CENTRAL NEW YORK – Over the years, the Cazenovia boys tennis team often had its path to the top of the OHSL Liberty division blocked by the likes of Christian Brothers Academy.
This is exactly what made the Lakers’ 3-2 victory over the Brothers last Monday afternoon so particularly sweet as close, hard-fought matches went Cazenovia’s way.
Traian Cherciu, in first singles, won 6-3, 6-3 over Chanu Yang. By those same scores, Garret Lounsbury lost to Soren Kang, but Jake Wardell got through two close sets to beat Gabriel Yang 6-4, 6-4.
Needing a point after Ethan Camp and Carter Ruddy fell 6-0, 6-2 to John Engle and Will Vandemeer, Cazenovia saw Andrew Falso and Gabe Reagan rally to clinch the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 over Fabrizio Arezzo and Finn Doyle.
The Lakers were then off until Friday afternoon, when it took on Homer and, by a 4-1 margin, was able to improve its overall record to 5-1.
Cherciu lost in two sets, but Lounsbury battled past Raymond Meng 7-5, 6-4 as Wardell beat Randolph Kruman 6-2, 6-3. Ruddy and Cy Lurie had a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win over Brandon McLaughlin and Jackson Henderson as Reagan and Falso rallied in first doubles to beat Jake Camp and Conor Powers 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Chittenango also played last Monday afternoon, taking on Marcellus and claiming both doubles points, but still absorbing a 3-2 defeat to the Mustangs.
Josh Boulter and Luke Dahlin won 6-4, 6-4 over Mike Deveroux and Tyler Szalach, with Artie Paul and Jake Simmons handling Caeden Cox and Dan Fox 6-1, 6-2.
However, Marcellus claimed all three singles matches. Logan Bronner got to a second-set tie-breaker in a 6-1, 7-6 defeat to Matt Vitale as Micah Alperuto and Seth Boulter each lost by 6-4, 6-1 margins to, respectively, Chris Barbaro and Tucker Guerina.
Another 3-2 defeat followed on Thursday, this time to Homer. Here, the Bears’ points were in singles, Bronner taking a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 decision over Kruman as Dahlin prevailed 7-5, 6-2 over Meng.
But the Trojans won the other matches, including a doubles battle where a long 13-11 tie-breaker in the first set went against Boulter and Dylan Bassett as they lost, 7-6, 6-2, to McLaughlin and Henderson.
Chittenango finally got back into the win column Friday, taking out Phoenix 5-0. Alperuto, Bronner and Seth Boulter and Bronner all won their singles matches without dropping more than two games in any set, with the doubles teams of Dahlin-Josh Boulter and Artie Paul-Jake Simmons both getting shutouts.
