CENTRAL NEW YORK – The Skaneateles boys tennis team got going with a victory over Hamilton in the opening round of the Section III Class C team tournament, but bigger tests lay ahead.
Holding the no. 7 seed, the Lakers have to go to no. 2 seed Cooperstown in Monday’s quarterfinals, then get through a semifinal with Morrisville-Eaton or Manlius Pebble Hill before Wednesday’s final at Utica Parkway Courts.
Before all this, Skaneateles challenged undefeated (and eventual Class C top seed) Cazenovia last Monday afternoon, with the other side able to take that Lakers battle 4-1.
An impressive doubles sweep had Jake and Peter Salzhauer pair up to beat Max Reger and Evan Molloy 6-0, 6-1, while Case Pavlus and Evan Scott lost in doubles and singles points went against Noah Soderberg, Kevin Torrisi and James Lovier.
What followed on Tuesday was a 5-0 romp over Onondadga where, in 10 total sets, the Lakers did not drop a single game, whether it was Lovier, Torrisi and Soderberg in singles or the Salzhauers in doubles plus the team of Pavlus and Lucas Woodcock.
It was the same against LaFayette on Wednesday, except that Pavlus and Woodcock did drop a single game in the second set of what was otherwise a slate of shutouts as the Lakers blanked the Lancers 5-0.
Though already having a fine regular season, Westhill made it even better by going to Chittenango last Monday afternoon and putting together a 3-2 victory over the Bears.
Entering the match, the Bears were 10-1, and it easily took both points in doubles, requiring the Warriors to win all three of the singles matches – which it did.
Shay Smyth shut out Logan Bronner 6-0, 6-0, with Jackson Flegel battling past Seth Boulter 7-5, 6-4. Then, in three sets, Zane Eldred got the clinching point 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 over Noah Edwards.
Back on Tuesday, Westhill lost, 5-0, to Cazenovia, Flegel getting to a third set but falling to Garret Lounsbury 6-1, 6-7 (7-4, 7-5) as Smyth and Eldred both lost in straight sets, as did all the doubles teams.
As a follow-up on Wednesday afternoon, Westhill put away Mexico 4-1, improving its overall record to 6-3, and then won again on Thursday, edging Cortland 3-2 as it got both doubles points along with Eldred beating Wrangler VanSlyke 6-0, 6-2.
Marcellus found itself in its own 4-1 match last Monday, only it lost to MPH, who swept all the singles and only relented when, in doubles, Mike Devereaux and Tucker Guerrina beat Devin Trikha and Donovan Foster.
Rebounding a day later, the Mustangs blanked Phoenix 5-0. Deveraux and Guerrina each won 6-1, 6-1 singles matches over, respectively, Sam Pritting and Liam Zalewski, with Owen Fontaine shutting out Logan Bean 6-0, 6-0. A three-set doubles match had Will Louer and Liam Lundrigan rally past Cooper Graham and Jackson Giacobbi 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.
West Genesee met East Syracuse Minoa last Tuesday and took a 7-0 defeat to the Spartans, with three of the four doubles matches going to three sets.
Joe Paoli and Dan Alvaro could not hold on in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat to Jayce Domres and Jacob Harmon. Similarly, Jonah Hanlon and Sawyer Ruston won a set before falling to Owen Tompkins and Jude Rudnick 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 as Jacob Dalton and Paul Toumbacaris fell to Ari Oviedo and Carter Jacobs 7-5, 6-7 (7-5), 6-2.
