CAZENOVIA – Boys tennis teams from Cazenovia and Chittenango would confront each other on a sun-splashed Friday afternoon, and each side had their specialty.
But the fact that there were three singles and two doubles matches pulled the match in favor of the Lakers, who swept those singles contests and prevailed 3-2 over the Bears.
Traian Cherciu set the tone for Cazenovia, roaring past Josh Boulter 6-0, 6-1, while Aiden Katleski had a similar 6-1, 6-0 romp over Micah Alperuto and Jake Wardel got past Andrew Graf 6-3, 6-0.
Moving to doubles, Chittenango had Luke Dahlin and Artie Paul get a 6-4, 7-6 win over Tristan Alvisi and Lincoln Katleski, while the last match went to a third-set tie-breaker as Evan Edwards and Nate Smith claimed a 6-7 (7-1), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) win over Andrew Falso and Garret Lounsbury.
Chilly, windy conditions did not keep the Lakers from handling Pulaski 5-0 last Tuesday afternoon. Cherciu and Wardel both won 6-0, 6-0 singles decisions over, respectively, Carson Hathaway and Brian Pond.
Aiden Katleski won easily, too, romping past Rafael Aguilar 6-1, 6-0 as Cazenovia’s doubles teams of Falso-Lounsbury and Alvisi-Lincoln Katleski did not drop a game in either of their matches.
Cazenovia would go 3-0 on the week, capping it Saturday by rolling past Phoenix 5-0 on the day it honored its five seniors – Alvisi, Aiden Katleski, Joe Gesner, Torin Monahan and Niko Vadakovic.
All of those seniors played, with Katleski handling Garrett Strang 6-1, 6-0 in singles as Alvisi and Gesner paired up to beat Liam Campanino and Liam Sweeney 6-2, 6-1. Monahan and Vadakovic teamed for a 6-4, 7-6 win over Isaiah Gordon and Cayden McKay.
Two days before it faced Cazenovia, Chittenango took on Mexico and only managed a single point during a 4-1 defeat to the Tigers.
Boulter and Paul got on the board for the Bears, going to three sets in doubles to beat Eric Hyde and Owen Marsden 6-2, 6-7, 10-8.
But Chitteanngo had to forfeit the other doubles match as, in singles, Alperuto and Jacob Podunajec lost in two sets and Edwards dropped a 6-7, 6-1, 10-8 decision to Harley Wakeman.
