opponents.
It was a close, exciting battle with Marcellus last Tuesday afternoon, with three of the five matches going to three sets, but the Lakers ending up on the wrong end of a 3-2 defeat to the Mustangs.
Ethan Weldon, in three sets, got past Steve Larison 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, getting a singles point as Connor Driscoll handled Zach Ruggles 6-1, 6-2. But with a chance to get the clinching point, Zach Driscoll could not sustain his fast start and lost, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, to Dave Manke.
Luca Kunz and Griffin Walawender pushed their first doubles match with Geoff Golick and Andrew Herold to three sets, but lost 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Ruggles, pairing with Ian LaFever, would beat the Lakers’ tandem of Ryan Bailey and Anthony Panasci 6-4, 6-3.
At least the Lakers got points in this match – which it didn’t do in a 5-0 defeat to Westhill. Weldon, in singles, saw an early lead get away in a 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 defeat to Brian Sheridan, with Kunz falling to Matt Zabycz 7-6, 6-2. The Warriors dominated the rest of the matches, dropping just one game in the six remaining sets as Connor Driscoll lost, 6-0, 6-0, to Mike Paraszczak.
Those struggles for Skaneateles would continue on Thursday, with a 4-1 defeat to Cazenovia, the only point earned when Connor Driscoll, in second singles, overcame a rough start to beat Eli LaGorga 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Kunz took a 6-4, 7-6 singles loss to Mason Stehle, with Zach Driscoll running into Nate Romig in a 6-1, 6-0 defeat. Ryan Bailey and Malcolm Lombardi, paired in doubles, played well, but still lost to Wyatt Lansing and Greg Okoniewski 6-4, 6-4.
