With each step and each victory it achieves, the Cazenovia boys tennis team separates itself further from all of its predecessors.
In the first-ever New York State Public High School Athletic Association team tournament, the Lakers picked up a pair of victories that allows it to journey to New York City this weekend to compete for a state Division II championship.
Just getting into the state tournament required Cazenovia, after claiming the Section III Class C-1 title in mid-May, to beat two other area champions.
First, the Lakers pulled out a 3-2 decision over C-2 champion Cooperstown. Then it defeated Class B champion New Hartford by that same margin.
Now it was on to state competition. It began Sunday at Utica Parkway Courts where, against undefeated Section II champion Maple Hill, the Lakers pulled off a 5-0 shutout.
Each of the singles players – Traian Cherciu, Garret Lounsbury and Jake Wardell – won their matches in straight sets/ Cherciu gave up four games in his opening set but the Lakers’ trio otherwise surrendered just three games in the other five sets.
The matches were a bit closer in doubles, but again Cazenovia took them in straight sets as the teams of Cy Lurie-Carter Ruddy and Andrew Falso-Gabe Reagan prevailed.
Moving on, the Lakers would travel north to Section VII’s Plattsburgh for Tuesday’s regional final. Team members were seen off by a large crowd of students and supporters that gathered outside the high school, complete with an escort of fire trucks.
They had a reason to celebrate later in the day, too, when Cazenovia was able to defeat Plattsburgh 4-1 and secure its berth in the state final four.
Falso and Reagan won 6-0, 6-0 over John Cantwell and Simon Meyer, with Lurie and Ruddy going through a third set but able to defeat Braden Fitzwater and Ben Lambert 6-2, 4-6, 6-0.
Up in singles, Cherciu pushed Sebastian Bonnabesse to a third set in a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 defeat, but Lounsbury fought off Andrew Bula 6-4, 7-5 and Wardell got a 6-4, 6-3 win over Nick Bula.
Cazenovia will join three other regional champions at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens this Saturday for the NYSPHSAA championships. Semifinals are at 9 a.m. and the championship match is at 2:30.
