A-B title proves a point
GIRLS TENNIS
SHREWSBURY — At the start of the season, Acton-Boxboro coach Mike Gardner had a feeling his team would be in contention for a Division 1 state title.
Yesterday, the Colonials made their coach look like he knows a thing or two, capturing the program’s fourth state title since 2008 with a 5-0 shutout against Westboro in a match that needed just over an hour as A-B completed a perfect 19-0 season.
“These kids play all year and they are developing all year,” Gardner said. “The seniors practice together in doubles all winter. The freshmen are playing in tournaments. I just throw the balls out honestly. Anyone can coach this team.”
A-B was in control from start to finish as the Colonials did not lose a set en route to its first title since 2013. And despite four championships in 10 years, this team is among the most special for Gardner in terms of talent.
“I have never had a team play like this before. It is almost like they forgot how to lose,” he said. “These kids just keep coming. We lost so few sets this year even, that is just hard to believe. I am just kind of scratching my head as to why they are so good.”
The Colonials took early control as Sameera Boppanna and Arushi Bhalchandra nabbed the first point at No. 2 doubles in a 6-0, 6-2 showing. Newcomer Sahana Raman controlled at No. 1 singles in a 6-1, 6-1 win.
A-B put the match away when Pragathi Maroju and Divya Iyenger topped Westboro’s Megan Ku and Sandy Iyer 6-3, 6-4.
Division 3
Manchester Essex 5, Hopedale 0 — The Hornets never lost a point in the 2018 state tournament, a perfect 25-0 in that respect.
Now they have a title to go along with it.
Manchester Essex (20-3) capped off the impressive run in dominating fashion, coasting to the Div. 3 state championship in under an hour by blanking Hopedale for the program’s first title since 2013.
For coach Ken Rawson, it was as easy as letting the team play.
“I did not have to do much coaching today,” Rawson said. “All I had to do was keep everybody calm and doing what they were doing because they were already doing it well. This year the job became different because we had a lot of talent. Instead of developing more talent, what we had to do was manage the talent we had to make it as effective as possible.”
The accumulation of talent was in part a product of the addition of two players — sophomore Olivia Mariotti and freshman Stephanie Pratt. That allowed a longstanding member of the Hornets in Chanel Bullock the chance to move to No. 1 doubles to play alongside her sister Christina.
After the Bullocks quickly put away the first point of the match in a 6-0, 6-0 rout, the two newest players on the team showed their value.
Pratt earned the second point of the match, inching Manchester Essex closer to a title with a 6-2, 6-0 decision over Megan McLellan at No. 2 singles. Moments later, Mariotti sealed it up when she downed her opponent 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.
Manchester Essex took the final two points with the result already determined, completing a spotless journey through the postseason as Andrea Rennie and August Kahle were winners at No. 2 doubles before Bridget Miller edged her opponent, 6-4, 6-4 to put an exclamation point on the state crown.
“For me as a coach, you don’t get that many opportunities to achieve this,” Rawson said of his team’s return atop Div. 3. “I feel very fortunate and I am very grateful to the girls because they are the engine that brought us here.”.