Just the idea that the Marcellus and Skaneateles girls tennis teams could meet for the Section III Class C team championship had to stir all those familiar with the rivalry between the two schools in so many sports.
That idea turned into reality Thursday at Utica’s Mott Courts when, despite the Lakers starting as a no. 3 seed and the Mustangs as a no. 5 seed, the two would gather with the sectional title on the line.
And it proved a classic, with the two sides not deciding matters until the tie-breaker of the fourth doubles match, which finally pushed Skaneateles in front to claim the championship by a 4-3 margin.
Each side had three points on the board when Rachel Hackler and Kelsey Rutledge went to a third set with Bella Clarke and Isabella Demeis. They tied 6-6, ended up in a tie-breaker and only there, by a 7-5 margin, did Hackler and Rutledge prevail 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Prior to that, Ella Danforth and Emma Miller had handled Elaina Mahoney and Morgan Walsh 6-0, 6-3, while in singles Lily Miller won a 7-5, 7-5 battle with Colleen Marsh and Isabella Kroon got past Danielle Copp 6-4, 7-5.
Marcellus countered with Kaitlyn Kemp and Megan Mitchell handling Sofia Capozza and Olivia Walker 6-3, 6-0, with Sophia Shaw and Maddie Vetsch getting a 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) win over Kate Aberi and Meg Benedict.
When, in first singles, Kathleen DeMarle outlasted Kenna Ellis 6-1, 2-6, 6-1, the Mustangs had a third point, but by the smallest of margins, the Lakers denied Marcellus that fourth point.
Things began to line up after last Tuesday’s quarterfinals, partly because undefeated top seed Clinton was knocked off by no. 8 seed Cazenovia 3-2.
Meanwhile, Marcellus avoided its own surprise by ending the great run of no. 13 seed Jordan-Elbridge as the Mustangs defeated the Eagles 6-1.
J-E’s lone point arrived when Anisa Bort beat DeMarle 6-1, 6-3, but Marcellus countered with Copp handling Meghan Whalen 6-3, 6-1 and Marsh winning over Wendy Carter 6-4, 6-1.
Kemp and Walsh were involved in the closest of the four doubles matches, still putting together a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Katelyn Precourt and Gabrielle Skotinski 6-3, 7-6.
Mahoney and Mitchell won, 6-0, 6-3, over Lexi Delfavero and Delaney Dunham. Shaw and Vetsch handled Maddie Green and Maria LaFleur 6-2, 6-2 as Clarke and Demeis got past Skylar Crysler and Hayley Holland 6-1, 6-3.
Now the semifinal pitted Marcellus against Cazenovia, whom it beat 6-1 late in August. Just as strong in the rematch, the Mustangs again topped that other group of Lakers 6-1.
DeMarle lost in singles, but Copp survived getting shut out in the second set to beat Nova Berger 6-0, 0-6, 6-2 as Marsh earned a 7-5, 6-2 decision over Nina Royer.
As part of a doubles sweep, Mahoney and Mitchell beat Clare Douglas and Baylee Pierce 6-3, 6-1, with Kemp and Walsh beating Julia Knutsen and Emma Schwartz by those same scores. Shaw and Vetsch claimed a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Regan Dauenhauer and Mae Sayre as Clarke, now paired with Casey Conklin, beat Katie Pavelchak and Emma Thornton 6-3, 6-0.
Skaneateles, meanwhile, prevailed 5-2 over no. 11 seed Manlius-Pebble Hill, sweeping all four doubles matches. Only second doubles was close, but Capozza and Sophia Soderberg worked past Emma Gross and Eden Hildebrandt 7-6, 6-4.
Otherwise, the teams of Danforth-Emma Miller, Benedict-Walker and Hackler- Rutledge lost just one game in six combined sets. Ellis and Kroon lost their singles matches, but Lily Miller dominated against MPH’s Ava Benedict, prevailing 6-1, 6-3.
This put the Lakers up against no. 2 seed Utica-Notre Dame in the sectional semifinals, a rematch of the 2018 final won by the Jugglers. Aided by Lily Miller’s timely comeback in third singles, Skaneateles prevailed this time 4-3.
Neither Ellis nor Kroon could do much in singles against UND’s star sister duo of Ellen and Emily Lyga, who both won 6-1, 6-1, but Miller, after getting shut out in the first set by Danielle Cresci, fought all the way back to win 0-6, 6-4, 6-3.
That augmented the three points won in doubles. Danforth and Emma Miller beat Samantha Fulty and Caitlin Snyder 7-5, 6-0, with Benedict and Walker handling Victoria Tran and Cindy Xing 6-3, 6-1. Hackler and Rutledge won 6-0, 6-1 over Anna Curry and Jossie Zhou.
